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Cell Phones Health Hazards
Image Copyright � 2004. Chio Ling. Used with Permission
Introduction:
Million of people use cell phones as a indispensable communication tool. Cell phones are useful to business and individual for justified reasons. However, most of them do not know anything about the possible risks of these devices. Researchs are working in this issue to demostrate if the use of cell phones is a risk or not. Actually, some illnessess are associated with the use of cell phones, but this statement has many oponents, first of all, the phone companies. This controversial issue needs to be examined including hazards, effects, and control hazards.
How Wireless Telephones Work
Cellular phones receive the signal by electromagnetic radiation emitted by the toward station. This type of radiation is located in the electromagnetic spectrum between the FM radio waves and the waves used in microwaves ovens. The radiation emited by cell phones do not damage DNA. The following graphic shows the spectrum of waves uemitted by cell phones.
Image Copyright � 2004. JE Moulder: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Mobile Phone Base Antennas and Human Health. Used with Permission
Cell phones works in a system called "Cell". Each cell has its each own base station. The cell phone antenna and the base stations antenna receives and emits radio waves. The call starts from the cell phone and is received from the antenna of the base station. After that, the base station assign a radio frecuency channel, and it is transmitted to the destiny phone. An area become more dangerous when the density of cell per area is high.
Types of wireles telephones"
The telephones can be classsify in four types:
-cordless
-transportable
-mobile
-portable phones
Transportable, mobile, and portable phones are all considered "cellular" phones
Cordless telephones
They are used in homes. These are not considered "cellular" phones. The health risks associated with cordless phones, which operate at 1/600th the power of cellular phones, has not been raised.
Transportable
These operate with equipment stored in a small carrying case; the antenna of the bag phone usually extends from the carrying case.
Mobile phones
Also called "car phones," they usually have an antenna mounted on the outside of a car�on the window, fender, roof, or trunk.
Portable
The antenna of a portable phone is integrated into the body of the phone. Because the antenna of a portable phone is close to the phone user's head, portable phones pose greater RF exposure than the other types of cordless phones.
Exposure Factors
The amount of radio frecuency to which a person is exposed depends on a number of factors. Some of these factor are:
- The number of "cells" in a geographical area. This show the number of companies that work in specific area.
- The distance between a cell phone antenna and its base station.
- The number of available channels for each cell.
- Physical obstacle, such as buildings or trees, interfering with the connection between base station and cell phone. That forces the base station to increase the power sent to that phone.
- Duration and frequency of cellular phone is used, with more use implying more exposure.
- The shell of the car reflects the signals back on the user and causes the cell phone to operate at a higher power thus causing more radiation exposure.
- Finally, older cellular phones (analog models) involve higher exposure than newer, digital equipment.
Exposure Limit
The Federal Communication Commission (1999) maintains that manufacturers are required to report the specific absorption rate (SAR) of their product to the FCC. The SAR is the amount of RF energy absorbed from the phone into the local tissues. The upper limit of SAR allowed is 1.6 watts per kilogram of body weight. Network news programs ran their own tests of mobile phones, reporting to the public that some mobile phones exceed the maximum level of emitted radiofrequency (RF) energy allowed by the FCC.
Health Effects
Worthington, Amy (2003, para.6), make a detail list of the all posibles effects of the cell phones:
"Brain cancer and tumor.
Genetic damage.
Damage nerves in the scalp
Cause blood cells to leak hemoglobin
Cause memory loss and mental confusion
Cause headaches and induce extreme fatigue
Create joint pain, muscle spasms and tremors
Create burning sensation and rash on the skin
Alter the brain's electrical activity during sleep
Induce ringing ! in the ears, impair sense of smell
Precipitate cataracts, retina damage and eye cancer
Open the blood-brain barrier to viruses and toxins
Reduce the number and efficiency of white blood cells
Stimulate asthma by producing histamine in mast cells
Cause digestive problems and raise bad cholesterol levels
Stress the endocrine system, especially pancreas, thyroid, ovaries, testes"
Association between brain cancer and wireles telephones - USA
One researcher(Worthington, para. 14), explains that "brain cancer rates in USA have increased by 25% since 1975. In 2001, 185,000 Americans were diagnosed with some form of brain cancer. A grade four brain tumor can grow from the size of a grape to tennis ball size in just 4 months. Brain tumors are almost always fatal and most people die within 6-12 months after diagnosis. On April 7, 2002, Sixty Minutes aired a fascinating report on brain cancer, explaining that scientists are unsure why incidence of the disease is growing so exponentially".
In the year 2000, it was estimated that there were 92 million cell phone users in the US, a number growing by one million every month. Some reports estimate that the current number is 120 million. This report summarizes what we now know about the carcinogenicity of using cellular phones, as this is clearly a topic of wide concern.
Cell Phones hurt children worst than adults
Thomas, William (2004, para. 5),in his article describe that Dr Gerald Hyland says he is �extremely disturbed� by the new findings released in Marbella, Spain by the Spanish Neuro Diagnostic Research Institute.
