July 20, 2003
New study says cell phones do not cause cancer
According to a new Australian study, long-term mobile phone use may not carry the dangers experts first thought.
Researchers at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital used live human brain cells to test whether long-term mobile phone use could cause cancer, according to smh.com. And the results showed "little to no effect on the cells. While further experiments need to be carried out before any definite conclusions are reached, the results are very encouraging."
In an interview with Jay Melican, last year for french e-zine Largeur.com, regarding his research for a documentary called On/OFF, on the social aspects of the use of communication technologies in a variety of cultural settings (recording the stories of 4 families located in Chicago, London, Recife and Shanghai), one of the most interesting things that came up was the difference in perception with regard to the potential dangers related to cell phones. It was not even an issue for the US family, but in Bresil, mobile users were concerned that cell phones would interfere with their heartbeat when carried in a shirt pocket or affect a man's virility when carried in a trouser pocket. Something clothing manufacturer Levi Strauss paid attention too when launching a new Dockers' model with anti-radiation-lined pockets.
Related articles to cell phones and health issues:
-- A federal judge ruled that a Maryland doctor did not have enough evidence to sue Motorola and others for his brain cancer, which he claims was caused by cell-phone radiation. [Wired]
-- The Bangladesh government made up its mind that mobile phones are harmful (but this was not based on any scientific study) and have banned mobile phones for children under 16 to protect them from what it says is exposure to radiation that could damage their brains. [Wired]
--Mobile phones damage key brain cells and could trigger the early onset of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study conducted by researchers at Lund University in Sweden.
-- Mobile phones may hasten cancer according to The National Research Council in Bologna [smh]
-- Most countries seem to agree on one point though: sending text messages is creating mobile mutant thumbs. According to a cross-cultural research published last year by British technology researcher Dr Sadie Plant -- Director of the Cybernetic Culture Research Unit at Warwick University in the UK -- children's thumbs are stronger and more nimble because they spend so much time texting and playing computer games. And nowhere is the epidemic more widespread than Japan, where it is referred to as "oya yubi sedda": the thumb generation. [smh.com]
Ressources:
-- FDA's Cell Phones Facts publishes information for consumers on wireless phones.
-- International EMB Project from the World Health Organization, who is pooling resources and knowledge concerning health effects of exposure to EMF (Electromagnetic fields).
-- Mobile Manufacturers Forum: The MMF is an international association of radio equipment manufacturers whose members include Alcatel, Ericsson, Mitsubishi Electric, Motorola, Nokia, Panasonic, Philips, Sagem, Siemens and Sony Ericsson. The MMF was formed in 1998 to jointly fund key research projects, as well as to cooperate on standards, regulatory issues and communications activities concerning health and mobile phones.
-- How safe are mobile phones?: Customer information from Nokia.
-- Nokia's Internet Links to government authorities, industry associations and scientific reports.
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