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editorial
international cancer research agency finds mobiles are possibly carcinogenic
Who clarifies mobile phones not shoWn to cause health effects
cancer authorities advise people not to be alarmed by mobiles classification
australian radiation Watchdog says there is no need for alarm
independent expert panel says there is increasing evidence of no link betWeen mobiles and brain cancer
mobiles don’t increase kids risk of brain cancer says neW study
brain tumours tend not to be close to mobile phone energy
study of almost three million danes finds no increased risk of brain tumours With long-term phone use
european commission says mobiles and Wi-fi are safe despite confusing reports
us class action reignited by the possibility mobiles are linked With cancer
mobile phone cover claims to block radiation While improving coverage
mobile phones may be bad for male fertility
more research needed after pilot study links salivary tumours to mobile use
international Workshop finds kids are adequately protected despite concerns
in brief
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Mobile telecoMMunications health and safety news
auGust edition 2011
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EDiToriAl
continued next page …aMta ceo, chris althaus
since the announcement of the international agency for Research on cancer (iaRc) classification of radio frequency electromagnetic fields as a “possible carcinogen” there have been some key releases from health authorities to give further guidance on health and safety issues for users of mobile telecommunications.
the australian Mobile telecommunications association (aMta) acknowledges iaRc’s classification of radio frequency electromagnetic fields as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” as a key step in the ongoing research/evaluation effort and identification of possible health hazards.
however, it is important that this finding be considered in light of subsequent risk assessments from the world health organization (who) and the international commission on non-ionizing Radiation Protection (icniRP).
the world health organization (who) has updated its fact sheet on mobile phones to reflect the iaRc classification. the fact sheet says: “A large number of studies have been performed over the last two decades to assess whether mobile phones pose a potential health risk. To date, no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use.”
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EDiToriAl
the international commission on non-ionizing Radiation Protection (icniRP) said although there remained some uncertainty about mobile phone safety, “the trend in the accumulating evidence is increasingly against the hypothesis that mobile phone use can cause brain tumours in adults”. icniRP also concluded that current safe exposure guidelines adequately protect children.
the first study of its kind involving children and teenagers has been published and found mobile phone use doesn’t increase the risk of brain cancer which should help to address concerns they might be more at risk.
aMta understands that some mobile phone users may be concerned following the iaRc
finding, however, it is important that it is put into perspective and we reiterate the fact that iaRc found only the possibility of a link, not a proven one, between wireless devices and some forms of cancer. “It’s not at the moment clearly established that the use of mobile phones does in fact cause cancer,” said Kurt straif, head of the iaRc Monographs Program.
the australian Radiation Protection and nuclear safety agency (aRPansa) said the iaRc classification of mobile phones as a possible cause of cancer “should give no rise to any alarm”. it said the classification corresponded to aRPansa advice that included practical ways for people to reduce their exposure to electromagnetic fields produced by mobile phones if they were concerned to do so.
the cancer council of australia also reiterated that consumers should not be alarmed and the iaRc “findings need to be put into context”. the council says it’s important that people are reminded that there are many more established cancer risk factors and people should take measures to minimise the cancer risks of tobacco, alcohol, excessive uV exposure and obesity.
aMta supports ongoing well-conducted independent research to help clarify any uncertainty identified by the iaRc evaluation. if people are concerned there are some simple steps they can take to reduce exposure, such as using a hands-free device or texting, until further long-term research is conducted.
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inTErnATionAl cAncEr rEsEArch AgEncy finDs MobilEs ArE
Possibly cArcinogEnic
the radiofrequency electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones are possibly carcinogenic to humans the international agency for Research on cancer (iaRc) announced in early June.
iaRc classified radio frequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2b), based on an increased risk for glioma – a malignant type of brain cancer – associated with wireless phone use its statement said.
“the evidence, while still accumulating, is strong enough to support a conclusion and the 2b classification. the conclusion means that there could be some risk, and therefore we need to keep a close watch for a link between continued next page …
cell phones and cancer risk,” dr Jonathan samet the overall chairman of the working Group said.
“the working Group did not quantitate the risk; however, one study of past cell phone use (up to the year 2004), showed a 40% increased risk for gliomas in the highest category of heavy users (reported average: 30 minutes per day over a 10 year period),” the iaRc statement said.
“the evidence was reviewed critically, and overall evaluated as being limited among users of
wireless telephones for glioma and acoustic neuroma, and inadequate to draw conclusions for other types of cancers.”
however, in a press conference to announce the classification iaRc cautioned that current scientific evidence showed only a possible link, not a proven one, between wireless devices and cancers.
“there is some evidence for an increased risk of glioma” and acoustic neuroma – a benign tumour of the ear nerve – said Kurt straif, head of the iaRc Monographs Program. “it’s not at the moment clearly established that the use of mobile phones does in fact cause cancer.”
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dr straif pointed out that not all of iaRc’s 266 possible carcinogens were designated 2b based on the same types of evidence. some were given a 2b classification because of animal studies, he said. among those based on human studies, as in the case of Rf fields, were talc-based body powder, herbicides and elf magnetic fields.
the 2b classification was not limited to mobile phones. it has “broad applicability” to all sources of Rf radiation, dr samet added.
the chief executive officer of the australian Mobile telecommunications association (aMta), chris althaus, said:
inTErnATionAl cAncEr rEsEArch AgEncy finDs MobilEs ArE
Possibly cArcinogEnic– continued from previous page
continued next page …
dr Robert baan, dr Kurt straif and dr christopher wild of the international agency for Research on cancer (iaRc) led a panel of 31 independent experts through the eight-day monograph meeting, which classified radio frequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2b).
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inTErnATionAl cAncEr rEsEArch AgEncy finDs MobilEs ArE
Possibly cArcinogEnic– continued from previous page
“in understanding the implications of this assessment, it should be remembered that wireless communications equipment is designed to operate within international and national exposure limits, which already have substantial safety margins built into them.”
he said following iaRc’s evaluation the world health organization (who) and national health agencies would review the body of science on cancer and other health issues related to human exposure to radio frequency fields and consider if public advice or action was required to reduce any potential risks.
iaRc has clearly signalled the need for ongoing research and the
industry supports well-conducted and independent research, which will help clarify any uncertainty identified by the iaRc evaluation, Mr althaus said.
iaRc have now published the summary of the classification decision in The Lancet Oncology.
