UK scientists support precautions on mobile phones
British scientists have come out in support of a precautionary approach recommended by an independent report on mobile phones.
The report, released last week by an Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones found that, although there was no evidence at this stage, it was not possible to rule out adverse effects, and the widespread of mobile phones by children should be discouraged.
The timing of the release of the report has angered telecommunications companies which have just invested heavily in next-generation mobile phone licences, however an editorial in the current issue of the British Medical Journal supports the report's precautionary stand.
"Mobile phones have changed the way people work and communicate," the editorial says. "But this independent group is right to recommend precautionary measures to encourage both manufacturers and users to limit microwave exposure until we can be more confident that the use of mobile phones is indubitably safe."
The independent report also recommended that the allowable power output of phones be minimised and the limits for public exposure to mobile phone radiation be lowered. The report also said phones should be labelled with their power ratings.
"This is a controversial field of science," notes the editorial, adding that extrapolation from in vitro and animal studies to humans was difficult.
One of the areas of controversy is what kinds of effects mobile phone radiation could have. Many standards are based on the assumption that the only risk from microwave radiation arises from thermal effects. Today's mobile phones are estimated to heat the brain to the equivalent of 0.1 degrees Celsius which, the editorial comments, is unlikely to produce any deleterious effects.
However, recent research has suggested 'non-thermal' effects on living tissue, ranging from immediate early gene expression and micronucleus formation to changes in the excitability of nerve cells, permeability of the blood-brain barriers, and the ability of rats to learn mazes.
"The greatest mystery about non-thermal effects is their lack of theoretical basis," the editorial says. "Biological systems might interact resonantly with microwave fields but there is as yet no robust evidence."
The editorial notes that the only established health hazard cited by the independent group comes from the use of mobile phones when driving, although this was balanced by the 'undeniable benefits' in carrying mobile phones in vehicles in the event of emergency.
"But the independent group's report is clear that even hands free mobile phones should not be used while driving," says the editorial.
An Australian Senate Inquiry into electromagnetic radiation is examining the research and standards on mobile phones. Submission to the inquiry are due by 16 June and the committee is due to report by October.