Cell Phones & Brain Cancer
Earth Talk: Cell Phones & Brain Cancer
The cellular phone is one of today's necessary conveniences, and for many people in the "modern" world, carrying a cell phone is as vital as carrying a drivers license, keys to the house or bank card. People have many reasons for carrying a cell phone, such as accessibility in business, the ability to gab with friends while shopping or running errands, or emergencies. More and more, people are losing their precious private time by interrupting cell phone rings and pressing matters from the home or office. The cell phone is perhaps one of the most recognizable tools of the rat race, and people of all ages carry them for one reason or another. Meanwhile, concerned scientists and consumers are questioning the safety of cell phones, and studies are beginning to show real health dangers from their use.
One cannot turn on the television without seeing a cellular-related advertisement. US Cellular promotes its levels of customer service, and various phone makers advertise the qualities of their newest phones. If you have a group of friends, perhaps one of the many promotions giving free air time to subscribers may be the plan for you. Need a headset for your cell phone? The email spammers have got you covered. The cell phone industry is big business, and the industry hopes to keep it that way. Meanwhile, scientists are uncovering probable hazards of cell phone use that include fatigue, dizziness, loss of concentration and tumors, to name a few.
Many prominent doctors and scientists are warning the public about the negative effect of cell phones, microwave towers and microwave pollution on human health. In fact, the damage of cell phones is so severe that using a mobile telephone more than doubles the risk of developing brain cancer on the side of the head where the phone is held, according to various studies. One study directed by Lennart Hardell, professor of oncology at Orebro University in Sweden, found that, of the 1617 patients diagnosed with brain tumors in the study, those who used cell phones were two and one half times more likely to have a temporal brain tumor on the side of the head where they held their cell phone. Tumors of the auditory nerve, the nerve that connects the ear to the brain, were found in people using cell phones at rates of over three times more than those who did not use cell phones.
The health dangers of cell phone use have been under study for over ten years. Numerous studies have shown serious negative effects of cell phone use, while others have not shown health hazards caused by cell phones. Regardless of possible concerns over their safety, people do not think twice about chatting to their friends during a shopping trip or even allowing a child or teenager, whose brains are still developing, to use or own cell phones. Could this fad have serious health consequences in the future? Scientists are now warning that it is indeed possible, and that because cell phones are a new technology, long-term studies have yet to be completed.
A NEW STUDY
Previous research has concentrated on the association between cancer and radio- frequency electromagnetic fields, RFEMFs, but a Swedish research team led by Leif G. Salford, decided to focus on the possibility that exposures to cell phone emissions cause damage directly to the brain itself. The Salford research group had already studied RFEMF's and their effects on the blood-brain barrier, finding that the emissions breached the barrier and allowed albumin to pass out of the bloodstream and into the brain. Albumin is a protein manufactured by the liver. It maintains the "osmotic pressure" that causes fluid to remain within the blood stream instead of leaking out into the tissues. They also found that the albumin accumulates in the neurons and glial cells around the capillaries in the brain. Their newest study seeks to find whether this leakage of albumin due to cell phone emissions damages the brain.
Researchers exposed 32 rats to specific levels of RFEMF generated by a Global System for Mobile Communications mobile phone (a type of cellular phone that is very common worldwide) for their study. The rats were divided into four groups of eight, and these groups were exposed to power outputs of 0 (control group), 10, 100 or 1000 milliwatts, which are exposure levels that are comparable to those a cell phone user may receive, for two hours at a time. After fifty days, the rats' brains were examined.
Unsurprisingly, a large proportion of the rats exposed to the RFEMF showed evidence of albumin leakage, which supports the findings of Salford's prior studies. Additionally, the recent study showed that the albumin seems to have caused significant and serious damage to neurons in the brain. "Dark" neurons were found throughout the rats' brains, which were shrunken and homogenized. The dark neurons were found in all locations of the exposed rats' brains, but particularly in the cortex (involved in higher brain functions, including sensation, voluntary muscle movement, thought, reasoning, and memory). hippocampus (a part of the limbic system; it plays a role in memory and navigation), and basal ganglia (a part of the brain associated with the ability to carry out willed movements, and is therefore important in motor planning). As predicted, the number and severity of "dark" neurons was significantly and positively associated with the level of RF EMF exposure received by the rat. The control group, which was not exposed to cell phone emissions, was free from dark neurons.
The rats used in the studies were 12-26 weeks old, which is roughly comparable to teenagers. Researchers noted that teenagers tend to be heavy cell phone customers; if Salford's study is on target, it means that young people using cell phones are at a very high risk of significant damage to the brain, as biological development that is taking place during the teenage years leaves kids vulnerable to damage from these exposures. Authors of the study recognize that neuronal damage like that seen in the study may not have immediate consequences, but rather long-term effects. With daily cell phone use, "a whole generation of users may suffer negative effects [including reduced brain reserve capacity], perhaps as early as middle age," say researchers.
