Cell Phones! Serious Health Risk? or Harmless? Why do you feel how you do & how do you back it up?

With new technologies being introduced to the public every day, how do we know that they are safe?

Dr. George Carlo, in his capacity as director of Wireless Technology Research wrote a letter to the CEO of AT&T which has serious legal implications for mobile phone manufacturers who have claimed that there is no evidence for adverse health effects from mobile phone use. With the letter widely circulated in the industry, making that claim now could possibly expose them to litigation in much the same way as what happened to the tobacco industry, where it was shown that industry assurances of no evidence of hazards from smoking was a complete fabrication.”
Quoting from “Dr. George Carlo’s letter to Mr. C. Michael Armstrong, Chairman of AT&T Corporation the potential risks were presented:
* The rate of death from brain cancer among handheld phone users was higher than the rate of brain cancer death among those who used non-handheld phones that were away from their head;

* The risk of acoustic neuroma, a benign tumor of the auditory nerve that is well in the range of the radiation coming from a phone’s antenna, was fifty percent higher in people who reported using cell phones for six years or more, moreover, that relationship between the amount of cell phone use and this tumor appeared to follow a dose-response curve;

* The risk of rare neuro epithelial tumors on the outside of the brain was more than doubled, a statistically significant risk increase, in cell phone users as compared to people who did not use cell phones;

* There appeared to be some correlation between brain tumors occurring on the right side of the head and the use of the phone on the right side of the head;

* Laboratory studies looking at the ability of radiation from a phone’s antenna to cause functional genetic damage were definitely positive, and were following a dose-response relationship.

Do you know enough to feel safe?
Panda: I don’t see where the Doctor even mentioned Cancer in that segment? He stated that it was benign, I’m fairly certain that a Doctor would know what benign means. Maybe they don’t cause cancer and only cause tumors and or brain trauma (that sounds like something we’d all want to have.). Why report something that isn’t true? Especially for the sake of unbiased scientific studies.

Answer by Panda
Yes. I feel safe relatively safe. To begin with acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor that is NOT CANCER . . so, right there you begin to wonder how much Carlos really knows. I have read his letters before and they are not based on science but on political hysteria and supposition. I am unsure what his motivation may be or why he would lend his support using such bad scientific evidence . . but anyway .. there have been ongoing studies that dispute his claims:

Journal of National Cancer Institute: Cellular Telephone Use and Cancer Risk: Update of a Nationwide Danish Cohort
http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/98/23/1707

Study Disputes Cell Phone-Cancer Link
Large Study From Denmark Offers the Latest Reassurance That Cell Phones Don’t Trigger Cancer
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=2702500

ACS: Study: No evidence cell phones cause cancer
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Study_No_Evidence_Cell_Phones_Cause_Cancer.asp

Answer by John
There is no doubt in my mind and educated experience with radio frequency (RF) transmissions, that it is vitally important that the possible adverse effects that these devices have on human tissue, not be taken lightly! It is still early days and time will tell as it did for smoking, asbestos related products and countless of chemicals and herbacides, in the past.
The simple fact is that everyone should be aware that the longer you use the phone the greater the adverse affects are likely to be. There is no doubt whatsoever, and it is well documented that high levels of RF are DANGEROUS! Cell phones transmit at much lower energy levels, but their consistant and prolonged use may well have a cumalitive effect.

Although there is no proof to indicate that mobile phones can cause cancer, there is sufficient debate to cause doubt as to the relative safety. The thing is, it is a mutlibillion dollar industry and it will not be quashed without definite proof, which may not arise for some decades. As a telecommunications engineer I am aware of the power density levels produced by mobile phones and the effect they can have on different people.
Mobile phones transmit using radio frequency radiation (RFR). Dependant on the network this can range between 800MHz and 2GHz. These are radio waves located within the electromagnetic spectrum. X-rays which are known to cause cancer through ionizing radiation are also within the electromagnetic spectrum, however, RFRs cannot cause cancer in the same way as x-rays because RFRs are non-ionizing.

However, high levels of RFRs can cause health effects through heating the human body (thermal effects). To address this health effect, the Radiocommunications (Electromagnetic Radiation Human Exposure) Standard 1999 specifies limits on public exposure to RF radiation from mobile phones. The limits set by this Standard are only a fraction of the levels needed to cause thermal effects.

