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Cancer Experts Issues Cell Phone Warning, Especially for Children

Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, issued an unprecedented warning on the possible link between cell phone use and cancer, in a memo sent nearly 3,000 faculty and staff today. Te warning was especially severe for children. He advised that children should use cell phones only for emergencies because their brains are still developing.

In the memo Dr Herbman writes, “Recently I have become aware of the growing body of literature linking long-term cell phone use to possible adverse health effects including cancer.” He adds, “An international expert panel of pathologists, oncologists and public health specialists recently declared that electromagnetic fields emitted by cell phones should be considered a potential human health risk.”

The warning is has not been validated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “Although the evidence is still controversial, I am convinced that there are sufficient data to warrant issuing an advisory to share some precautionary advice on cell phone use.” says Dr Herbman.

While in the U.S. the FDA has not expressed a concern over cell phones, Dr Herbman notes that cell phone risk is taken more seriously in other countries, “To date, a number of countries including France, Germany and India have issued recommendations that exposure to electromagnetic fields should be limited. In addition, Toronto’s Department of Public Health is advising teenagers and young children to limit their use of cell phones, to avoid potential health risks.”

While research so far has not shown a definitive link to cancer from cell phone use, the warning is, in part, a call for common sense precautions in response to yet unpublished research. “More definitive data that cover the health effects from prolonged cell phone use have been compiled by the World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer. However, publication has been delayed for two years.” says the memo.

The warning also notes that cordless land line phones use electromagnetic emitting technology similar to that of cell phones.

The memo lists 10 “Practical Advice” precautions to be considered when using cell phones.

1: Do not allow children to use a cell phone, except for emergencies. The developing organs of a fetus or child are the most likely to be sensitive to any possible effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields.
2: While communicating using your cell phone, try to keep the cell phone away from the body as much as possible. The amplitude of the electromagnetic field is one fourth the strength at a distance of two inches and fifty times lower at three feet. Whenever possible, use the speaker-phone mode or a wireless Bluetooth headset, which has less than 1/100th of the electromagnetic emission of a normal cell phone. Use of a hands-free ear piece attachment may also reduce exposures.
3: Avoid using your cell phone in places, like a bus, where you can passively expose others to your phone’s electromagnetic fields.
4: Avoid carrying your cell phone on your body at all times. Do not keep it near your body at night such as under the pillow or on a bedside table, particularly if pregnant. You can also put it on “flight” or “off-line” mode, which stops electromagnetic emissions.
5: If you must carry your cell phone on you, make sure that the keypad is positioned toward your body and the back is positioned toward the outside so that the transmitted electromagnetic fields move away from your rather than through you.
6: Only use your cell phone to establish contact or for conversations lasting a few minutes, as the biological effects are directly related to the duration of exposure. For longer conversations, use a land line with a corded phone, not a cordless phone, which uses electromagnetic emitting technology similar to that of cell phones.
7: Switch sides regularly while communicating on your cell phone to spread out your exposure. Before putting your cell phone to the ear, wait until your correspondent has picked up. This limits the power of the electromagnetic field emitted near your ear and the duration of your exposure.
8: Avoid using your cell phone when the signal is weak or when moving at high speed, such as in a car or train, as this automatically increases power to a maximum as the phone repeatedly attempts to connect to a new relay antenna.
9: When possible, communicate via text messaging rather than making a call, limiting the duration of exposure and the proximity to the body.
10: Choose a device withthe lowest SAR possible (SAR = Specific Absorption Rate, which is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field absorbed by the body). SAR ratings of contemporary phones by different manufacturers are available by searching for “sar ratings cell phones” on the internet.

Source
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute