The second volume of a report that detailed the “history of technologies later found to be harmful”, has sparked discussion over the possibility that mobile phones have cancer-causing radiation.
The European Environment Agency’s Late Lessons From Early Warnings was first published in 2001. The 750-page second edition, published in January, discusses an increased risk of some brain tumors associated with long-term mobile phone use.
The report also alleges that governments and the mobile phone industry have been slow to respond to the potential problems.
In 2011, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer called cellular device radiation “possibly carcinogenic”, or cancer causing. It is believed that the electromagnetic radiation (EMR) emitted by these devices may harm brain cells, upsetting sleep patterns and cause migraines, memory problems and even brain tumors.
Recently, RF Safe, a globally known company for EMF safety, began selling cases for mobile devices that are said to protect users from EMR exposure. Custom shielded by RF Safe, a US-based company, the RF Safe Flip cases feature ultra-light weight silver plated microwave shielding fabric adding to the case’s flip which covers the entire surface area of the phone that’s facing a cell phone user under normal usage conditions.
There are many gadgets sold that claim to protect users from cell phone radiation, however RF Safe makes the only cell phone case in the world that uses proven medical grade shielding fabric to create a barrier that phone radiation cannot penetrate between the user and cell phone.
RF Safe’s shielding fabric is tested between 10MHz~3GHz and said to deflect microwaves – both cellular (such as 3G and 4g) and Wi-fi – back towards the device, away from the users head or body.
RF Safe Flip cases can be made for a wide range of Smartphone’s and other wireless devices. RF Safe claims it is important to reduce ones exposure to cell phone radiation below that of SAR limits set by the US Federal Communications Commission 17 years ago.
Many studies have been conducted on the short- and long-term effects of mobile phone radiation. One by Yale School of Medicine, published last year in Scientific Reports, found that in tests on mice, exposure to EMR during pregnancy affected the brain development of offspring, possibly leading to hyperactivity.
Another study, published in 2011 in JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association, found that 50 minutes of cell phone use was associated with increased brain glucose metabolism (a marker of brain activity) in the region closest to the phone antenna.
In fact, despite the studies showing potential health risk, Governments have yet to come forward with a causal link between mobile device usage and cancer. Still, many experts agree that “it is better to be RF safe, than sorry”.
John Coates, a specialist in cell phone radiation safety with over 15 yrs experience reducing cell phone radiation exposure and founder of RFSAFE.COM, says the risk of mobile phone EMR must not be dismissed. “Mobile phones cannot be completely avoided, and the risk of use has to be balanced against practical realities with phone radiation safety accessories,” he says. “I would advise against … prolonged use of mobile phones without proper RF safe protection.”
Coates cites the important and extensive Interphone study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology in 2010, which investigated the possible carcinogenic effects of mobile phone radiation. About 5,000 patients with brain cancer were interviewed about their mobile phone usage. The conclusion was, Heavy users (an average of 30 minutes daily for 10 years) had an increased risk of such brain tumors of 10 per cent to 40 per cent more than people in general. However, this result was also inconclusive, since there was a high risk of recall bias and errors.
“It is mainly because of this study that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization – classified mobile phone electromagnetic radiation as potentially cancer causing, in which the risk is credible, but errors cannot be ruled out,” says Coates.
What is definitely known of mobile devices is that they generate microwave energy. Radiation from phones is similar to that created by microwave ovens “non-ionizing”, as opposed to the type of radiation from x-rays “ionizing”.
“EMR has a very wide spectrum, ranging from low-frequency radio waves to high frequency gamma radiation,” Coates says. “Human toxicity of radiation depends not only on power, but frequency as well. High-frequency ionizing radiation, such as gamma or X-rays, can damage DNA molecules and cause direct DNA damage, and low-frequency radiation such as radio waves is non-ionizing which was first recognized as having the potential of a Microwave effect in a paper published January 20, 2001 Penn State University, DNA And The Microwave Effect https://www.rfsafe.com/dna-and-the-microwave-effect/.
Mobile phone EMR is non-ionizing radiation, still powerful enough to heat body issue the same way a microwave oven cooks food, but what is important to understand is that profound changes to biological processes happen at below thermal levels of exposure.
The official stance is that mobile phone use is potentially toxic, but there is no direct or adequate evidence to say at what levels phones are unsafe. People worry about tumors along the auditory nerves and other brain tumors, and these cellular devices have only been around for 15 years, so it is still too early to reach any conclusion on how safe or unsafe they really are scientifically speaking, however many people are coming forward claiming their cell phone are responsible for their cancer. As seen when wireless safety activist confronted the FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler Jan 2014 in Silicon Valley (video) https://www.rfsafe.com/fcc-chairman-tom-wheeler-confronted-cell-phone-radiation-silicon-valley/.
It is also hard to say whether certain types of mobile phones are more dangerous than others simply because we can’t rule out even phones considered safe today as being labeled as dangerous in the future. Some do have higher energy emissions, so it’s best to consult the manufacturer’s specifications for the lowest SAR cell phones. A list of cell phones that emit the lowest amount of radiation can be found on RF Safe website here https://www.rfsafe.com/lowest-radiation-cell-phones-sold-usa/.
There are many anti-radiation mobile phone products out there. According to RF Safe, what makes their case different is that it deflects radiation away from the user, rather than absorbing radiation. RF Safe makes the only shielded cell phone case that covers the entire front of the cell phone facing the user. This also makes no difference in radiation available for communication, resulting in radiation protection with great signal strength without affecting battery life.
The company says other products that claim to reduce radiation exposure by using gadgets for absorbing or neutralizing mobile phone radiation either aren’t effective or can actually increase exposure. Such products tend to weaken the signal, thus forcing the wireless device to work harder and expose users to more radiation because of increased output power.
Limiting mobile phone use is another way to minimize exposure to EMR. Coates suggests using a land-line phone or hands-free accessories (Air-tube Headset) with an air-tube rather than wire going to the ear buds, or just putting your calls on speaker. Take note: Bluetooth headsets are still a source of microwave radiation.
RF Safe’s Founder offers other precautionary tips. One is to keep your mobile phone away from your body as much as possible. When the phone does have to be held near the body – always make sure there is microwave shielding between the user and device. Avoid placing it under the pillow or on a bedside table when you go to sleep. If using the alarm function, switch to flight mode to stop the electromagnetic emissions while sleeping. And if carrying the phone in a pocket, position the screen towards the body preferably using an RF Safe shielded flip case, as the antenna is located towards the back of the phone.
He also suggests that when talking on the phone, if not using an Air-tube headset, wait until a call has been connected before placing your phone to your ear, because it emits the most radiation during the initial connection. RF Safe shielded cell phone flip cases allow users to talk with the shielded flip cover between the phone and user to provide the best protection from cell phone radiation.
Learn more about important cell phone radiation safety accessories for Smartphone’s at http://www.rfsafe.com.
About Radio Frequency Safe – RFSAFE.COM
RF SAFE is the world’s premier provider of cell phone radiation protection accessories and informational data. Since 1998 RF (Radio Frequency) Safe has been dedicated to evolving the wireless industries safety standards, by engaging in the business of design, testing, manufacture, and sale of safety technologies to mitigate harmful effects of cell phone radiation.