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Who clArifiEs MobilE PhonEs noT shoWn To cAUsE hEAlTh EffEcTs
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despite the classification of mobile phones as a ‘possible carcinogen’ by the international agency international agency for Research on cancer (iaRc), the world health organization (who) has clarified that no adverse health effects have been shown to be caused by mobile phones.
following the iaRc announcement in early June, the who updated its overall factsheet on electrometric fields and health in mid-June and, while acknowledging the iaRc classification, said mobile phones were not known to cause any health problems.
“a large number of studies have been performed over the last two decades to assess whether mobile phones pose a potential health risk.
to date, no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use,” the June 2011 factsheet concluded.
conflicting Who announcements confusing
because iaRc is an agency of the who it was widely reported the who not iaRc had classified mobile phone technologies as a possible carcinogen – this apparent sudden change of view was confusing for some media organisations.
some tabloid newspapers such as The Sun in the uK ran articles with headlines such as “world health chiefs in u-turn on phone fears.”
the reason for this confusion was explained in a recent editorial in the Journal of the national cancer institute.
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Who clArifiEs MobilE PhonEs noT shoWn To cAUsE hEAlTh EffEcTs
– continued from previous page
iaRc Monographs Meeting 102 in lyon, france
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drs John d. boice and Robert e. tarone of the international epidemiology institute wrote: “the change from ‘no conclusive evidence’ to ‘possibly carcinogenic’ was not new research, and it has understandably led to widespread
public as well as media concern and confusion.”
“the footnote accompanying the iaRc press release is often missed—that a ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’ (2b) classification by iaRc is based on
‘limited evidence of carcinogenicity’ and that ‘chance, bias, or confounding could not be ruled out with reasonable confidence’ for the few positive associations reported in the literature.”
a published summary of the iaRc working Group conclusions noted that some members found the epidemiologic evidence to be inadequate to support the 2b classification, they said.
“Viewed in this context, ‘possibly carcinogenic’ is not a signal to abandon mobile phones and return to landline phones. Rather, it is a signal that there is very little scientific evidence as to the carcinogenicity of cell phone use,” boice and tarone said.
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Who clArifiEs MobilE PhonEs noT shoWn To cAUsE hEAlTh EffEcTs
– continued from previous page
chief executive officer of the australian Mobile telecommunications association (aMta), chris althaus added: “the iaRc working group identified a link with cancer in the interphone study among a small group of heavy users, but the reported level of mobile phone use was implausible indicating a possible bias in the research.”
for example, ten ‘heavy users’ in interphone said they used their mobile phone for more than 12 hours a day – not the 30 minutes widely reported by the media – and there was reasonable doubt about the credibility of such claims, he said.
also, additional validation studies found evidence that people diagnosed with a brain tumour over-reported their past mobile phone use and that this ‘recall bias’ may be more likely if subjects perceive that mobile phone use is associated with brain tumours, as has been widely speculated in the media.
“although the authors of the interphone study had highlighted these potential errors this evidence, even if considered ‘limited,’ automatically put mobile phones in the ‘possible’ category,” Mr althaus said.
cancer link possible but not likely
iaRc undertook a hazard identification process which is designed by default to red flag any potential concerns. this is especially useful for agents we don’t know much about and might need to start taking precautions with, Mr althaus said.
“however, this is not the case for mobile phones, which have been studied and reviewed extensively and already have added precautions, such as safe exposure limits,” Mr althaus said.
“also, iaRc does not quantify the risk or likelihood of cancer.
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“therefore, to put it more simply – the iaRc classification for mobile phones suggests that a hazard is possible but not likely.”
the assessment of health risks is the responsibility of another part of the who – the international electromagnetic fields (eMf) Project, which was set up in 1996 to assess the scientific evidence of possible adverse health effects from electromagnetic fields.
this group also provide information to governments around the world and produces the fact sheets on mobile phones and health.
the who’s eMf Project will now conduct a formal risk assessment of all studied health outcomes from exposure to radiofrequency fields by 2012.
human
sufficient limited inadequate
an
ima
lsufficient 1 2a 2b
limited 1 2b 3
inadequate 1 2b 3
iaRc Monographs classification of agents is on the basis of the strength of evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and in experimental animals.
limited evidence definitions:
n animal data suggest a carcinogenic effect but single study only, benign tumours only or promoting activity only
n in human studies causal interpretation is credible, but chance, bias, or confounding could not be ruled out
Who clArifiEs MobilE PhonEs noT shoWn To cAUsE hEAlTh EffEcTs
– continued from previous page
IARC Default Classification Process
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cAncEr AUThoriTiEs ADvisE PEoPlE noT To bE AlArMED by
MobilEs clAssificATion
cancer authorities around the world have advised the public not to be alarmed and to put the international agency for Research on cancer’s classification of mobile phones as a possible carcinogen into context and not to disregard established cancer risks.
“these findings need to be put in context. while we need to continue researching the possible link between mobile phones and cancer, it is important to remind people there are many more established cancer risk factors that we can take action every day,” chair of cancer council australia’s occupation and environmental cancer committee, terry slevin, said in a statement.
“strong action on clear cancer risks like tobacco, alcohol, excessive uV exposure and obesity remain a priority,” dr slevin said.
“we are being bombarded” with messages about the dangers posed by common things in our lives, yet most exposures “are not at a level that are going to cause cancer,” said dr. len lichtenfeld, the american cancer society’s deputy chief medical officer told associated Press.
“Most people would probably be shocked to see the number of things they interact with every day” on these lists, dr lichtenfeld said.
dr Mark Matfield, scientific co-ordinator of the association
for international cancer Research (aicR), based in the uK, also advised people against being misled by some of the tabloid headlines.
“the who/iaRc have put mobile phones in the lowest possible category – possible but not likely – to increase the risk of brain cancer,” dr Matfield told the courier.
let’s put that in perspective.
