There is now a considerable body of evidence proving that microwave radiation from mobile phones and cordless phones causes brain tumors, disturbed brain function and other health disturbances.
The reason is that their microwave radiation has harmful effects at intensity levels far below the values declared as safe.
Present safety norms have no tenable scientific support and must be updated, now that it is confirmed by a considerable body of evidence that they permit far too strong radiation.
Conclusion
People should be very restrictive with using mobile phones as there is a significant body of compelling scientific evidence indicating serious hazards from their usage. Therefore, we advice you to reduce the usage to very few and brief calls, see "How long is it safe to call?" (below).
People below 20 should only have mobile phones that allow SMS messages only, but no talking, because the risks are far higher in young people.
Further buildup of the mobile phone net must be stopped. Steadily increasing evidence indicates that it is too harmful to be acceptable for common usage. Moreover, it has been repeatedly confirmed that the radiation from base stations is harmful to health.
Addition to the conclusion Febr 10, 2010
There is now a new antenna technology, the Vortis, that reduces the irradiation of the brain 1000-fold.
Presently it can only be mounted on some Motorola models. There is a new owner, Antennas.us that unfortunately does not seem to have resources to launch the technology yet on a large scale.
This antenna might reduce the irradiation sufficiently to eliminate important health hazards and reduce the risk of others greatly. If so our conclusion needs to be modified for users of Vortis.
Latest news
May 17, 2010
The Interphone study on tumor risk has serious weaknesses
Does not prove that mobile phones are safe
Today the news was released that the Interphone study seems to prove that Cell Phones are safe, but this is an unfounded conlusion.
An independent review reveals serious flaws and biasses in the world-wide, cellphone industry-funded Interphone Study. Because of these errors, the risk of contracting brain tumors due to cellphone usage is underestimated to an important extent.
Warning by the expert appointed by the cellphone industry to investigate the safety
"...with medical science indicating increased risks of tumors, cancer, genetic damage and other health problems from the use of cellphones, the government and the cellphone industry have abandoned the public."
This is a statement by Dr George Carlo, a leading scientist, who was trusted by the Mobile Phone Industry in the US to be most competent to correctly assess the safety of the mobile phones. Therefore he was commissioned to make a a very thorough examination. But after a few years of denying the hazards to the satisfaction of his sponsors, he changed his opinion in the face of accumulating evidence about the dangers and wrote a book about it. Here a Youtube video with him:
Since the public communication of his findings, Dr Carlo "has been threatened, physically attacked, defamed, and his house mysteriously burned down." Instead of listening to the well founded evaluation of the scientist the mobile phone industry trusted as most suitable for assessing the issue, they did not only ignore his results, but they sought to discredit him personally among reporters and other scientists.
How can anyone trust research and scientists sponsored by such corporations as it is very evident from the case of Dr Carlo that the corporations do not accept other than favorable results regarding safety?
Yet it is this pseudoscience that has been used by governments as the justification for continued support to the buildup of the mobile phone system in spite of the increasingly strong evidence about its hazards. See also "Corrupt Science" below.
Building Top Floors under the Antenna Closed After Brain Tumor Alert
The top floors of a Melbourne office building were closed down and 100 people evacuated after a seventh worker in as many years was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
This resolution, made in Catania (2002) by world leading experts, rejects safety rules based on the belief that mobile phone radiation only can harm by heating the tissues.
The experts find that scientific evidence indicate harmful radiation effects at intensity levels far below the offical safety levels.
This means that the experts disapprove the present official safety guidelines of the European Union, USA, and many other countries. The mobile phones are designed according to these guidelines.
Conclusion
The radiation of mobile phones is too strong to be safe, because their radiation level is based on the outdated and clearly erroneous belief that mobile phone radiation has no other effects on tissues than heating. Experts believe that the maximum level should be 100-1000 times lower than presently allowed.
Another group of scientists recently arrived at the same conclusion as the Catania resolution after a thorough interdisciplinary literature survey, encompassing over 2000 scientific studies. They emphasized that the existing mobile radiation standards for public safety are inadequate to protect public health. That is, the allowed threshold values for radiation are far to high.
In spite of these thorough assessments by highly competent experts, most governments are ignoring them. It is evident that, Dr Juan Carlo is right when he says in his book:
"...with medical science indicating increased risks of tumors, cancer, genetic damage and other health problems from the use of cellphones, the government and the cellphone industry have abandoned the public."
How could the governments and scientists act so irresponsibly so as to let this happen? Read the section "Corrupt Science" below and you may understand.
How long is it safe to call?
As the above mentioned expert groups have concluded, the radiation from mobile phones greatly exceeds safe levels even at normal usage. Therefore, even a short call can have harmful effects.
PSRAST proposes EU to require the production of mobile phones for young people allowing only SMS
Proposition to the Directorate for Communication of the EU Commission
"PSRAST suggests measures regarding mobile phone usage for people below 20 years of age because of the findings that they run a considerable risk of developing brain tumors."
"Require the mobile phone industry to immediately produce mobile phones that only can be used for sending and receiving SMS messages".
In this section we have listed articles that are suitable for the layman. The scientific articles in the next section have been summarized in a non-technical lanugage to make them accessible to laymen as well.
New! Wake up call. An excellent summary of the present state of knowledge (video along with transcript) including strong evidence of increased brain tumor risk due to mobile phone radiation.
Mobile Phone-Brain Tumour Public Health Advisory. A very good and easy to read review of all the evidence, written by a renowned brain surgeon, Dr Kurana Dr Khurana, who since 1994 has received 14 awards. His well-written and thoroughly researched report has evoked world wide attention.
Excerpt from the website:
A malignant brain tumour represents a life-ending diagnosis in the vast majority of those diagnosed. There is a significant and increasing body of evidence, to date at least 8 comprehensive clinical studies internationally and one long-term meta-analysis, for a link between mobile phone usage and certain brain tumours.
Taken together, the data presented below compellingly suggest that the link between mobile phones and brain tumours should no longer be regarded as a myth. Individual and class action lawsuits have been filed in the USA, and at least one has already been successfully prosecuted, regarding the cell phone-brain tumour link.
"Cellphone radiation affects cells in living humans". Finnish research demonstrated how certain proteins in human cells are altered at the very same level of mobile phone radiation that you are exposed to at calling. This demolishes the attempt by the mobile phone industry to dismiss several other studies demonstrating the same kind of effect because they were made on animals. This was actually a very weak counteragument, because it is well established that animals react in the same way to biophysical influences.
Germany warns citizens to avoid using Wi-Fi. People should avoid using Wi-Fi wherever possible because of the risks it may pose to health, the environmnent ministry of the German government said in september 2007.
Wi-fi networks operate in the 2.4 and 5 GHz microwave bands, that is the same order of magnitude as GSM mobile phone microwaves (0,9-1,8 GHz) and the latest mobile brand G3 (1,9-2 GHz and 2,1-2,2 GHz). Higher frequencies are known to be more harmful.
Drowning in a sea of Microwaves, the Wi-Fi revolution, by Dr Mae-Wan Ho, biophysicist and former professor of Biology at the Open University. Summarizes the most recent evidence indicating that microwave radiation, including Wi-Fi, is harmful to health including disturbed brain function and increased cancer risk. Dr Ho concludes that Wi-Fi systems should be disbanded and banned.
DNA is damaged by mobile phone radiation. The pioneering research of professor Henry Lai indicating this serious effect has long been ignored by the mobile phone industry who (misleadingly) stated that his findings had not been confirmed. But this was only because no other replications had been made (a sound governmental health protection system should have allocated necessary funding for this but in stead it was ignored). But recently this serious effect has been corroborated by other studies:
In December 2004, preliminary results of work by 12 groups in seven European countries, the "REFLEX Study", found that radiation at some cell phone levels damages DNA in a laboratory setting. This damage could not always be repaired by the injured cell. The 291-page report is online at http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/reports/20041222_reflex.pdf
In a BBC report, the leader of the four-year REFLEX study, German scientist Franz Adlkofer, said people should use landlines, rather than cell phones, wherever possible.
Sperm damage from mobile phones. Hungarian scientists have found 30% sperm decrease in intensive mobile phone users. In addition the sperms were damaged.
Dr Gerard Hyland, a theoretical physicist at the International Institute of Biophysics in Neuss, Germany, says "the guidelines [based on heating effects] protect us against something that isn't a problem,"... He argues that, as well as heat, mobile phone and mast microwaves emit a kind of pulsing white noise that interferes with our bodies in the same way that phones interfere with aeroplane or hospital equipment. "The alive human body is an electromagnetic instrument, not just a bag of chemicals," he says. "Information is transported electrically, the body chemistry is controlled by electrical signals."
According to this theory, pulsing microwave radiation from masts and phones causes "interference" in the body, which impairs body function and could lead to illness.
Source: "Making Waves" The Guardian UK, 10 April 2004.
Can ElectroMagneticRadiation (EMR) exposure cause harm? Interview with Dr. Robert Becker, M.D., one of the first medical pioneers to study natural electrical currents in the human body and to caution about electropollution. Dr. Becker was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
Quote: "Dr George Carlo - the man hired by the cell phone industry to investigate the claims and who for six years had poured cold water on the issue - suddenly had a change of heart.
'The Government and industry needs to take the next steps quickly - because now we have findings that say there could be a problem,' Carlo told reporters."
Comparison of brains from unexposed and exposed rats
Exposed animals, were much more likely to have albumin leaking from blood vessels in inappropriate locations. This shows as dark dots in the exposed brain above on the right.
Control animals, in contrast, showed either no albumin leakage or occasional isolated spots, as seen in the figure on the left.
A closer look at the cells within the brain revealed that exposed animals had "scattered and grouped dark neurons... often shrunken.. with loss of internal cell structures."
...A neuronal damage of the kind described here may not have immediate, demonstrable consequences, even if repeated. In the long run, however, it may result in reduced brain reserve capacity that might be unveiled by other later neuronal disease or even the wear and tear of aging.
Cell phones and cancer. The Repacholi study from Australia indicates an increased cancer risk in mice exposed to mobile phone radiation. It was suppressed by major science journals (Science and Nature) because they feared it would cause panic among users.
"Mobile Phones and Cancer: Is the Popular Media Doing Its Job?" Misleading reporting about a study claiming to refute the results of Repacholi. In reality it was not a replication. The result actually indicated a trend in the same direction as Repacholi. The question is further if the "refuting" data are fully correct, as manipulation of data under the pressure of powerful industrial science sponsors is a real problem.
Quote: The shape of the skull "is perfect for making the head serve as a resonator for electromagnetic radiation emitted by the cellphone, which causes it to absorb much of the energy specifically from these wavelengths.".
Top scientist: mobile masts cannot be declared safe. The UK Government's new top adviser on mobile phone mast safety, physics professor Lawrie Challis, said: "We cannot say there is no risk. You could never say that. All you can do is take measures to reduce those risks. The Government doesn't want to hear that message. They want us to say that masts are completely safe and aren't dangerous, but we can't say that... It could take up to 10 years before we know for sure. There are fears that there might be biological effects and it is not possible at present to be sure that exposure is not without potential health effects." 24 January 2003 Express & Echo.
A Wireless Future – at what cost?. A "Time Out" must be taken in building the 3rd generation mobile network, until health and environmental effects of the new system have been investigated. First do the research, then build, demands among others assistant professor Olle Johansson at the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Quote: Many studies have indicated serious biological effects of radiofrequent/microwave radiation. Therefore several researchers recommend microwave exposure to be kept as low as possible. In countries like Australia, Italy, Austria and Switzerland they have already lowered the total exposure limits for high frequent radiation. In June this year, 19 researchers at a conference on transmitters in Salzburg demanded that the total exposure to microwave based radiation must be lowered drastically, due to the biological effects. The recommended limits for radiofrequent/microwave radiation must be reconsidered, focusing the total, long term and biological effects.
These are only a few of a considerable body of articles and scientific reports about the effects of mobile phone radiation.
Health risks from Base Station radiation
Great cancer risk increase in the vicinity of a GSM base station
A German study found a threefold higher frequency of cancer among people living in the vicinity (400 m) of a GSM base station compared to people living further away from the antenna. The risk for mammary cancer was 3,4 times greater and the average age of contracting this disease was considerably lower, 50,8 years than in the control group (69,9 years). The frequency increased also the longer people had been exposed to the radiation. The study covered a ten year long period (1994-2004), starting the year after the installation of the base station. Before the installation of the base station, there was no difference in cancer incidence between people living in the vicinity of the (future) base station and the control area.
Excerpt:
"The result is a quite concrete epidemiological proof of a connexion between exposition to radiation from GSM Base stations and Cancer. This result is, considering the available documentation about the effect of highfrequency electromagnetic radiation not only plausible but probable."
There exsists ample and uneqiuvocal evidence today that microwave radiation damages DNA. It has also been established beyond doubt in experimental studies that DNA damage increases cancer risk. This study adds to several others indicating that the DNA damage from microwaves brings about a considerable increase of cancer risk among people exposed to the radiation.
This study is just one of several indicating various health disturbances in people living or working close to base stations (see below).
New Austrian research confirms health effects of base station radiation.
Despite exposure to raditation far below recommended levels (max. 4.1 mW/m2), effects on wellbeing and performance on cognitive tests was observed in a study of 365 subjects living within 20-600 metres from Mobile Phone Base stations.
This finding adds to the concerns raised by the report of a remarkable increase of brain tumor rates in the top floors of an office building, see "Mobile Phone Tower causing brain tumors?".
These observations are actually not surprising, as it is a well established scientific fact that mobile phone radiation has biological effects far below the present recommended levels.
These experiences support the theory of the physicist, Dr Hyland, see below, that predicted that base station radiaton can affect humans even at very low intensities.
Base stations affected health negatively.
Among people living closer than 300 m away from the base station, a French study found an increased incidence for tiredness (within 300m), for headache, sleep disturbance, discomfort, etc (200 m). For irritability, depression, loss of memory, dizziness, libido decrease, etc (100 m). Women significantly more often than men complained of headache, nausea, loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, depression, discomfort and visual perturbations.
This first study on symptoms experienced by people living in vicinity of base stations shows that, in view of radioprotection, minimal distance of people from cellular phone base stations should not be < 300 m.
Neurobehavioral effects among inhabitants around mobile phone base stations
"Inhabitants living nearby mobile phone base stations are at risk for developing neuropsychiatric problems and some changes in the performance of neurobehavioral functions"
Source: Abdel-Rassoul G, et al, Neurotoxicology. 2006 Aug 1. Abstract
An explanation how GSM base station can have harmful effects
This is a theoretical explanation based on known biological facts. It makes it evident why even weak microwave radiation can damage DNA.
Excerpt:
21:08 06.08.2006
"microwave radiation can...functionally interfere with the natural processes involved in DNA replication and repair, by subtly altering molecular conformation (architecture), for example; this could well account, respectively, for the reports of chromosome aberrations / micronuclei formation and for the increased amount of DNA fragmentation observed under irradiation."
NOTE: This is a "pdf" = Adobe Acrobat file. If you cannot open it, download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader here: .
This is worth while as there are a few more "pdf" files below.
In most countries the mobile radiation safety standards are based on the assumption that the only biological effect of microwave (mobile phone) radiation is heating (the so called "thermal effect"). However ample evidence demonstrate that non-thermal effects do exist and may occur at a significantly lower radiation level than what causes heating. This means that present safety standards need to be changed so that they allow considerably lower levels of raditation intensities.
