© Oxford University Press 2011 IP1.28.4 Are mobile phones dangerous? Are mobile phones dangerous?

© Oxford University Press 2011

IP1.28.4 Are mobile phones dangerous?

Are mobile phones dangerous?



Here is the evidence and safety advice from an article in the Times from 12 January 2005.

Evidence A ten-year study in Sweden has

suggested that heavy mobile phone users are more prone to non-malignant tumours in the ear and brain.

A Dutch study has suggested changes in cognitive function.

A German study has hinted at an increase in cancer around base stations.

A project supported by the EU has shown evidence of cell damage from fields typical of those of mobile phones.

Safety advice Children under the age of eight

should not use mobiles phones. One British mobile phone

manufacturer suspended a model aimed at eight-year-olds.

David hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, called for a ban on mobiles in schools.

One school in the North East has begun using mobile scanners to prevent pupils using mobiles in class.



Here is the evidence and safety advice from an article in the Daily Telegraph, from 8th October, 2007.

Evidence People who have used mobile phones for

a decade are twice as likely to be diagnosed with a tumour on a nerve connecting the ear to the brain, according to a group of scientists who have surveyed the results off 11 different studies.

The danger may be be even greater than the study suggests because 10 years is the minimum period needed for cancers to develop.

More research has been called for, into a possible link between mobile phones and Alzheimer’s disease.

Safety advice Children should not be

allowed to use mobile phones because their thinner skulls and developing nervous system make them particularly vulnerable.

Swedish scientists want a revision of the emissions standard for mobiles, which they describe as inappropriate and ‘not safe’.



Here is the evidence and safety advice from an article in The Independent, from 30th March 2008.

Evidence Mobile phones could kill

far more people than smoking or asbestos, a study by an award-winning cancer expert has concluded.

It draws on growing evidence that using handsets for 10 years or more can double the risk of brain cancer.

Safety advice A cancer expect says people should avoid

using mobile phones wherever possible and that governments and the phone industry must take ‘immediate steps’ to reduce exposure to their radiation.

The French government has warned against the use of mobile phones. Germany also advises its people to minimise handset use, and the European Environment Agency has called for exposure to be reduced.



Here is the evidence and safety advice from an article in the Daily Mail, from 19th May 2008.

Evidence A study of more than 13 000 women found that those

who used phones while pregnant were 54 per cent more likely to report behavioural problems in their children.

Children whose mothers had used mobile phones whilst pregnant and also used mobile phones themselves before the age of seven were 80 per cent more likely to suffer behavioural problems.

The risks increased with amount of mobile phone use and potential radiation.

The authors of the study warned that another explanation could be that mothers who were frequently on the phone spent less time with their babies, which may have lead to behavioural problems.

Safety advice The UK’s

Health Protection Agency highlighted the need for caution over mobiles.

The agency has also warned against ‘excessive’ use of mobile phones by children.

Documents

© Oxford University Press 2011 IP1.28.4 Are mobile phones dangerous? Are mobile phones dangerous?