“it is possible i will win the lottery this weekend, but it’s not very likely,” dr Matfield explained.
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cAncEr AUThoriTiEs ADvisE PEoPlE noT To bE AlArMED by
MobilEs clAssificATion– continued from previous page
otis w. brawley, M.d., chief medical officer from the american cancer society said in a statement while very credible, iaRc’s conclusions need to be interpreted with great care.
“this report comes from a very credible group, and reaches reasonable conclusions about electromagnetic radiation from cellphones and other devices. it is critical that its findings be interpreted with great care,” dr brawley said.
“the working group reviewed a large number of studies and concluded that there was limited evidence that cell phones may cause glioma, a type of brain tumor that starts in the brain or spine. a 2b classification means that there could be some risk, but that the evidence is not strong enough to be considered causal, and needs to be investigated further.
“the bottom line is the evidence is enough to warrant concern, but it is not conclusive.
“it’s also important to put this 2b
classification into perspective. Many common exposures are classified in category 2b, including gasoline exhaust and even coffee.”
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AUsTrAliAn rADiATion WATchDog sAys ThErE is no nEED for AlArM
Probably carcinogenic to humans. when the evidence is limited but a role in causing cancer still possible, the 2b classification – possibly carcinogenic to humans – is given as in the case of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields.”
aRPansa welcomed the report and considered that the classification corresponds to the current aRPansa advice, including its advice on practical ways in which people can reduce their exposure to the electromagnetic fields produced by wireless telephones.
“these include: limiting call time, preferring use of land-line phones, using hands-free or speaker options and texting instead of making voice calls. use of the phone in good signal areas will also usually let the phone communicate with lower power levels and further reduce exposures,” aRPansa said.
aRPansa also recommended parents encourage their children to use these methods of reducing exposure.
however, iaRc’s assessment does not discuss what level of risk might be associated with a particular level of exposure, the agency said.
chair of cancer council australia’s occupation and environmental
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the australian Radiation Protection and nuclear safety agency (aRPansa) said the classification of mobile phones as a possible cause of cancer should not alarm mobile phone users.
“aRPansa does not consider that the new classification should give rise to any alarm,” the agency said in a statement after the announcement.
“iaRc, a world health organization (who) agency, classifies chemicals, biological agents, physical agents and lifestyle and work practices according to the evidence that they cause or accelerate cancer. when the evidence is strong the classification is Group 1 – carcinogenic to humans. when the evidence is less convincing the classification is Group 2a –
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AUsTrAliAn rADiATion WATchDog sAys ThErE is no nEED for AlArM
– continued from previous page
cancer committee, terry slevin, agreed and said while there was possible rather than proven risk, it would be prudent for mobile phone users, particularly heavy users, to take measures to minimise any potential risk.
“there are practical measures people can take such as using hands free devices and more texting as an option to voice calls,” he said. “we would also urge greater caution for children using mobile phones as their brain tissue is still developing.”
the chief executive officer of the australian Mobile telecommunications
arpansa advice to reduce exposure:
use hands-free or •speaker phone
send text messages•
use a land line •when possible
limit your call time•
Make calls in good •signal areas
for more advice see aMta’s tips on reducing exposure.
association (aMta), chris althaus, said: “industry places the highest priority on safety and highlights that if people are concerned the who provides the following information on how to reduce mobile phone exposure”
in addition to using “hands-free” devices, which keep mobile phones away from the head and body during phone calls, exposure is also reduced by limiting the number and length of calls. using the phone in areas of good reception also decreases exposure as it allows the phone to transmit at reduced power.
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inDEPEnDEnT ExPErT PAnEl sAys ThErE is incrEAsing EviDEncE of no link
bETWEEn MobilEs AnD brAin cAncEr
increasing evidence suggests there is no link between mobile phones and brain cancer, according to a comprehensive analysis from an independent international expert panel.
“although there remains some uncertainty, the trend in the accumulating evidence is increasingly against the hypothesis that mobile phone use can cause brain tumours in adults,” concluded the report published in Environmental Health Perspectives in July.
the review was conducted by the international commission on non-ionizing Radiation Protection (icniRP) standing committee on epidemiology. the committee –
which included scientists from the u.K., sweden, australia and the u.s. – analysed all published studies that have examined whether there is a link between mobile phone use and the main types of brain tumour, glioma and meningioma.
anthony swerdlow, a professor of epidemiology at the institute of cancer Research in london who led the review, also oversaw one of the
u.K. teams involved in the largest study of its kind – the interphone Project – which was published last year and did not find an overall link between mobile-phone use and these brain tumours.
“studies from several countries have shown no indication of increases in brain tumour incidence up to 20 years after the introduction of mobile phones and 10 years after their use became widespread,” Professor swerdlow said in a statement.
“extensive research has also not established any biological mechanism by which
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inDEPEnDEnT ExPErT PAnEl sAys ThErE is incrEAsing EviDEncE of no link
bETWEEn MobilEs AnD brAin cAncEr– continued from previous page
radiofrequency fields from mobile phones could cause cancer, and animal experiments have also shown no evidence for cancer causation.”
however, the report says some uncertainty remains because research cannot prove the complete absence of an effect and current studies are limited to 10 to 15 years of exposure in adults and there are no completed studies for children.
“the results of interphone and other epidemiological, biological and animal studies, and brain tumour incidence trends, suggest that within 10 to 15 years after first use of mobile phones there is
unlikely to be a material increase in the risk of brain tumours in adults,” Professor swerdlow said.
anthony swerdlow, a professor of epidemiology at the institute of cancer Research in london led the review
“however, the possibility of a small or a longer term effect cannot be ruled out.”
Professor swerdlow says examination of cancer incidence rates over the next few years should clarify whether mobile phones cause brain tumours.
“if there are no apparent effects on trends in the next few years, after almost universal exposure to mobile phones in western countries, it will become increasingly implausible that there is a material causal effect. conversely, if there are unexplained rising trends, there will be a case to answer,” he says.
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the first study of its kind involving children and teenagers found mobile phone use doesn’t increase the risk of brain cancer because the evidence did not show a clear trend between the amount of exposure and the illness.