Cellular changes demonstated at non-thermal levels. A finnish team has found that certain proteins in human cells change due to the radiation at non-thermal intensity levels. This confirms earlier findings of cellular changes in animals.
Serious health concerns regarding cell phones - The Bioinitiative Report. (August 31, 2007) A group of independent scientists have made a thorough and very careful survey of the literature and they conclude that the existing standards for public safety are inadequate to protect public health.
"Biologically-based public and occupational exposure standards for extra-low frequency and radiofrequency radiation are recommended to address bioeffects and potential
adverse health effects of chronic exposure to ELF and RF. These effects are now widely reported to occur at exposure levels significantly below most current national and
international limits."
Evidence of Biological Effects Below Safety Thresholds.
Two papers by Professor Henry C Lai, PhD, at the University of Washington's Bioelectromagnetics Laboratory.
A list of scientific research which demonstrate biological effects below the exposure safety thresholds set for various frequencies, commonly used for wireless communications.
Quote: There is also some evidence that effects of RFR accumulate over time. Here are some examples: Phillips et al. (1998) reported DNA damage in cells after 24 hours of exposure to low intensity RFR. DNA damage can lead to gene mutation, which accumulates over time. Magras and Xenos (1999) reported that mice exposed to low-intensity RFR became less reproductive. After five generations of exposure, the mice were not able to produce offspring. This shows that the effect of RFR can pass from one generation to another.
Non-Thermal effects of electromagnetic fields by Dr Mae-Wan Ho, former professor of biology at Open University i England. Dr Ho has done research on the biological effects of weak magnetic fields. Among others she has found that very weak fields can affect the development of larvae.
Cell and molecular biology associated with radiation fields of mobile telephones. Ross Adey, professor of physiology, Loma Linda School of Medicine in California. Internationally renowned brain scientist. Ample evidence of non-thermal effects are presented. One such effect is that microwaves may cause disordered free radical regulation which is associated with serious diseases including cancer.
Excerpt: "Free radicals are involved in normal regulatory mechanisms in many tissues, including the brain and vascular systems, and in the regulation of normal programmed-cell-death (apoptosis). Disordered free radical regulation is associated with oxidative stress diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, coronary heart disease, aging and cancer.
Acute and chronic microwave exposure produces single strand breaks in DNA of brain and testis cell nuclei at athermal field levels [italics by PSRAST]. Failure of apoptosis has been cited as a factor in tumorigenesis through failure to eliminate aberrant cell clones which then undergo further progressive mutation leading to tumor formation.
In initiated cells with mutated DNA but not tumor forming, overexpression of the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase, demonstrated to be sensitive to microwave fields, allows it to act as a tumor promoter, leading to tumor formation in the absence of other promoters."
Conclusion
The scientist who declares that there exists no evidence of non-thermal effects of microwave radiation at intensities below present safety norms is either consciously lying or unaware of important research in the field, which means he is incompetent (because a competent scientist has to be aware of all important research in his field).
Unfortunately such scientists exist who serve money rather than the scientific ideal of impartiality. For more about this problem, see "Corrupt Science"
Alarming report - fivefold increased risk for brain tumors in children
Excerpts from The Independent (21.09.2008):
Children and teenagers are five times more likely to get brain cancer if they use mobile phones, startling new research indicates.
The study, experts say, raises fears that today's young people may suffer an "epidemic" of the disease in later life.
European parliament voted for restrictions
Last week the European Parliament voted by 522 to 16 to urge ministers across Europe to bring in stricter limits for exposure to radiation from mobile and cordless phones, Wi-fi and other devices...
Professor Lennart Hardell of the University Hospital in Orebro, Sweden...told the conference – held at the Royal Society by the Radiation Research Trust – that "people who started mobile phone use before the age of 20" had more than five-fold increase in glioma", a cancer of the glial cells that support the central nervous system. The extra risk to young people of contracting the disease from using the cordless phone found in many homes was almost as great, at more than four times higher.
...
Indeed, he admits, the hazard to children and teenagers may be greater even than his results suggest, because the results of his study do not show the effects of their using the phones for many years. Most cancers take decades to develop, longer than mobile phones have been on the market.
Scientists warn US congress for cancer risk from cellphone usage.
Excerpts from AP (26.09.2008):
"Precaution is warranted even in the absence of absolutely final evidence concerning the magnitude of the risk" -- especially for children, said David Carpenter, director of the Institute of Health and Environment at the University of Albany, in testimony before a subcommittee of the US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform.
Ronald Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute -- one of the top US cancer research centers -- said that most studies "claiming that there is no link between cell phones and brain tumors are outdated, had methodological concerns and did not include sufficient numbers of long-term cell phone users."
Many studies denying a link defined regular cell phone use as "once a week," he said.
"Recalling the 70 years that it took to remove lead from paint and gasoline and the 50 years that it took to convincingly establish the link between smoking and lung cancer, I argue that we must learn from our past to do a better job of interpreting evidence of potential risk," said Herberman.
Carpenter and Herberman both told the committee the brain cancer risk from cell phone use is far greater for children than for adults.
Herberman held up a model for lawmakers showing how radiation from a cell phone penetrates far deeper into the brain of a five-year-old than that of an adult.