Salford's findings are very significant for those concerned with the integrity of their brain. It is interesting to note that the hippocampus, which is damaged with cell phone use, is also one of the first regions of the brain to suffer from the much-feared Alzheimer's Disease, and is symptomatically seen as memory loss and disorientation.
Of course, the cell phone industry is disputing the study and maintains that cell phones are very safe. "Expert reviews of studies done over the past 30 years have found no reason to believe that there are any health hazards whatsoever," says Mays Swicord, scientific director of Motorola's Electromagnetic Energy Programs. While it may be too early to draw dramatic conclusions from Salford's study, one must recognize that the study was done autonomously from the cell phone industry, which has an invested interest in the issue.
CELL PHONE INDUSTRY DISHONESTY
There have been multiple lawsuits against the cell phone industry lately, contending cell phone products are harmful to customers. Some lawyers are accusing the industry of "putting a spin" on a Federal Trade Commission decision to sue two companies for falsely advertising technology that purportedly shielded cell-phone users from radiation: "It appears that the wireless communications industry is putting a spin on the FTC's action or inaction. This creates the appearance that these snake oil devices don't work because you do not need protective devices. This is clearly untrue.... Cell phone radiation is dangerous and causes cellular damage that can result in tumors and death," said a high-profile lawyer that has taken on the industry on the grounds that cell phone products gave her client a brain tumor. Among her evidence are "dozens and dozens" of patents filed by the industry itself to create radiation-shielding technology.
This means that while the cellular phone industry is insisting that cell phones are completely safe, behind the scenes they are developing technology to protect consumers from harmful radiation from their own products!
A patent was filed on July 28, 1998 by Nokia. This patent contains a description of a device that would protect a cell phone user's head from radiation. Motorola and other handset manufacturers own similar patents.
TWO MINUTES ON A CELL PHONE
Studies show that just two minutes on a cell phone can alter the natural electrical activity of a child's brain for up to an hour after the call!
For the first time, human beings were used to measure the effects of mobile phone radiation on children. An 11 year old boy and a 13 year old girl were used in the Spanish study in April 2004. The study found that radio waves from cell phones penetrate deep into the brain of children, disturbing brain activity. "It makes one wonder whether children, whose brains are still developing, should be using mobile phones," said Dr. Gerald Hyland. "The results show that children's brains are affected for long periods even after very short-term use. Their brain wave patterns are abnormal and stay like that for a long period. This could affect their mood and ability to learn in the classroom if they have been using a phone during break time, for instance. We don't know all the answers yet, but the alteration in brain waves could lead to things like a lack of concentration, memory loss, inability to learn and aggressive behavior." This study was done by the Spanish Neuro Diagnostic Research Institute in Marbella. Dr. Hyland plans to publish his findings in The Lancet, a medical journal, next year. "We don't know what lasting damage is being done by this exposure," says Dr. Hyland.
"We were able to see in minute detail what was going on in the brain," Dr. Michael Kliceisen, the conductor of the study, said. "We are worried that delicate balances that exist - such as the immunity to infection and disease - could be altered by interference wth chemical balances in the brain."
Meanwhile, a new survey shows that 87% of 11 to 16 year olds own mobile phones. Forty percent use them at least 15 minutes or more per day. Seventy percent of cell phone users in this age group said they would not change the use of their phone even if advised to do so by the government.
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, FATIGUE AND HEADACHES
Other studies show that cell phone emissions have other health effects besides on the brain itself. Just 35 minutes of radio-frequency EMF caused an increase in resting blood pressure that was between 5mm and 10mm. This means that people suffering from hypertension or heart issues could be making their condition worse by gabbing on a cell phone.
Studies have also shown that cell phone use is associated with accelerated aging, negative moods, depression, suicide, anger, rage, violence, and alteration of melatonin/serotonin balance. A study in Australia showed that cell phone use triggered headaches, fatigue, tiredness, dizziness and nausea. Neurological and hormonal effects are changing the cell-to-cell communication in the brain. The University of Washington exposed rats that had learned to swim and find their way out of a pool to radiation; after exposure, they couldn't find their way out. Radiation such as that from cell phones changes your way of remembering information.
To protect yourself, one can opt to simply not use cell phones. If one is unable or unwilling to make that choice, limiting the time spent on the cell phone is necessary. Do not use a cell phone if a landline is available, as land phones are benign and do not pose the same health risks. Use headsets when possible, but know that this does not alleviate the dangers of mobile phone use. Be aware that allowing children to be exposed to cell phone emissions has been shown to be very dangerous to their health and development, and make a conscious choice for you and your children.