“because we did not find a clear exposure-response relationship in most of these analyses, the available evidence does not support a causal association between the use of mobile phones and brain tumors,” the researchers said in the study published July 27 in the Journal of The National Cancer Institute.
the researchers also said the link was “unlikely” because it did not show up when they looked for links with the regions of the brain most exposed to mobile phone radiation.
“if there was a causal relationship, we would expect an increased risk specifically in these regions because the absorption of radio frequency energy from mobile phones is highly localized and has been shown to be considerably higher in the temporal and frontal lobes and the cerebellum compared with other parts of the brain,” the researchers said.
in fact, the researchers found brain cancer was more likely to be found on the opposite side of the head that children said they typically used their mobile phone, but this data was limited.
the research was prompted by the increased use of mobile phones by children and concerns that children might be more vulnerable to possible health effects from mobile phone exposure than adults.
Researchers, led by denis aydin of the swiss tropical and Public health institute, studied the medical records of children aged 7–19 with brain tumours in norway, denmark, sweden and switzerland and interviewed them about their mobile phone use.
MobilEs Don’T incrEAsE kiDs risk of brAin cAncEr sAys nEW sTUDy
drs John d. boice and Robert e. tarone of the international epidemiology institute said the finding of no increased risk of brain tumours for children who used mobile phones was consistent with virtually all other studies of adults
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they also looked at data from their phone network providers, which were available for about one third of the subjects.
drs John d. boice and Robert e. tarone of the international epidemiology institute wrote in an editorial accompanying the study, “consistent with virtually all studies of adults exposed to radio frequency waves, no convincing evidence was found that children who use cell phones are at higher risk of developing a brain tumor than children who do not regularly use cell phones.”
“there were no consistent exposure-response relations for any of the metrics evaluated,
MobilEs Don’T incrEAsE kiDs risk of brAin cAncEr sAys nEW sTUDy
whether by time since first phone use, cumulative duration of calls, cumulative number of calls, or location of the brain tumor with respect to ear (side of the head) most often used during calls.”
claims some findings ignored
for a small group of patients in the study who had a mobile phone account for more than 2.8 years – shown by the available network data – brain tumour risk appeared to double, but it was not linked with the number and length of calls they made that the network also recorded.
the environmental working Group (ewG) has been critical of the study
and in particular of newspaper headlines, such as:”study sees no cellphone-cancer ties”; “cellphones don’t increase cancer risk in kids, study says”; “cellphones, kids and cancer: don’t worry, be happy?”, which they claim did not focus on this link. they claim this finding is a ‘red flag’ indicating a possible risk with long term use.
boice and tarone disagree and concluded that it is reassuring that the incidence rates of brain cancer in the general population, including children and teenagers, have not changed over the past 20 years in
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the united states and many other countries despite the steady and marked rise in the use of mobile phones throughout the world since the 1980s.
they agree with the researchers that investigators should continue to carefully monitor brain cancer trends, but they are cautious about the need for further research.
“in considering the need for future cell phone health research, it should be kept in mind that in addition to the negative epidemiological data, there is no known biologically plausible mechanism by which non-ionizing radio waves of low energy can disrupt dna and lead to cancer,” boice and tarone said.
MobilEs Don’T incrEAsE kiDs risk of brAin cAncEr sAys nEW sTUDy
annual age-adjusted incidence rates of brain cancer among children in the united states aged 5–19 years (1974–2007).
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brAin TUMoUrs TEnD noT To bE closE To MobilE PhonE EnErgy
within five centimetres of where “90% of the energy to the head” is absorbed, dr. suvi larjavaara and colleagues from the university of tampere in finland found.
the researchers looked at 888 glioma cases diagnosed between 2000 and 2004 in denmark, finland, Germany, italy, norway, sweden, and southeast england and mapped the exact location of the tumour within the brain, relative to
where people would place a mobile phone while talking.
one of the problems this sort of study is it relies on a patient’s long-term recall of how much time they spend on the phone. to avoid this limitation, the researchers looked at the location of tumours relative to the typical position a phone was used when held close to the ear to make a voice call.
another limitation is that patients diagnosed with a brain tumour might over-report that they used their mobile phone on the same side of the head as their tumour was found. to avoid this potential bias the researchers also assumed a worst case outcome – that the patients studied used their phones on the side their brain tumour was located – irrespective of the patients reported typical use.
a finish study of brain cancer patients in seven european countries has found their tumours tend not to be clustered in the part of the brain where most of the energy from a phone is absorbed when a mobile is held to the ear to make a call.
Patients who had used mobile phones for the longest amount of time, and spent the most time on the phones, were no more likely to experience tumours located continued next page …
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brAin TUMoUrs TEnD noT To bE closE To MobilE PhonE EnErgy
– continued from previous page
“the results do not indicate that gliomas are located in excess in the brain tissue presumably receiving the highest-intensity electromagnetic field among regular mobile phone users,” the researchers concluded.
“cumulative call time, duration of use, and laterality were not consistently associated with the location of the gliomas.”
although the results of the finnish study may be reassuring, they are certainly not conclusive, dr larjavaara cautioned.
“cancer can take a long time to develop, and only five per cent of the people included in the study had been using mobile phones for at least 10 years,” the authors note in the paper published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
conflicting results
however, conflicting results from another group of researchers found suggestions of a link with the location of the same type of brain cancer in patients from the australian, canadian, french, israeli and new Zealand parts of the interphone study.
“there were suggestions of an increased risk of glioma in long-term mobile phone users with
high Rf exposure and of similar, but apparently much smaller, increases in meningioma risk,” said lead author elisabeth cardis from the centre for Research in environmental epidemiology (cReal) in spain, reported in the journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine.however, the authors cautioned that the results needed to be reproduced before any solid link could be established.
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sTUDy of AlMosT ThrEE Million DAnEs finDs no incrEAsED risk of brAin
TUMoUrs WiTh long-TErM PhonE UsE
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for an association between brain tumours and mobile phones.
