|
Last Updated: Apr 16, 2008 - 5:52:06 PM |
FRIDAY JAN 25, 2008 (Foodconsumer.org) -- The U.S. National Research Council advised on Thursday that research should be carried out to see if cell phones or other wireless devices could damage health in children and pregnant women.
Studies on the effect of cell phone or mobile phone on health are inconsistent as always when it comes to something that may affect the use of a commercial product. Some studies found a link between use of cell phone and increased risk of tumors. Some studies suggested otherwise.
The ABCNews.com reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requests the National Research Council to recommend types of research that should be done in the future. The Council, an advisory body which advises Congress and the federal government on scientific matters, convened experts including engineers and biologists and made its recommendations including the call for research into cell phone's safety.
The report by the Council says most studies have looked only at short-term effects on healthy adults. In other words, the short term and long effects of cell phone on children health remain unknown. A foodconsumer.org scientist early asked consumers to disallow children to use or limit their use of cell phone and he was ridiculed.
"Measuring the amount of RF energy received by juveniles, children, pregnant women, and fetuses from wireless devices and RF base station antennas could help define exposure ranges for various populations," the council said in a statement, cited by the ABC NEWS.
There are a few reasons children are more susceptible to RF exposure. For one, children are developing organ and tissue systems, which are more vulnerable. Second, the Specific Absorption rates for children are likely higher than for adults because the wavelength exposed is closer to the while-body resonance frequency for shorter individuals. Also children today are expected to expose themselves to RF longer than adults, meaning that they have a wider window for any potential risk of cell phone.
The take-home message is that the safety of cell phone remains unknown. No trial has been conducted that shows use of cell phone is absolutely safe.
© 2004-2008 by foodconsumer.org unless otherwise specified
Top of Page
