An international working group of scientists, researchers and
public health policy professionals (The BioInitiative Working Group)
has released its report on electromagnetic fields (EMF) and health. It
raises serious questions about the safety of existing public limits
that regulate how much EMF is allowable from power lines, cell phones,
and many other sources of EMF exposure in daily life.
Brain tumor specialist Dr. Lennart Hardell, MD, PhD and Professor
at University Hospital in Orebro, Sweden is a member of the
BioInitiative Working Group. His work on cell phones, cordless phones
and brain tumors is widely recognized to be pivotal in the debate
about the safety of wireless radiofrequency and microwave radiation.
"The evidence for risks from prolonged cell phone and cordless phone
use is quite strong when you look at people who have used these
devices for 10 years or longer, and when they are used mainly on one
side of the head."
Brain tumors normally take a long time to develop, on the order of
15 to 20 years. Use of a cell or cordless phone is linked to brain
tumors and acoustic neuromas (tumor of the auditory nerve in the
brain) and are showing up after only 10 years (a shorter time period
than for most other known carcinogens). "This indicates we need
research on more long-term users to understand the full risks," says
Dr. Hardell.
Dr. Hardell's work has been confirmed in other studies on
long-term users. A summary estimate of all studies on brain tumors
shows overall a 20% increased risk of brain tumor (malignant glioma)
with ten years of use. But the risk increases to 200% (a doubling of
risk) for tumors on the same side of the brain as mainly used during
cell phone calls. "Recent studies that do not report increased risk of
brain tumors and acoustic neuromas have not looked at heavy users, use
over ten years or longer, and do not look at the part of the brain
which would reasonably have exposure to produce a tumor."
The BioInitiative Report recommends new, biologically-based
exposure standards. It is available at www.bioinitiative.org
