Mobile phone use and risk of glioma in adults: case-control study (PDF 94Kb)
New Research from Professor Olle Johansson (PDF 17Kb)
The Trust met with Professor Johansson at Westminster on 28th November 2007 when he advised of the need to direct the focus of the HPA WIFI research programme away from spectrum analysis to studying the effects (50 WIFI in schools) on pupil users and staff.
News from Dr Gerd Oberfeld (PDF 22Kb)
Breast Cancer in Women (PDF 27Kb)
Austrian doctors’ Yellow Poster Campaign (PDF 16Kb)
Dutch NGOs urge Europe to install cell phone antennas far away (PDF 77Kb)
Latest Wishaw Papers (PDF 77Kb)
Andy Davidson – EMR Epilepsy Paper
15/08/05 “Vienna Doctor’s Chamber warns of excessive mobile phone use by children”
3/6/05 “Pylons may be a Leukaemia Risk” – Oxford University
British Medical Journal study did not look at levels of exposure to magnetic fields but research suggested that children who had lived within 200 metres of high voltage lines at birth had a 70% higher risk of Leukaemia than those 600 metres or more away.
But the University also stressed;
- The results could be by chance or
- Could be caused by the environment
16/5 & 20/5/05 Julich Research Institute – T- Mobile Study
The T-Mobile sponsored study concluded that the radiation from mobile phones affects the electrical nervous system, brain functions and damages DNA but may not in fact be harmful to one’s health. It did suggest a need for further research.
Experts confirm effects of mobile telephone radiation
Young and healthy adults have no problem – other groups could be at risk
The radiation of wireless communication indeed has effects on the central nervous system, influences the functioning of the brain and causes damage to DNA. That is confirmed by 25 experts who studied the relevant scientific literature of 2000 to 2004. The investigation was done by the working group ‘Mensch Umwelt Technik’ (MUT) of the Jülich research institute in Jülich, Germany. The results were presented to the public on May 9th, 2005. The experts guess that the effects on the central nervous system can not cause health problems, though this opinion has no scientific base. The influence on the brain results in shortened or prolonged reaction times and less or more mistakes, depending on the parameters of the radiation. The experts think the damage to DNA is not a problem, since it would not lead to cell damage.
T-Mobile
The investigation was ordered and paid by T-Mobile, a provider of mobile communications. The experts only studied scientific reports and did not pay attention to the many experiences of people suffering from health effects of modern radiofrequent radiation. The complaints of these people however fit in perfectly with the effects on the central nervous system, increased neuronal activity and influence on the functioning of the brain. The damage to DNA moreover fits in well with the results of epidemiologic investigations, finding an increased risk of cancer in the neighbourhood of antenna towers. The experts however state that the results of epidemiologic investigations are not consistent and more research is needed. In the meantime they advise to keep mobile calls short and not to use a mobile phone in a moving car without outside antenna nor at a far distance from the antenna tower.
Risk groups
Young and healthy people are not at risk, say the experts. However, the radiation of mobile communication systems (probably combined with other factors) could be harmful to other groups, like children, elderly or sick people, babies and pregnant women. Probably the pulse-modulated radiation is most effectful on the central nervous system and brain. The working mechanism is non-thermal and not yet understood. Pulse-modulation is used by e.g. GSM, UMTS, DECT, WLAN, WIFI, TETRA and many other wireless systems. The experts say headaches and problems with concentration and remembrance could be related to the radiation of mobile phone systems, but according to the literature the other complaints probably are not. Having studied the scientific literature, they doubt if electrohypersensitivity (EHS) exists, but they emphasize that the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
No consensus
The experts studied the permeability of the ‘blood brain barrier’, the risk of cancer, the damage to DNA, the effects on the brain and central nervous system and the disturbance of well-being. About the permeability of the ‘blood brain barrier’ there is no consensus. The experts think the ‘blood brain barrier’ could fail under stress or thermal conditions, but without relevance to health. There is no consensus about the damage to DNA neither. However, the experts think this can not be relevant biologically and to health, since the literature does not mention cell damage as a consequence. Laboratory tests with animals do not show an increase of cancer. Nevertheless the experts say there could be an increased risk of cancer in humans in the long term. They advise to be on the safe side and keep mobile phone calls short.
20/5/05 Research by Professor Lennart Hardell of University Hospital in Orebro, Sweden
After looking at 1,400 cases of adults with brain tumours concluded that those from rural areas with over 3 years usage were 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with a brain tumour that those in the city. This risk went up to 4 times after 5 years.
The Trust met with Professor Hardell on 28th November 2007 at Westminster to discuss how their Swedish research model programme ‘might’ influence research in the UK.
May 2005 Research in Austria – by Gerd Oberfeld & others, Salzburg
The radiation from a cell phone base station 80 metres away causes significant changes of the electrical current in the brains of a sample of 12 electro sensitive people aged between 20 and 78. All felt unwell. The body suffering such long term stress with a consequent reduction in the quality of life, capacity to work and state of health.
According to Gerd Oberfeld and the team this is the first time actual proof of the significant changes of electrical currents in the subjects’ brains where the cell phone base station is at a distance of 80 metres.
