- Mobile phone use is ubiquitous with an estimated 4.6 billion subscriptions globally.
- The electromagnetic fields produced by mobile phones are classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as possibly carcinogenic to humans.
- Studies are ongoing to more fully assess potential long-term effects of mobile phone use.
- WHO will conduct a formal risk assessment of all studied health outcomes from radiofrequency fields exposure by 2012.
4.6 billion cell phone users around the globe. Is that alarming? Well, I don’t know. There has been much research recently and research is showing that there is not a link between mobile phone usage and brain tumors. But, my question would be… Is this like many other things we have lived through? Haven’t there been many things out on the market and then years later, someone says, “Oops! May cause cancer!” ? I am not convinced either way (harmful or not harmful), but it seems to me as if, perhaps, we should be aware of what the companies who are manufacturing cell phones state in their own product information guides. For instance, here is what you find in Apple’s iPhone 4 Product Information Guide:
“For optimal mobile device performance and to be sure that human exposer to RF energy does not exceed the FCC, IC, and European Union guidelines, always follow these instructions and precautions: When on a call using the built-in audio receiver in iPhone, hold iPhone with the dock connector pointed down toward your shoulder to increase separation from the antenna. When using iPhone near your body for voice calls or for wireless data transmission over a cellular network, keep iPhone at least 15 mm (5/8 inch) away from the body, and only use carrying cases , belt clips, or holders that do not have metal parts and that maintain at least 15 mm (5/8″) separation between iPhone and the body.”
How many of us read those guides? Not anyone I know – that’s for sure. I bet you might be surprised if you actually open up your box and take the time to read yours. This is where everything in moderation should be followed.
So, although I don’t have the answer – and I suppose the jury is still out – it may be decades before any information is conclusive. I think that in the meantime, I will keep my own cell phone usage to a minimum and really try hard to use a land line when available.
