Cellphones and Health by Dr. Joel Moskowitz
In the last issue we explored the potential
hazards of electromagnetic radiation from iPad use. We learned about warnings
from the European parliaments and doctors' associations in various countries,
and discussed the differences between pulsed digital wireless signals and
continuous analogue radio waves. This time we are pleased to invite Dr. Joel
Moskowitz to share his research findings regarding the health effects of
cellphones.
I started studying the effects of cellphone
radiation when Dr. Seung-Kwon Myung, a physician and epidemiologist from the
National Cancer Center of South Korea, spent a year working in my center at UC
Berkeley. He specializes in meta-analysis, a method by which data are combined
across studies to generate more robust conclusions.
My colleagues and I reviewed research that
examined the association between cellphone use and tumor risk. When we grouped
the 23 studies based upon quality of the research, we found strong group
differences. In the 13 studies which failed to meet scientific best practices,
we found what appeared to be reduced tumor risk. The 10 higher-quality studies
found a harmful association between cellphone use and tumor risk. Also, the
higher quality studies had no funding from the cellular industry whereas the
lower quality studies had at least partial industry funding.
Since our study was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in 2009, I
have reviewed hundreds of cellphone radiation studies. There is evidence that
cellphone radiation may damage sperm and increase male infertility, increase
risk of reproductive health problems, increase brain glucose metabolism, and
alter EEG readings.
Many individuals have reported developing a
sensitivity to cellphone radiation and other forms of radiofrequency
energy. They experience various allergic symptoms which may include
ringing in their ears, headaches, dizziness, an irregular heartbeat, and memory
and sleep problems. This condition, known as electromagnetic hypersensitivity,
is considered a functional impairment in Sweden. The incidence of this
condition, which is not easily diagnosed, appears to be increasing in many
countries with the proliferation of “electrosmog.”
We need more research on the short-term and long
term risks; risks to children and adolescents who are more vulnerable;
reproductive health risks, and risks of newer technologies. We need to better
understand the mechanisms that contribute to health effects and how to reduce
the risks. Many scientists believe that there are mechanisms other than “heat”
at work. Currently, the regulations adopted by most governments, including
Canada and the U.S., only address the heating effect produced by cellphone
radiation. They completely ignore biologic reactivity.
Cellphone and Brain Tumour Risk
It's premature to estimate long-term tumor
risk because tumors can take several decades to develop. A few studies suggest
that the risk of glioma, a serious and often deadly brain tumor, doubles after
10 years of cellphone use. This could amount to an additional 10,000 cases per
year in the U.S.
Many people have come to rely on their
cellphones over land lines, and many children start using cellphones at a young
age, so we may see increased risk in the future. On the other hand, changes in
the pattern of use (e.g. hands-free, texting) can reduce health risks. Also,
technology is changing; yet we don't know if newer technologies are safer or
more harmful. It is difficult for scientific research about long-term effects
to keep up with the speed at which companies bring forth new consumer
radiofrequency microwave devices. This behooves us to practice precaution.
Cellphone Radiation Damages Sperm
On June 28, 2012, the Environmental Working
Group (EWG) reported: “EWG scientists have analyzed 10 scientific studies
documenting evidence that cellphone radiation exposure leads to slower, fewer
and shorter-lived sperm. The research raises concerns for men who carry their
phones on their belts or in pants pockets. This conclusion is supported by a
review paper recently published in the Journal
of Andrology:
“The results showed that human spermatozoa exposed to RF-EMR (radio
frequency electromagnetic radiation) have decreased motility, morphometric
abnormalities, and increased oxidative stress, whereas men using mobile phones
have decreased sperm concentration, decreased motility (particularly rapid
progressive motility), normal morphology, and decreased viability. These
abnormalities seem to be directly related to the duration of mobile phone use.” (La Vignera et al, 2012).
Infertility has become a mounting problem in
America and Canada. According to Statistics Canada, infertility in Canada has almost doubled between 1992 and 2010,
not just among couples who got married older, but also among younger
couples in their 20's.
Cellphone Radiation, Pregnancy and Children
The latest, peer-reviewed science finds
prenatal cellphone radiation exposure damages test mammals' offspring. Several
new, independent studies confirm previous research that pulsed digital signals
from cellphones disrupt DNA, impair brain function, and damage sperm.
Many studies have found that exposure to
low-intensity cellphone radiation can open the blood-brain barrier. This can
enable toxins in the blood to penetrate the brain.
A recent study found that children who used cellphones were more likely to
exhibit ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity) symptoms than children who did
not use them, but this effect was observed only among children who used
cellphones who had slightly elevated lead levels in their blood. Moreover, in
the children with some lead in their blood, the more they used their
cellphones, the more likely they had ADHD symptoms.
On December 12, 2012, the American Academy of
Pediatrics sent a letter to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
requesting reassessment of cellphone exposure limits:
“Children are disproportionately
affected...The differences in bone density and the amount of fluid in a child’s
brain compared to an adult’s brain could allow children to absorb greater
quantities of RF (radiofrequency) energy deeper into their brains than adults.
It is essential that any new standards for cellphones or other wireless devices
be based on protecting the youngest and most vulnerable populations to ensure
they are safeguarded through their lifetimes.”
The U.S. Government Accountability Office
(GAO) issued a report last summer calling on the FCC to update cellphone
exposure limits and testing requirements. The report noted that the testing
requirements are inadequate as cellphones are being used closer to the head and
body than the test requires. Thus, actual users' exposure to cellphone
radiation may exceed the legal limit.
Are all Cellphones Equal with regards to
Radiation?