A paper published this month by the Royal Society in London found that adolescents who start using cell phones before the age of 20 were five times more likely to develop brain cancer at the age of 29 than those who didn't use a cell phone.
"It's only on the side of the head where you use the cell phone [that the cancers develop]," Carpenter said.
We feel very satisfied that our demand for precaution regarding cellphone use, published at this website several years ago, now is becoming supported by leading American scientists.
Also we are happy to learn that they are realizing that studies that failed to find a cancer connection were using scientifically inadequate methods like the absurdly including people using the cellphone once a week and that scientists denying the cancer connection were disregarding the well-known fact that it takes 10-20 years of exposure to develop cancers. They presented results from research on people having been exposed only a few years as evidence of the "safety of cellphones" - this an example of irresponsible and corrupt science, for more, see "Junk science".
It is not until recently that enough large numbers have been using cellphone sufficiently for their cancers to appear. The increase of cancers that we are now seeing is the tip of an iceberg, where the most cancer-prone individuals are falling ill, already after ten years or less of cellphone use. The strongest cancer connection evidence comes from Sweden, where the cellphone was first developed and therefore people there have the longest exposure times.
Finnish research confirms increased brain tumor risk
from the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority in Finland compared the mobile phone use of 1,521 people with brain cancer (glioma) with that of 3,301 healthy people.
When they looked only at people who had used a mobile for 10 years or more, they found that they were 39 per cent more likely than average to get a glioma on the side of their head where they held their handset.
Professor Anssi Auvinen, an epidemiologist involved in the study, said a causal connection was credible considering that the tumors developed at the side where the phone was held.
: "It seems credible as it was after long-term exposure - which makes sense in terms of the length of time it takes for tumours to develop - and it is localised to the side of the head where the handset is held."
A national survey in Israel finds increased salivary gland tumor risk
...analysis restricted to regular users or to conditions that may yield higher levels of exposure (e.g., heavy use in rural areas) showed consistently elevated risks. For ipsilateral use, the odds ratios in the highest category of cumulative number of calls and call time without use of hands-free devices were 1.58 (95% confidence interval: 1.11, 2.24) and 1.49 (95% confidence interval: 1.05, 2.13),...our results suggest an association between cellular phone use and PGTs [parotid gland (a salivary gland) tumors/ editors comment].
Source: "Cellular Phone Use and Risk of Benign and Malignant Parotid Gland Tumors—A Nationwide Case-Control Study". American Journal of Epidemiology published online on December 6, 2007
Large study confirms greatly increased brain cancer risk
Over 900 cancer patients from the years 1997-2003 have been compared with a control group of over 2000 persons. The conclusion is that those who have used a mobile or a cordless phone for more than one hour a day during ten years ran twice the risk of the control group to have gliomas, the most malignant form of brain tumor.
This study is the largest in the world says a coauthor, Professor Jonas Hardell, a leading independent researcher on mobile phone hazards.
Excerpt: Three European research groups in separate studies have found an increased risk of brain tumors in people who have used the phones for 10 years or more. Two of the studies found a correlation between the tumor's location and the side of the head where people reported they held the phone. One also suggests the greatest risk is in people who began using the phones before age 20.
Brain cancer risk increased at the side one holds the phone
1617 patients with malignant and benign brain tumors were studied by Jonas Hardell, professor of Oncology, Örebro, Sweden. The risk for developing brain tumors was found to increase the more intensely one used the phone and the more years it had been used.
There was a significantly increased risk to develop brain cancer on the same side as one used to hold the phone, but not on the other side.
In addition, the risk was increased by 30% for developing Acoustic Neurinoma, a benign tumor on the auditory nerve that may cause permanent deafness if not removed in time.
A study in Israel further confirms other observations of DNA-damaging effects of mobile phone irradiation. It is especially significant that this effect was demonstrated to be caused by non-thermal influence. Moreover, the nature of the induced change (aneuplody) is known to increase the risk of cancer.
Cancer cell study revives cellphone safety fears. Italian scientist found indications of DNA damage on Leukaemia cells indicating that the radiation disturbed DNA repair processes. New Scientist, Oct 2002.
Excerpt:
Molecular toxicologist David de Pomerai at the University of Nottingham, UK:
"...a consensus is emerging that non-ionising radiation can indirectly damage DNA by affecting its repair system. If the DNA repair mechanism does not work as well as it should, mutations in cells could accumulate, with disastrous consequences. "Cells with unrepaired DNA damage are likely to be far more aggressively cancerous," "
Mobile Phones & Cancer An overview by Dr Mae-Wan Ho of the evidence indicating risk from cancer due to mobile phones.
Comment on the cancer evidence by PSRAST
It must be noted that tumors are crude indicators of harmful effects on the brain. It takes a considerable impact and a long exposure to damaging influences to cause cancer as the body has strong protection mechanims against tumor development. If even such a pronounced derangement of cellular functioning may develop, there are strong reasons to believe that many subtle and delicate processess may be affected to an important extent. Indicators of such effects are brain wave changes, sleep and behavioral disturbances that have been demonstrated in some studies (see below). Science has yet too crude measurement methods to be able to fully assess the impact of microwaves on the brain, but what already is known indicates that the impact is considerable.