The Trust met with Dr Oberfeld at Westminster on 28th November 2007 to discuss research into Cancer Clusters around masts.
29/04/05 More research to confirm masts and sleep disturbances
Medical News Today
“We have found that people who are very electrosensitive in the evening, do not sleep well in the night”. Prof. dr. Norbert Leitgeb of the Technical University of Graz in Austria told it to a journalist of the Grazer Woche. “This could indicate, that mobile phone masts and other sources of radiofrequent radiation indeed have a negative influence on the well being of many persons.”
His saying refers just to the result of a pilotstudy, meant to verify the design of a larger investigation to come. Nevertheless the result is spectacular, Leitgeb confirms. Of nine test persons the more electrosensitive appeared to sleep much better when protected from radiofrequent radiation. Leitgeb does not find this is proof yet. The upcoming research has to confirm the relationship between sleeping quality, electrosensitivity (50 Hz) and the load of radiofrequent radiation by GSM masts, DECT wireless telephones, WLAN wireless networks and other sources. The research will not take place in a laboratory, though at home with twenty people throughout Austria. Results are expected in the beginning of 2006.
Causal relationship
In an article in the magazine Bioelectromagnetics Leitgeb describes the existence of electrosensitivity. It is proven that some persons have a heightened sensitivity for electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields. “Though there has not been established a causal relationship yet, the symptoms of some persons are thus severe, that they leave their homes and jobs and try to find release in an environment with less ‘electromagnetic pollution’. These persons have a serious problem and need to get help. To find proof of a causal relationship is not just a scientific interest, but the problem also has a socio-economic aspect”, says Leitgeb.
UMTS mobile phone masts
In The Netherlands there is a growing stir about the placement of UMTS mobile phone masts. Also the GSM mobile phone masts, DECT wireless telephones and WLAN wireless networks are suspect of causing ‘radiofrequent radiation sickness’. A symptom is the heightened electrosensitivity to low frequency electric and magnetic fields (50 Hz), but the sickness also would have other symptoms like sleeping disturbances, palpitations of the heart, high blood pressure, tinglings, concentration and remembrance distortions, dizziness, burning skin, tinnitus, eye problems, lack of energy and many more. In The Netherlands a study by TNO confirmed the correlation of cognitive functional deviations and the radiation of GSM and UMTS. Moreover, the radiation of UMTS appeared to cause tinglings and dizziness.
Sources:
- Grazer Woche, ‘Studie: Handymast stört Schlaf’ by Dieter Demmelmair
- Elektrosmognews of 18 Jan. 2005
- IZGMF Meldungen ‘Epros Schlafstudie zwischen Sensation und Dementi’, 21 Jan. 2005
- Answers by N. Leitgeb to questions by Frans van Velden, e-mail, 21 Jan. 2005
- Electrosensibility and Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity, Bioelectromagnetics 24:387-394 (2003) Author: Frans van Velden
5/4/05 New UK Government Research to be carried out
The research must surely address the issues of multi-masts emissions, their cumulative effects including directions and disclosure. See 7 Pillars of Wisdom (PDF 133Kb).
The Government says to originally adopt ‘the precautionary principle’.
So people are concerned – what is the government’s official line?
At the request of the Minister for Public Health an independent committee, under the chairmanship of Sir William Stewart, was set up to report on Mobile Phones and Health. The report, published in May 2000, was the most comprehensive in the world and concluded that:
- The balance of evidence to date suggests that exposures to emissions of radiation from mobile phones, at levels below NRPB and ICNIRP guidelines do not cause adverse health effects to the general population.
- There is now scientific evidence however which suggests that there may be biological effects occurring at exposures below these guidelines.
- The balance of evidence indicates that there is no general risk to the health of people living near to base stations on the basis that exposures are expected to be small fractions of guidelines. However, there can be adverse effects on well-being in some cases.
- A precautionary approach to the use of mobile phone technologies should be adopted until much more detailed and scientifically robust information on any health effects becomes available.
The UK has in excess of 20,000 (now over 40,000) base stations, which are used to provide coverage for the 40 million (now 60 million) mobile phones currently in use. With continual improvements and extensions to mobile phone services, this number looks set to increase in the future.
Nearly Half of Frequent Users of Mobile Phone Fear Health Risks
Almost half of people who use mobile phones daily are concerned about health risks from electromagnetic radiation.
Almost one in two (43%) people who use mobile phones daily are particularly concerned about potential health risks from electromagnetic radiation. Over one in three (37%) less frequent users of mobile phones are similarly concerned.
Greatest concern is shown by younger users, with a slight bias towards men and people living in the south of England.
46% of people use their phone daily, and it is this group which shows the greatest concern about health risks. Mobile phone users are more likely to be male, ABC1s, full time workers, PC users and to have higher incomes – a very similar profile to those who are concerned about the potential health risks of mobile phones.
62% of all mobile phone users expressed interest in obtaining a product which might reduce potential health risks, rising to 71% of those using their phones daily. Eight in ten of those who are particularly concerned about health risks are interested in purchasing such a device
Now Stewart II is restating the precautionary principle more forcefully.