The amount of cellphone radiation your phone emits depends
on various factors, including your location and distance from cell towers. Some
cellphones generate as much as eight times more radiation than others. A
measurement, called the SAR (Specific Absorption Rate), is available on the
internet for every cellphone, but this measures the maximum amount of radiation
emitted, not the typical amount. You can't find out how much radiation a phone
generates during average daily use, which may be more important in terms of
cumulative health risk. Some low SAR phones may generate more radiation on
average than high SAR phones.
Your cellphone carrier also matters. One study
shows that GSM phones
can emit 28 times more radiation on average than CDMA phones. Another study shows GSM affects EEG readings more than
CDMA. Your cellphone carrier determines which type of phone you have. In the
U.S., people can choose to use a CDMA phone by selecting Verizon or Sprint;
however, in Canada all carriers use GSM phones. Soon voice calls will use 4G
technology, that is LTE, instead of GSM or CDMA. More comparative studies
on different carrier standards are needed, especially the newer standards.
Recommendations on Cellphone Usage
Although further research is needed, we cannot afford to
wait for conclusive evidence. There are more than 300 million cellphones in use
in the U.S. Two-thirds of children eight and older use them. The government's
regulations are outmoded and need to be revised. About a dozen nations have
issued precautionary health warnings. It is time to publicize practical ways in
which people can minimize their personal health risk. In addition, I have
recommended an annual assessment of $1 on each cellphone. In the U.S., this
would generate $300 million annually for vitally needed research and education.
Here are some practical steps which cellphone users can
easily adopt:
- Keep your cellphone away from your body. Don't keep the phone
near your head or reproductive organs whenever it is turned on. Don’t
sleep with the phone near your bed. The
amount of radiation is related to the square of the distance, so keeping
your phone 10 inches away reduces your exposure 100-fold compared to an
inch.
- Use a corded headset or other hands-free method such as a
speakerphone or text. Keep your calls short.
- Minimize cellphone use among children, teens, and pregnant
women. A child’s brain absorbs twice as much radiation as an adult brain.
- Don’t
use your phone when the signal is weak, for example, on an elevator or in
a moving vehicle, as the phone is designed to increase its signal strength
to compensate.
- When carrying a cellphone in your pocket: Keep the cellphone
turned off, or deactivate its signals (i.e. keep it on airplane mode, plus
turn off the WiFi and Bluetooth functions). Turn it on or activate it
periodically to check for messages, or check for messages from a land
line. The cellphone is designed to send signals to cell towers regularly
to identify its location, whenever it's turned on. The WiFi antenna in a
smartphone sends beacon signals continually if it's not turned off.
- Demand that the government revise regulations, fund
research, and issue precautionary health recommendations.
Dr. Joel Moskowitz is on the research faculty at
the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health. He has
conducted research on chronic disease prevention and health promotion for more
than 30 years, has authored dozens of peer-reviewed health publications, and is
Director of UC Berkeley's Center for Family and Community Health.
For the online version of this magazine article including interesting graphics, see pages 8-9 of the
Sept./Oct. issue of TheGreenGazette: http://bit.ly/18RXE7x
Dr. Joel Moskowitz:
Cellphone Radiation and Health
References and Further
Reading
Myung SK, Ju W, McDonnell DD, Lee YJ, Kazinets G, Cheng CT,
Moskowitz JM, Mobile phone use and risk of tumors: a meta-analysis, J Clin Oncol. 2009 Nov x20;27(33):5565-72. doi:
10.1200/JCO.2008.21.6366. Epub 2009 Oct 13. http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/27/33/5565
Süleyman Kaplan, MD
Slides: Effects of prenatal and adult EMF exposure on brain development
Nesrin Seyhan, PhD
Slides: Gazi non-ionizing radiation
protection center and Gazi biophysics department
The effect of
radiofrequency radiation on DNA and lipid damage in female and male infant
rabbits. Guler, et al
Devra Davis, PhD, MPH
Slides: Cellphone toxicology, exposure
assessment and epidemiology--an update
Slides: Expert forum: Cellphone
radiation risk to prenancy and sperm
Cellphone safety: The
right to know about gray matters, Devra Davis
Doctors' advice to
patients and their families: Cellphones and Health: Simple precautions make
sense, Environmental Health Trust
Igor Belyaev, PhD
Microwaves from mobile
phones inhibit 53BP1 focus formation in human stem cells more strongly than in
differentiated cells: Possible mechanistic link to cancer risk. Markova, et al
EHHI report: The
cellphone problem, February 2012
EHHI cellphone
report summary
Ronald Herberman, MD
Slides: Cellphone radiation risks--the
case for precaution
Exposure limits: The
underestimation of absorbed cellphone radiation, especially in children.
Gandhi, et al
Dr. De-Kun Li, MD, PhD
Senior Research Scientist, Division of Research,
Kaiser Foundation Research Institute; Lecturer, Stanford University
A prospective study of
in-utero exposure to magnetic fields and the risk of childhood obesity. Li, et
al
Infertility rates rising for
Canadian couples
BlackBerry: Keep Our Phones Away From
Your Body
Environmental Working Group. Cellphone
Radiation Damages Sperm, Studies Show. Jun 28, 2012
La Vignera et al. Effects of the
exposure to mobile phones on male reproduction: a review of the
literature. Journal of Andrology. 2012 May/June: 33(3):350-356.
CNET Report: Cellphone use could
reduce sperm count
Dong Ngo,
August 18, 2011 (This
article was reprinted on 105 news web sites in China, Indonesia, Romania,
Taiwan, United Kingdom, and Vietnam.)