Conclusion
Considering the strong evidence about DNA damage from mobile phone radiation, the finding of an increased risk of brain tumors is not surprising. Rather it would have been highly surprising if no increased risk had been found. Every report that has come since we opened this website in 2003 has confirmed our initial suspicion that mobile phone usage is an important cancer risk.
Bottom line
If you want to minimize the risk of developing a brain tumor, you should be very restrictive with the use of mobile phones, for advice, see our guidelines.
Not proven that cellphones protect against Alzheimer's.
A recent study on genetically engineered mice indicated that cellphones reduced their Alzheimermimicking brain-disorder. However their condition was not real Alzheimer and they might even have developed this order if they had been exposed long enough says Dr. Jaan Suurküla. He proposes an explantion why they seemed to improve in his blog, see "Alzheimer-imitating mice don’t prove cellphones are safe".
Study found mobiles cause sleep disturbance. (Jan 22, 2008) During an 18-month period, the researchers studied 35 men and 36 women between the ages of 18 and 45. Dr. Arnetz, the lead scientist of the study, said all participants were compared when they either were exposed to radiofrequency of 884 MHz wireless signals or no exposure to radiofrequency at all. All 71 participants were exposed to both conditions at different times. The ones who were exposed reported headaches, it took longer for them to fall asleep and the quality of sleep was considerably decreased, with loss of stage 3 and 4 sleep.
The scientists concluded: "The study indicates that during laboratory exposure to 884 MHz wireless signals components of sleep believed to be important for recovery from daily wear and tear are adversely affected."
"If you have trouble sleeping, you should think about not talking on a mobile phone right before you go to bed. The study strongly suggests that mobile phone use is associated with specific changes in the areas of the brain responsible for activating and coordinating the stress system," said Professor Arnetz.
Source: Arnetz BB et al (2007) The Effects of 884 MHz GSM Wireless Communication Signals on Self-reported Symptom and Sleep (EEG)- An Experimental Provocation Study PIERS Online 3(7):1148-1150. Abstract
Quote: "The situation of the growing brain might deserve special concern," the study authors wrote, "since biological and maturational processes are particularly vulnerable. We cannot exclude that after some decades of often daily use, a whole generation of users may suffer negative effects as early as middle age."
Huber R., Treyer V., Borbély A., Schuderer J., Gottselig J., Landolt H.-P., Werth E., Berthold T., Kuster N., Buck A. and Achermann P. (2002) Electromagnetic fields, such as those from mobile phones, alter regional cerebral blood flow and sleep and waking EEG. J. Sleep Res. 11 289-295.
Radio frequency EM fields and brain physiology. The group has evidently been pressed to downplay their findings because as they say "conclusions about possible adverse effects on human health are premature as the underlying mechanisms of these non-thermal effects are unknown." This is rubbish. They have found important adverse effects but are not taking the consequences with the untenable excuse that they cannot explain why important sleep and behavioral disturbances occur.
Regel S.J., Gottselig J.M., Schuderer J., Tinguely G., Rétey J.V., Kuster N., Landolt H.-P. and Achermann P. (2007) Pulsed radio frequency radiation affects cognitive performance and the waking lectroencephalogram. Neuroreport 18, 803-807.
"we found a relationship between headache, fatigue, dizziness, tension and sleep disturbances in subjects exposed to mobile phones emissions.... the use of mobile phones is a risk factor for health hazards and we suggest that excessive use of mobile phones should be avoided"
Base stations affect health negatively. Among people living closer than 300 m away from the base station, a French study found an increased incidence for tiredness (within 300m), for headache, sleep disturbance, discomfort, etc (200 m). For irritability, depression, loss of memory, dizziness, libido decrease, etc (100 m). Women significantly more often than men complained of headache, nausea, loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, depression, discomfort and visual perturbations.
This first study on symptoms experienced by people living in vicinity of base stations shows that, in view of radioprotection, minimal distance of people from cellular phone base stations should not be < 300 m.
Neurobehavioral effects among inhabitants around mobile phone base stations."Inhabitants living nearby mobile phone base stations are at risk for developing neuropsychiatric problems and some changes in the performance of neurobehavioral functions"
Source: Abdel-Rassoul G, et al, Neurotoxicology. 2006 Aug 1. Abstract
Increased sleep disturbances and depression in mobile users. Number of mobile phone calls and SMS messages per day were associated with sleep disturbances. SMS use was also associated with symptoms of depression.
Source: Thomee, S. et al "Prevalence of perceived stress, symptoms of depression and sleep disturbances in relation to information and communication technology (ICT) use among young adults - an explorative prospective study." Computers in Human Behavior, Volume 23, Issue 3 (May 2007). Abstract
Mobile phones - a cause of stress burnout?
Dr Jaan Suurküla (PSRAST) from Sweden has proposed that mobile phone usage may have contributed importantly to the great increase in stress burnout in recent years (1).
He pointed out that the increase of this disorder has roughly parallelled the increased usage of mobile phones in Sweden. He noted that it has been established that deep sleep, so called stage four sleep, is important for the regeneration of the brain and the body.
Dr Suurküla suggests that failing regeneration of the brain due to disturbed sleep caused by mobile phone radiation may contribute to stress burnout.
This is supported by the research of Professor Achermann in Zürich University (2002), later confirmed by Professor Arnetz (2008) at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, that indicates that regenerative, deep sleep is disturbed or abolished by mobile phone usage. Also other studies indicate that the microwave radiation from mobile phones as well as base stations (that emit exactly the same radiation) cause sleep disturbances.