“of interest is that acoustic neuromas grow in the area of the brain where greater energy emitted from the cellphones is absorbed, compared to other areas of the
a study of 2.9 million people in denmark has found long-term mobile phone use had no effect on the chance of developing vestibular schwannoma, a rare type of brain tumour which grows near the source of most mobile phone energy.
the study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in June, compared data on those who’d used a cell phone for 11 to 15 years and found they were no more likely to develop vestibular schwannoma than newer users or non-users.
“overall, no evidence was found that mobile phone use is related to the risk of vestibular schwannoma,” the researchers said.
Vestibular schwannoma (or acoustic neuroma), is a rare benign tumour of the ear nerve and is of particular interest to researchers looking
brain,” the study’s lead researcher dr Joachim schüz told Reuters.
dr shuz an environment and radiation expert from the international agency for Research on cancer (iaRc) said the study
head researcher dr Joachim schüz an environment and radiation expert at iaRc said his study was published in time to be considered in the recent classification of radio frequency fields as possibly carcinogenic.
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sTUDy of AlMosT ThrEE Million DAnEs finDs no incrEAsED risk of brAin
TUMoUrs WiTh long-TErM PhonE UsE– continued from previous page
was published in time to be considered by the iaRc expert panel’s recent classification of radio frequency fields as ‘possibly carcinogenic’ to humans based on what it called ‘limited evidence’ of a link to glioma and vestibular schwannoma identified in the inteRPhone study.
however, the researchers say their results are consistent with the modest increase in risk seen in the nordic/united Kingdom component of the inteRPhone study and “improvements in methodology and data quality strengthened the weight of the results.”
“across studies published so far, we find little evidence that mobile phone use increases the risk of vestibular schwannomas,” the researchers said.
in total, 2,883,665 people were available for analysis, including 404
cases of vestibular schwannoma in men and 402 in women.
Researchers looked at the size and spread of the tumours to assess whether mobile phone use had any effect on their growth rates.
“it has been discussed that Rf-eMfs might not initiate but rather lead a promotion of the growth of vestibular schwannoma, but the size of vestibular schwannoma in mobile phone subscribers was continued next page …
not larger than expected,” the researchers said.
the researchers also found tumours did not occur more often on the side of the head most danes reported holding their phone to.
“Vestibular schwannomas did not occur more often on the right side of the head, although the majority of danes reported holding their mobile phone to the right ear,” the researchers said.
the research team focussed on long-term users but said cancer registries showed no evidence of an increased risk of tumours in short-term users either.
“we were interested only in longer term exposure because of the assumed slow development of vestibular schwannoma,” the researchers said.
Vestibular schwannoma also known as acoustic neuroma is a rare benign tumour of the ear nerve.
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sTUDy of AlMosT ThrEE Million DAnEs finDs no incrEAsED risk of brAin
TUMoUrs WiTh long-TErM PhonE UsE– continued from previous page
“Given the high proportion of short-term mobile phone users in denmark, the observation that vestibular schwannoma incidence rates remained stable in recent years provides a strong argument against such an assumption [that short-term use is associated with an increased risk].”
dr schüz said acoustic neuromas generally grow slowly, and years may pass between a person’s first symptoms and a diagnosis.
“as most cellphone users started their use only from the early 1990s onwards,” he said, “we have only up to 15 years of observation time of larger numbers of users, which is perhaps too short to see an effect, if there is any.”
the researchers noted that although their study identified no increased risk, due to the slow growth rates of vestibular
schwannoma and delays in diagnosis, continued surveillance is recommended.
“today the number of never users of mobile phones is very small, and the proportion of long-term users is increasing steadily to the extent
that any mobile phone use related vestibular schwannoma risk would lead to a marked increase in the incidence rates,” the researchers said.
“in conclusion, the results from this comprehensive study do not support the hypothesis that use of a mobile phone increases the risk of vestibular schwannoma. however, as vestibular schwannomas grow slowly and there is the possibility of some diagnostic delay, the observation period of 10–15 years after the widespread introduction of mobile phones may still be too short to observe an effect, and thus further surveillance of vestibular schwannoma is indicated, preferably by monitoring incidence rates in high-quality cancer registers combined with access to clinical databases, or by conducting prospective cohort studies.”
2.9 million danish people were analysed in the study, which found no link between long-term mobile phone use and a rare type of brain tumour.
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continued next page …
EUroPEAn coMMission sAys MobilEs AnD Wi-fi ArE sAfE
DEsPiTE confUsing rEPorTs
the european commission (ec) has confirmed the safety of mobile phones and wi-fi after widespread reports the eu was considering a ban on the technology in schools.
ec spokesperson aikaterini apostola said based on council Recommendation 1999/519/ec on the limitation of the general public’s exposure to eMf from mobile phones and wi-fi equipment, “all such equipment is presumed to be safe.”
in May, a series of confusing news reports appeared around the world, including australia, that suggested the eu was considering a ban on mobile phones and wi-fi in schools after a new report found electromagnetic radiation may be harmful, particularly to a child’s developing brain.
the source of the story was a report published by an intergovernmental
body the council of europe, not to be confused with the council of the european union, Ms apostola explained.
“the council of europe is not an institution of the european union and has no authority on the european union,” Ms apostola said.
the council’s report based mostly on the highly criticised bioinitiative report, calls for a lowering of eMf exposure limits and argues a precautionary approach should be taken based on a lack of clear scientific and clinical proof.
“one must respect the precautionary principle and revise the current threshold values; waiting for high levels of scientific and clinical proof can lead to very high health and economic costs, as was the case in the past with asbestos, leaded petrol and tobacco,” the report said.
“these recommendations show the council of europe favours a cautious approach to regulating exposures to electromagnetic fields in the population,” a uK nhs background of the report said.
“these decisions have been based on the precautionary principle, which means that it is better to take a cautious approach to avoid any potential harms of these technologies,
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EUroPEAn coMMission sAys MobilEs AnD Wi-fi ArE sAfE
DEsPiTE confUsing rEPorTs– continued from previous page
even if there is not yet concrete proof of these harms.”
Professor les barclay, vice-chairman of the Mobile telecommunications and health Research Programme, said calls for a ban were unnecessary in light of the current science.