Whilst it cannot be shown at this point in time that the thermal effects from mobile phones are a health hazard there is a considerable body of scientific literature which describes the effects of RFR in biological systems that cannot be directly attributed to heating. These effects are referred to as non-thermal and have been demonstrated to cause alteration in animal behaviour, or changes in the functioning of cell membranes.

To limit the possible adverse effects mobile phones may have I would suggest that anyone concerned about their use should;

- Limit the prolonged use of mobiles to under a couple of minutes at a time.
- Use the phone in handsfree speaker mode.
- Avoid using the phone in a confined space (such as in the car or building) as this causes the phone to radiate at the higher power levels to get a signal out.

Personnaly I avoid using the phone as much as possible and if I need to use it I keep it under a few minutes or use it in hands free speeaker phone mode.

Should you wish to have a bit more reading on the subject from a non-engineering perspective, the following Cancer Council link may be of interest;

Give your answer to this question below!

hi all; so yesterday me and my little sister were left home alone cuz our dad had gone on a business trip. our house is a large apartment with two parts – one with the bedrooms and the other with the kitchen, dining room, living room, foyer and study. the two parts are separated by a sturdy door with locks on both sides. in the middle of the night, my sister woke me up sounding all freaked out. she told me someone had locked us in from the other side. i didnt believe her at first but when i went to see it for myself i nearly fainted. we didnt have any protection nor safety exit on our side. whats worse my cell phone contract had just finished that other day and there was no phone on this side. finally, we locked ourselves into the main bedroom in case the intruder tried to come in further. we didnt dare to break the door open or make any noise in case they were just thieves out to steal our property but not our lives. in the end, our dad came home the next day and asked us what was going on. strangely nothing was taken but he indeed confirmed someone had locked us in on the other side. now what im wondering is – im just 16 but is possible for us to keep a firearm as this could very well happen again as our dad goes on business trips regularly – and whats more next time may be the last time. what are the laws on firearms for minors? [we live in irving, texas] our dad thinks this is just some natural incident or some one in a million trick of nature so he’s reluctant to even research my proposal but after what me and my sister had gone through, we just cant stay alone there anymore, at least not without the ‘appropriate’ assurance. [sorry its a little long!]

Answer by Cecil n
Sorry you had a scare, but no, no firearm. I’m not anti-gun, both my wife and I have concealed carry permits, and we own several firearms. 21 is the minimum age for a handgun, and proper training and practice is needed. Suggest a dog, keep the cell phone bill paid, and have a neighbor or relative check in with you guys regularly. Good luck, be careful.

Answer by convexed
Leaving minor children alone overnight is both unwise and in most states illegal. Two things could happen here. Something horrible happens to you and your father is held responsible as a result of neglect. You do something to defend yourself and later find out it was the wrong thing and your father is held responsible. Tell your Dad you really don’t feel you are up to taking full responsibility for yourselves while he is gone and you really need an adult there or to be somewhere else when he is gone.It would avoid the possibility of a lot of issues none of you need to deal with.

Answer by Ron Brgundy
Get yourself a can of bear spray such as this
http://www.defensedevices.com/frontiersman-bear-spray.html

Keep a mag lite near your bed at night. Get the largest model mag lite they make. You can blind your attacker temporarily by shining it in his face, and bludgeon him if he is in your home attacking.

Lastly, if you are worried about someone getting the drop on you while you are asleep, you should consider some simple battery powered alarms.
I like this doorstop alarm:
http://www.defensedevices.com/doorstopalarm.html

I also like this wireless sensor alarm (sounds when movement is detected) that is sold at wallyworld
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10258474

Answer by trigunmarksman
Texas is a castle doctrine law ( you may shoot an intruder legally in your home), and self defence has been permissable by minors even if they are not old enough to “own” the firearm.

And to add on to Ron’s good idea about intruder sensors, you may convince your dad to spring for a home alarm system which will go off at night if the doors or windows are pryed open.

Give your answer to this question below!
Africa: The Revolution in the Continent – Education, the Youth, Employment and the Media
While ADEA is currently preparing the Triennial that is scheduled to be held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in December 2011, there are many issues bordering on its goal which is to design and develop systems and measures for acquiring critical knowledge, skills and qualifications that will help the African continent meet challenges of its future development.
Read more on AllAfrica.com

Forgive the cell phone quality and my voice in the beginning