It is also supported by the research by Dr. Mirjam Ekstedt that suggests that sleep disturbances, especially of the deep sleep phases, contribute to burnout (2).
References:
Suurkula J. (2008) "Mobile phone usage - a cause of stress burnout?" In manuscript.
Ekstedt M et al, "Disturbed sleep and fatigue in occupational burnout." Scand J Work Environ Health. 2006 Apr;32(2):121-31. Abstract
Bottom line
If you want to sleep well and remain vital, balanced, happy and effective, minimize your mobile phone usage as recommended in our guidelines.
The Excluded Biology by Dr Mae-Wan Ho. There is a significant amount of evidence demonstrating that electromagnetic phenomena are important in the regulation of bodily activities. This means that the electromagnetic radiation of mobile phones may disturb the function of brain and body according to Dr Ho. Recent observations indicating disturbance of brain waves and of sleep might be an expression of such a influence. Yet this aspect has commonly been neglected in the assessment of hazards.
The Stewart Report by Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones. November 2000. This extensive analysis by independent scientists concludes that the precautionary people has to be applied considering the incompleteness of knowledge and the indications of possibly important biological effects at levels far below present allowed levels.
Mobile phone use: It's time to take precautions. The article quotes Dr Carlo, a highly respected epidemiologist who was employed by the mobile phone industry to "prove" that they were harmless. But he arrived at the opposite conclusion:
Quote: "Dr Carlo also said that he "was alarmed that parts of the industry have ignored the scientific findings suggesting potential health effects, have repeatedly and falsely claimed that wireless phones are safe for all consumers including children, and have created an illusion of responsible follow up by calling for and supporting more research".
The effects of mobile radiation on the environment have not yet been much researched. PSRAST finds that it cannot be excluded that, especially close to Base stations, there may, in the long run, occur genetic changes in plants, trees, microorganisms, insects and animals due to accumulated damage to the DNA (in addition to the reported cancer increase in humans). Below, we mention another possible complication:
Mobile Phones and Vanishing Bees. A study in England showed that bees refused to retrun to their beehives where there was a DECT cordless phone station. The DECT-station is a simple cordless phone base, widely used in homes and offices. It continuosly emits the same radiation as mobile phones. It is discussed if the extensive use of mobile phones may be one reason why bee colonies are vanishing at a huge scale in Europé and the US.
Dr Mae-Wan Ho, biophysicist comments:
"But mobile phones have been around for close to 20 years, so why now? There has been a recent change in cell phone technology that coincides with the current crisis. At the beginning of the present century, 3G (third generation) mobile phone systems became publicly available, leading to a surge in popularity of mobile phones, and many more phone towers [11]. Bees are disappearing in North America, Europe and also Australia, wherever mobile phones are greatly in use."
Bees are vital pollinators for agriculture. With the vanishing of bees, a major food crisis could ensue. It is too early to definitely judge what is the cause of the present dramatic decrease of bee populations.
Dr. Joe Cummins, Professor Emeritus of Genetics, suggests that perhaps it is a combination of synergetically acting factors out of which mobile radiation is one. In addition, parasite infection, certain new pesticides used together with genetically engineered plants, and toxins generated by GE-plants have been found to harm the bees, see "Mystery of Disappearing Honeybees".
A scientist who maintains that mobile phones are safe to use is either corrupt or seriously incompetent.
Increasing numbers of scientists serve corporate interests
Science has become dependent on corporate sponsorship to a considerable extent. Their influence is especially great in applied science. Corporations are misusing this dependence to promote their interests by suppressing unfavorable evidence and distorting truth. Leading scientists have been corrupted to promote corporations under the false disguise of "scientific objectivity".
One especially powerful strategy is to have paid scientist create "counterevidence" for every alarming discovery so that it can be said that "the issue is controversial" and that "the scientists have disparate opinions" or that the effect is "not conclusively proven". Thereby restrictive legislation is delayed. The tobacco industry did this for several decades after it had been conclusively proven that smoking is harmful, see for example Lancet article by professor Stanton Glantz (Jan 2005).
Outright falsifications of data by scientists, corrupted by corporations, have been revealed as well as cases where scientists have been forbidden by their sponsors to publish findings that would damage the interests of the corporation (naturally, very few cases are discovered and none has so far been revealed concerning microwave radiation research as far as we know, but this does not rule out an extensive corruption).
Therefore, considering the extensive evidence indicating that mobile phone radition is harmful, it is justified to suspect that scientific reports that deny this are corrupt. Often the research has openly been sponsored by the mobile phone industry. In such cases there are especially strong reasons to question the reliability of the conclusions. Furthermore, the data may have been faked so as to suit the intersts of the sponsor. In other cases there may be a hidden influence (read corruption) from the industry.
Billions of dollars at stake
The mobile phone coroporations reap multibillion dollar profits, and would suffer billion dollar losses from research proving harmful effects. Therefore, they have a very strong incentive to corrupt scientists to offset the harmful impact of such research through critical remarks, like "questionable", "insufficient evidence" and "more research needed before conclusions can be drawn". It occurs regularly that even studies of high scientific quality are bluntly and unjustifiably dismissed in this way by such corrupt scientists. If you are in doubt, please consider the case of Dr Carlo, mentioned above. It demonstrates very clearly that the corporations not only ignore, but suppress unfavorable safety assessments, see Dr Carlo.