“there is very little evidence at the moment for harmful effects. the powers that mobile phones emit are getting less and less, and they are well below the limits set by the international commission on non-ionising Radiation Protection,” Mr barclay said.
“banning mobile phones and wireless networks in schools is a step too far in my eyes.”
aMta ceo chris althaus agreed with comments from the Mobile Manufacturers forum and GsM association, which questioned
the validity of the council of europe’s report.
“the report from the council of europe’s committee on the environment, agriculture and local and Regional affairs is a biased assessment not a scientific study,” Mr althaus said.
“the report calls for a lowering of eMf exposure limits and suggests children might be at more risk but does not reveal any scientific evidence to support its statements.”
Ms apostola said current eu standards are protective of all people and the ec were constantly assessing the science through the independent scientific committee for emerging and newly identified health Risks (scenihR).
“eu standards were developed to respect the exposure limits proposed on the limitation of the exposure of the public to electromagnetic fields. the purpose of these exposure limits is to provide a high level of protection of the health of the public,” she said.
the most recent “complete review” of all the scientific evidence found, “no scientific rationale could be found that would justify a change in the exposure limits.”
the commission is planning to launch a new review of the scientific evidence at the end of this year, she said.
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Us clAss AcTion rEigniTED by ThE PossibiliTy MobilEs
ArE linkED WiTh cAncEr
agency for Research on cancer (iaRc).
last year a us federal judge threw out the class-action lawsuit that alleged mobile companies
endangered consumers by covering up health effects and selling handsets without headsets.
however on the same day of iaRc’s announcement, the supreme court asked the solicitor General if it should review the dismissal of the case.
the case – farina v. nokia – has wound its way to the supreme court by way of a state court, two federal district courts, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict litigation and the third circuit.
the lawsuit names 19 defendants, including all of the major mobile phone manufacturers and carriers, as well as two trade associations and is demanding damages and to force manufacturers to provide headsets to all customers.
a long running class action lawsuit in the united states may have been reignited by the classification of mobile phones as a possible carcinogen by the international continued next page …
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Us clAss AcTion rEigniTED by ThE PossibiliTy MobilEs
ArE linkED WiTh cAncEr– continued from previous page
the judge concluded that the case was pre-empted by federal law because the federal communications commission (fcc) has the exclusive power to set the safety standards for radio frequency radiation not the mobile phone industry.
if the supreme court ultimately reverses the earlier court’s decision, a flood of claims based on iaRc’s classification are predicted by some us law firms.
in the us a claim can be made for emotional distress due to ‘fear of cancer’ if it can be proved that the emotional distress is genuine. however, their needs
to be evidence of the toxin in their bodies or symptoms of a “toxin-induced disease” Forbes reported.
allison Zieve, director of Public citizen litigation Group, a consumer advocacy organization, told Reuters people often dismiss allegations about the harm of common products as “silly.”
“i hope that it signals to the Justice department ... that it’s a potentially significant case and they should take it seriously,” she said.
in 2005, the court denied a similar petition by mobile phone manufacturers and retailers, which asked the court to reverse a court’s decision reinstating five earlier
class action lawsuits involving the same claims.
the success rate for these sorts of petitions before the supreme court is approximately 1.1 per cent and therefore it is unlikely the request will be granted said one legal analysis.
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MobilE PhonE covEr clAiMs To block rADiATion WhilE iMProving covErAgE
Professor Rodney croft, said people should be cautious about “a number of gimmicks” claiming to reduce mobile phone radiation risks.
“the phone already emits at a level many, many times lower than has been shown to cause any health
effect. thus a reduction of even 70 per cent is quite trivial,” Mr croft said.
Regarding these sorts of products the australian Radiation Protection and nuclear safety agency, says:
“scientific evidence does not
a sydney-based company has developed a mobile phone cover they say can reduce radiation absorption by 74 per cent while improving network coverage, but experts have criticised the device for misleading consumers.
“there is a new breakthrough device that’s scientifically proven to increase your safety … it also improves your network coverage and can reduce what you pay per call,” news program Today Tonight reported in May.
“cellsafe is the latest [product] to hit the market. inventor aaron liebervich spent a year and more than $70,000 developing the device, a cover that fits the most popular phone on the market, the iPhone 4.”
the secret to the device according to Mr liebervich is the ‘deflective antenna’ module.
but university of wollongong continued next page …
in May, news program Today Tonight reported cellsafe can reduce radiation absorption by 74 per cent while improving network coverage.
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MobilE PhonE covEr clAiMs To block rADiATion WhilE iMProving covErAgE
– continued from previous page
indicate any need for such devices since they cannot be justified on health grounds and their effectiveness in reducing exposure in everyday use is unproven.”
‘cellsafe’ commissioned a report by australian testing facility, eMc technologies, which found the device could reduce energy absorption to the head at certain frequencies.
in australia the australian communications and Media authority (acMa) has set the specific absorption Rate (saR) limit for mobile phones at two watts per kilogram or 2w/kg. however, the maximum tested saR for the iPhone 4 is 1.17 w/kg.
associate Professor Vitas anderson of swinburne university’s brain and Psychological sciences Research centre said that the cellsafe product “may actually provide some genuine reduction in Rf exposure to the head,” but was unnecessary
because mobiles were already tightly regulated for safe exposure.
“the saR limits are very conservatively designed to protect
against any potential adverse heating effects,” Mr anderson said.“the equivalent ‘saR heating’ of
continued next page …
university of wollongong Professor Rodney croft, said people should be cautious about gimmicks claiming to reduce mobile phone radiation.
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MobilE PhonE covEr clAiMs To block rADiATion WhilE iMProving covErAgE
– continued from previous page
placing your hand against your face would be far more than the power absorbed by the Rf eMf exposure of a mobile phone.”
alasdair Philips of the uK’s Powerwatch, who usually advocates precaution said, “cellsafe claims are misleading users and the media.”
“it is unlikely that such a case, that does not fit between the phone and the user’s head, will make their phone any safer. indeed, it may make it more dangerous,” Mr Phillips said.
one ‘cellsafe’ user commented on the popular technology forum whirlpool, that she had experienced problems with the device in her first two weeks of ownership.