Image Copyright � 2004. Dramatic picture how the waves deep the brain. Used with Permission
Ziegler(2004, para. 9) describe how the waves deep the brain:
"The results show that children's brains are affected for long periods even after very short-term use, this mobile phone adviser to the British government explained. Their brain wave patterns are abnormal and stay like that for a long period. This could affect their mood and ability to learn in the classroom if they have been using a phone during break time, for instance.�
Relevants research about cell phones and health hazards.
In 1993, the wireless industry association (CTIA) hired Dr. George Carlo, an epidemiologist to manage a six year, $28 million dollar research program into cell phone-cancer research. This study found genetic damage from wireless phone radiation. Dr. Carlo has written a book �Cell Phones: Invisible Hazards in the Wireless Age,� which blames the wireless industry, federal regulators and Congress for not following up on new studies showing DNA damage and other health hazards from wireless telephone use. However, the wireless industry maintains that wireless phones do not pose a health risk.
An article that appears in the January 2001 issue of Epidemiology reports that the risk of eye cancer from radio frequency radiation experienced in mobile phone use. An earlier study found that the eye socket in a normal adult is a resonant cavity for cellular frequencies, that is, the radio wave does not pass through the skull but instead bounces back and forth within the eye socket.
UK Scientists found the first evidence of a link between cell phone use and brain cancer. The study found that spending more than an hour a day on a cellular phone increased the risk of a type of tumor known as a acoustic neuroma by 30 percent.
Current survey about the Topic.
In a recent survey of 35 people, 65% female and 35% male (Gazani, 2004), the results show that close to 70% of respondents, accept that cell phones have hazards. The 30% believe that the greatest hazard of cell phones is health damages, and the other 35% feel that car accidents pose the greatest problem. The 25% accept that both are the greatest hazard. Also, according to the results, if the damage for use cell phones is confirmed, 35% think that the damage must be paid by the companies and the goverment. This amount represent about 42 million people, but the 40% are agree to accept the cost theirself. It is almost the same percent of people who are aggre to take health insurance for using cell phone. The 77% of them are agree that kids under 10 years can not use cell phone. These results, show that people are concious that radiation affects kids more. If the damages of using cell phones are confirmed, according to the results, cell phones companies will lose 12% their customer. However, 77% of them are waiting that the goverment push to found other alternatives by research.
In a recent interview (Chia Ling, 2004), a university student explain how much she knows about the hazards of using cell phone click HERE to listen to the interview recorded in mp3 112Kbs. From this interview, Chia Ling emphaced that in Taiwan Kids are strongly exposed to cell phones radiations, and she suggests that the goverment need to push laws and support researchs to protect people.
Conclusion
There is scientific disagreement about the effect of cell phone radiation on human health. The cell phones companies are requiere to prove that the radiation is not a hazard for the human health.
There is enough evidence at this point in time that the goverment, companies, and consumers should consider precautionary measures.
There is necessary to restrict to kids the use of cell phones until any evidence of risk must to be clear.
Impulse seriously more researchis necessary to define this controversial concern.
References
:
Carlo, G. & Schram, M. (2001).Cell Phones Invisible Hazards in the Wireless Age. New York: Carroll& Graf Publisher.
Chia Ling (2004) Personal interview, Salt Lake City, Utah
Gazani, C (2004). Cell phone hazard Survey by Online. Retrieved December 04, 2004, from World Wide Web: http://www.createsurvey.com/cgi-bin/account/stats?s=21776.
Food and Drug Administration. Consumer Update on Mobile Phones. Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), U.S. Retrieved:11/26/99, from the World Wide Web: www.fda.gov/cdrh/ocd/mobilphone.html .
Greenlee RT & Hill-Harmon MB.,& Murray T. & Thun M. & Clint J.(2001, 51:15-36).Cancer statistics.USA
Inskip PD & Tarone RE & Hatch EE.(2001, 344:79-86 ). Cellular telephone use and brain tumors. N Engl J Med.
Federal Communications Commission.News release: Safety guidelines for hand-held cellular telephones.Retrieved: 1999, from the World Wide Web:http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Wireless/News_Releases/1999/nrwl9044.html
Preston-Martin S & Mack WJ. (1996, p. 1231-1281).Neoplasms of the nervous system. In: Schottenfeld D and Fraumeni JF, eds. Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention. New York: Oxford.
Rothman KJ. & Chou CK. & Morgan R.( 1996, 7:291-298) Assessment of cellular telephone and other radio frequency exposure for epidemiologic research. Epidemiologybr>
Thomas, W. Cell phones hurt children even worst than adults.Retrieved 12/7/2004, from the World Wide Web: http://www.willthomas.net/Convergence/Weekly/Cell_Phone_Health_Children.htm
Worthington, A. Cell phone Risks. Retrieved: 01/20/03, from the World Wide Web:http://www.laleva.cc/environment/cellphones_risk.html
Ziegler,R.C.Cellular, Cordless and Mobile Phones Radiate Damaging Electromagnetic Fields Around Your Face and Head, Making You Vulnerable to: Brain Tumors, Genetic Damage and Brain and Oral Cancers.Retrieved October 16, 2004, from the World Wide Web:http://phonecells.8m.com/).
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First created: October 29, 2004 / Last updated: November 3, 2004