It is obvious that the corporations would try to corrupt especially renowned scientists from the most respected universities as this would have the greatest impact. So such merits are by no means a warranty for a reliable and impartial judgement.
A bribe of a few, or even ten million dollars, is small money, considering what is at stake. If direct bribing is found unsuitable, another possibility to ensure "cooperation" is to sponsor expensive research or very expensive research equipment that would put the scientist in a lead position in his field. It is obvious that it is difficult to resist such offers.
Needless to say, the corporations have strong incentives to bribe key politicians and decisionmakers as well to ensure full "strategic coverage" of their field of interest.
Documents about the corruption of science
Survey suggests research misconduct is common. The survey found that research misconduct is more common than previously suspected in US research institutions. In a survey of 2,212 mainly biomedical scientists at 605 universities and other research institutions, 9 percent of scientists said that they had seen fabrication, falsification or plagiarism. The survey also showed that researchers are very reluctant to report bad conduct, which means that the real extent of misconduct might be much larger.
"There's more misconduct, or potential for misconduct, out there than probably anyone has appreciated before. And a good part of that goes unreported."
James Wells, director of the Office of Research Policy at the University of Wisconsin who helped conduct the survey."
Remarkable industry bias in brain tumor research. A study discovered remarkable differences between independent and industry funded research in favor of industry interests. A few industry funded studies absurdly indicated a 186% protective effect. It seems that the researchers, in their ambition to please their sponsors, went too far in falsifying the evidence as there are no reasons whatsoever to believe that the radiation could protect against tumors. See the image below, where the protective effect study is the red triangle to the left at the arrowpoint.
Also the article points out serious errors in the industry funded research of such a magnitude and nature that it seems unlikely that the scientists were so incompetent. The more likely conclusion is that they have been "encouraged" to omit important considerations by the funding industry. A more and more common practice is that the industry just buys the name of some respectable scientist and writes the article on its own. One scientist in the field of genetic engineering who protested against not being allowed to see the research data underlying the article which he was expected to sign, lost his job after pressure on the univeristy from the industry (universities are increasingly economically dependent on industrial sponsorship).
Source:Bias and confounding.
The late professor Ross Adey has made thoughtful comments on this issue:
Quote: "In many countries, and particularly in the USA, the effects of such harassing and troublesome tactics on independent, careful fundamental research have been near tragic. Beguiled by health hazard research as the only source of funding, accomplished basic scientists have diverted from a completely new frontier in physical regulation of biological mechanisms at the atomic level [we think he means bequiled from, that is, the scientists have been deprived of this only source of funding /editors comment]. Not only have governments permitted corporate interests in the communications industry to fund this research, they have even permitted them to determine the research questions to be addressed and to select the institutions performing the research."
A recent book "Trust us, we are the experts", gives an illuminating picture of how corporations manipulate and distort truth in order to promote their interests.
Quote: In 1999 Drummond Rennie, editor of JAMA [Journal of American Medical Association, a world leading medical publication], said private funding of medical research was causing "a race to the ethical bottom.... The behavior of universities and scientists is sad, shocking, and frightening," Rennie said. "They are seduced by industry funding, and frightened that if they don't go along with these gag orders, the money will go to less rigorous institutions," he said. (pg. 217)
Quote:The successful launch of genetically engineered foods with the aid of a useless safety assessment principle endorsed by leading scientists in national and international expert committees is a very serious warning signal. It indicates that we may already be well on the way towards a "new pseudo-scientific world order" where the short term interests of powerful industrial corporations override global long term ecological and health safety considerations.
Quote:: "... Our academic institutions have given up all pretence of being citadels of higher learning and disinterested enquiry into the nature of things; least of all, of being guardians of the public good. The corporate take over of science is the greatest threat to our survival and the survival of our planet. It must be resisted and fought at every level."
Quote:"...science is now routinely at the center of controversies where economic incentives to influence scientific opinion toward a consensus favorable to commercial interests are often irresistibly large. Without effective reforms, this may well lead to the neutralization of science..."
Quote: "Corporate power is a major cause of health problems, according to the October/December 2005 special issue of the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health. Contributions to the issue reveal how corporate structure results in pressure to influence science and place the public at risk... "
Quote: "Modern corporate propaganda involves purchasing scientific opinions and planting them in scientific journals (without, of course, mentioning the money connection to the corporate benefactor)."
Bottom line
Considering the extensive evidence of harmful effects of mobile phones, there are good reasons to suspect that scientists and scientific reports denying or downplaying the hazards of mobile phones are corrupt, however renowned the university or famous the scientist may be.
Quote:"...with medical science indicating increased risks of tumors, cancer, genetic damage and other health problems from the use of cellphones, the government and the cellphone industry have abandoned the public."
SafeWireless intiative. The website of website of Dr Carlo, the expert who was most trusted by the industry to reliably assess the safety of mobile phones.
Email: mobil[at]psrast.org.
NOTE: This address is not for personal questions about mobile phones. It is meant for scientists, physicians and journalists. You cannot count upon any reply unless you belong to anyone of these categories.