“My issue with it is that when i am on a phone call after about 30 seconds i can hear the person on the other end but they can’t hear
me. as soon as i take the phone out of the case they can hear me again. i’m guessing it’s a fault in the design and signals are being blocked,” user deb commented.
the world health organisation’s most recent fact sheet provides advice for consumers on these types of devices:
“in addition to using “hands-free” devices, which keep mobile phones away from the head and body during phone calls, exposure is also reduced by limiting the number and length of calls. using the phone in areas of good reception also decreases exposure as it allows the phone to transmit at reduced power.”
“the use of commercial devices for reducing radiofrequency field exposure has not been shown to be effective.”
What is sar?
the unit of measurement for the amount of radiofrequency energy absorbed by the body is the specific absorption Rate or saR and is expressed in units of watts per kilogram (w/kg).
the maximum saR level for a mobile phone used against the head or body in accordance with the icniRP international guidelines is 2w/kg (using 10gm averaging mass).
Mobile phones are tested for saR compliance at the highest certified power level in laboratory conditions. for more information on saR see eMf explained.
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MobilE PhonEs MAy bE bAD for MAlE fErTiliTy
statement. “we were expecting to find different results, but the results we did find suggest that there could be some intriguing mechanisms at work.”
in the men who used a cell phone, 68 per cent of semen samples were of poorer quality, compared to 58 per cent in the phone-free group.
“our study is an eye-opener that electromagnetic waves may have an effect on fertility,” dr. Rany shamloul, told the Vancouver Sun. “it’s not a done deal, but it’s a red flag that more research needs to be done.”
a recent review which considered all the possible environmental factors related to sperm quality, found studies involving mobile phones only ‘provided limited support’ for the hypothesis they adversely affect semen quality.
canadian lead researcher dr Rany shamloul
Mobile phone use may be bad for the semen of men seeking infertility treatment researchers have found, but the weak links are preliminary and more research is needed.
“our results showed that cell phone use negatively affects sperm quality in men. further studies with a careful design are needed to determine the effect of cell phone use on male fertility,” the researchers concluded in a paper just published in the journal andrologia.
Researchers in austria and canada found a weak, but statistically significant difference in the semen of 991 cell phone users and 1,119 non-users who attended a fertility clinic in austria between 1993 and 2007.
“our findings were a little bit puzzling,” canadian lead researcher dr Rany shamloul said in a media continued next page …
the review said the primary weaknesses of such studies were the large natural variation in semen quality not only between men but across time within the same man, exposure assessment, selection bias, and a lack of knowledge about mechanisms.
lifestyle factors such as stress, obesity, occupation and alcohol and tobacco use are all known to affect sperm quality.
experts in human fertility were sceptical about a similar hungarian
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MobilE PhonEs MAy bE bAD for MAlE fErTiliTy
– continued from previous page
study which received widespread media interest in 2004 after it was presented at a european society of human Reproduction and embryology (eshe) conference.
commenting on the hungarian study, australian fertility expert and Monash iVf international Medical director Gab Kovacs said a man’s sperm count “goes up and down quite a bit” and could vary greatly from one day to the next. “you’d expect a 30 per cent variation just among men randomly,” Prof Kovacs said.
also, new research from denmark has found suggestions of a global downward trend in sperm counts may actually be incorrect, the New York Times has reported.
an analysis of 5,000 18 year-old danish men taking their military physicals over 15 years found there was no decline in sperm counts.
the design was an improvement over older studies, said fertility expert and president-elect of the american society of Reproductive Medicine dolores lamb. the data are from men of the same age and from one geographic area (sperm
numbers and quality can vary from one region to another). analysis of sperm is better now than it was in years past. and with 15 years of data, she said, any decline in sperm numbers or quality should have been evident.
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MorE rEsEArch nEEDED AfTEr PiloT sTUDy links sAlivAry
TUMoUrs To MobilE UsE
further long-term research is needed after a small chinese pilot study found a high number of salivary gland tumour sufferers were long-term mobile phone users says the australian Radiation Protection and nuclear safety agency (aRPansa).
“overall, mobile phone use was not significantly associated with epithelial parotid gland cancer. there were, however, certain patterns of mobile phone use which were associated with epithelial parotid gland cancer (e.g. using a mobile phone for more than 9-10 years),” aRPansa said in an online commentary.
Researchers led by dr yao duan from the chinese Pla General hospital in beijing compared 136 people who were being treated for salivary gland tumours with 2051 other people who attended
oral and Maxillofacial surgery department between 1993 and 2010 and interviewed them about their mobile phone use.
salivary gland tumours are very rare – with an incidence of 2.5-3 cases per 100,000 people per year – but are of concern because they form in front of and just below each ear right where cell phones expose us to electromagnetic radiation.
the researcher found was no link found between the side of the head the patients tended to use their mobile phones and any tumours and aRPansa said this was significant.
“the location of the tumour should be associated with side of cellular phone usage or hand-free device. the authors found no significant association between preferred
continued next page …
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side of calling and location of epithelial parotid gland malignancy or mucoepidermoid carcinoma. this indicates that a definitive conclusion about the effect of cellular phone usage and parotid gland malignancy cannot be made,” the aRPansa said.
“certain factors such as female gender, advanced age, married status, high income, and smoking were associated with an elevated risk of epithelial parotid gland malignancy.”
the researchers said no overall link between cell phone use and salivary gland tumours was found, but some activists raised concerns based on the raw data, before it was adjusted for potential confounding risk factors like gender, age, income and smoking status.
“overall, the frequency of cellular phone use was not significantly
associated with epithelial parotid gland malignancy [salivary gland tumours],” the researchers said in a paper published in the international Journal of oral and Maxillofacial surgery.“Residing in a rural area was associated with reduced risk.”aRPansa agreed with the researchers that the possible association requires further investigation with much larger studies to avoid patient recall and selection bias.“[the inteRPhone] study included approximately 400 patients with parotid gland tumours and their respective controls making it the largest epidemiological study of these tumours to date. from two of the national studies that have been published no increased risk was observed overall (lonn et al, 2006; sadetzki et al, 2008),” aRPansa said.
