Mobile phone health risks: 5 recent discoveries

Birdseye — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:54:00 GMT

This week, several bloggers have pointed out the contradiction between the recent New Scientist report on the links between mobile phone use and cancer, and the Finnish study indicating that there are no risks involved in mobile phone use. This article has the details.

Last month in WDDTY, Tony Edwards quoted five alarming recent discoveries about the effects of mobile phone use:

The incidence of malignant brain tumours was found to be 5.9 times higher risk after analogue mobile-phone use, 3.7 times higher after digital mobile use and 2.3 times higher after cordless phone use, with more than 2000 cumulative hours (Int Arch Occup Environ Health, 2006; 79: 630–9).
Albeit in rats, and so may not apply to humans, mobile telephone radiation leads to oxidative stress in cornea and lens tissues in the eye (Curr Eye Res, 2007; 32: 21–5).
Because of the shape of their heads, children receive 60 per cent more radiation from mobiles than adults do (Electromagn Biol Med, 2006; 25: 349–60).
Studies funded by the mobile-phone industry are the least likely to find any evidence of harm (Environ Health Perspect, 2007; 115: 1–4).
A Danish study found no connection between mobile phone use and brain tumours (J Natl Cancer Inst, 2006; 98: 1707–13). Critics point out that this study (a) did not control for the amount of mobile phone use, (b) mostly involved infrequent users, and (c) was funded by the cellular phone industry.

Meanwhile, one blogger has conducted his own scientific experiment to test the dangers of mobile phones. I wouldn’t exactly call it conclusive, but his post is worth a look for the pictures alone.

As always, a trawl of the WDDTY archives for articles on the health risks of mobile phones can be illuminating. Have a look here.

Birdseye: Health Tips from the Blogosphere : mobile phone health risks

Mobile phone health risks: 5 recent discoveries