MorE rEsEArch nEEDED AfTEr PiloT sTUDy links sAlivAry
TUMoUrs To MobilE UsE – continued from previous page
Researchers from the chinese Pla General hospital in beijing compared 136 people being treated for salivary gland tumours with 2051 other patients people who attended attending the hospital between 1993 and 2010.
“however the small number of long-term users in these studies with (malignant) parotid-gland tumours precludes any conclusions from these results. additional investigations, with longer latency periods and large numbers of heavy users, are needed to confirm these findings.”
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inTErnATionAl WorkshoP finDs kiDs ArE ADEqUATEly
ProTEcTED DEsPiTE concErns
an international workshop of 150 experts on the radiation emitted by mobile phones and wi-fi has concluded the current safe exposure guidelines set by the international commission on non-ionizing Radiation Protection (icniRP) adequately protect children.
“the purpose of the meeting was to determine if our guidelines are adequate to protect children – who are different in terms of physiology, anatomy, and lifestyle,” dr Paolo Vecchia the chairman of icniRP said in a press conference following the conference held in slovenia in May.
“from the scientific results of the workshop, we can conclude that our guidance is adequate.”
Participants acknowledged that some parents may be concerned about mobile phone safety and
their children’s use of mobiles.
concerns have been raised about the possibility of greater vulnerability for children because of an increased susceptibility to health risks during developmental stages and because young people will use mobile phones for most of their lives.
however, the international safety guidelines have taken these concerns and potential risks into account when setting safe exposure limits the workshop found.
“for uV radiation, we do know that people are at risk and now we have even more evidence for this position. in contrast, for eMf, and mobiles in particular, there is no evidence that children are at special risk,” dr Vecchia said.
“this means that there is no reason to change current guidelines. nevertheless, we will continue to review the science, and the outcome of this workshop has contributed to that.”
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for skin cancer Prevention (euRosKin) and was hosted by the
inTErnATionAl WorkshoP finDs kiDs ArE ADEqUATEly
ProTEcTED DEsPiTE concErns– continued from previous page
the conference also discussed a major study – called Mobi-Kids – which is now underway to assess any potential brain cancer risks associated with the use of mobile phones by children and teenagers.
the five-year study involves young people aged 10 to 24 who have had a brain cancer as well as people of a similar age who have not and has recruited participants from australia, new Zealand, spain, the netherlands, france, Germany, austria, italy, Greece, israel and canada.
the conference was organised by cost action bM0704, the international commission on non-ionizing Radiation Protection (icniRP), the German federal office for Radiation Protection (bfs), the world health organization (who) and the european society
slovenian institute of non-ionizing Radiation (inis).
the international conference on non-ionizing Radiation and children’s health was held in ljubljana, slovenia from 18-20 May 2011
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counterfeit mobile phone risk
australian consumers are at risk of death and serious injury from thousands of counterfeit mobile phone handsets and batteries flooding into the country, australian crime experts say.
the organised crime in australia 2011 report from the australian crime commission found the growing black market in counterfeit goods no longer includes only luxury items such as brand-name handbags, perfumes and sunglasses.
international crime networks are now also turning to fake electronics to fund their other criminal activities, the sydney Morning herald reported.
in 2009-10 the customs and border Protection service seized more than 10,000 fake mobile phones the report said.
and authorities have warned consumers to be wary of the poorly
manufactured electronics amid recent reports of serious injury and death caused by counterfeit mobile phones and batteries.
“a friend of mine bought a cheap counterfeit battery for his mobile phone,” a consumer told the illawarra Mercury in May. “unfortunately the battery exploded while using the phone and his face was badly burned.”
“the counterfeit batteries look almost the same except the hologram isn’t as realistic.”
australian air passengers have also been warned about the fire risk of
counterfeit lithium-ion batteries during air travel by Qantas and australia Post.
they pointed out the international air transport association (iata) Passenger baggage guidelines warn consumers to “be vigilant when buying replacement batteries from unknown sources, such as on markets or internet auction platforms.”
“the differences between genuine and copied battery types may not be visible but could be very dangerous; such untested batteries may have a risk of overheating or causing fires,” itnews.com reported.
“undeclared consignments of lithium batteries in the cargo hold are suspected to be the cause of uPs flight 006 crashing in the united arab emirates on september 3, 2010, resulting in the loss of life of the captain and first officer as well as total write-off of the boeing 747 aircraft.”
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australian labor mp Warns of mobile phone cancer risk
labor MP deb o’neill has told the federal parliament she believes her 41-year-old brother’s brain tumour was caused by using a mobile phone and is determined to warn the community about their dangers.
“these personal circumstances and too many experiences of the pain and suffering that cancer brings make me determined to raise awareness of the cancer risks of mobile phone use in the broader community,” Ms o’neill said.
in a speech to federal Parliament in early July, Ms o’neil said her brother was being treated by brain surgeon dr charlie teo who believes mobile phone use can cause brain cancer.
“i want the house to note the warnings of dr charlie teo. he is one of australia’s leading brain surgeons and a former
australian of the year finalist. he states that ‘there is an increasing body of evidence that there is an association between brain tumours and mobile phones,” Ms o’neil said.
Ms o’neil said in light of the recent iaRc assessment of radio frequency fields as possibly carcinogenic, australians should change their mobile phone habits in line with current advice from the
australian Radiation Protection and nuclear safety agency (aRPansa).
“this status upgrade puts mobile phone use in the same category of potential carcinogens as coffee, engine fumes and surgical implants,” Ms o’neil said.
“My hope is that we can change our use and that we can certainly change it in our children, because that is aRPansa’s recognition of what we might do at this point as a responsible response to the information.
“so, where possible, use a landline. use a hands-free or a speaker option. text instead of making a phone call and use your phone in a good signal area,” Ms o’neil said.
Ms o’neil also noted brain cancer survivor, and chair of the parliamentary friendship group for brain cancer research, senator catryna bilyk has put the matter on the record in the senate.
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