Study Raises Questions About Cell-Phone Safety

[Susan Gawarecki <loc@icx.net>]

I thought RadSafer's might be interested in this--it may be the
"scientific report" Keith Bradshaw was wondering about in an earlier
posting.

Study Raises Questions About Cell-Phone Safety 

NEW YORK, Dec 03 (NYT Syndicate) - Rats exposed to microwave radiation
suffered long-term memory loss and genetic mutations, according to a new
study that has troubling implications for the nation's 80 million
cellular
phone users. 

It is not known whether the findings can be applied to humans, but the
lead
researcher said people should exercise prudence when using the
increasingly
popular devices. 

"Science is never based on a single study, but I think there should be
some
concern among cell-phone users," said University of Washington
bioengineering research professor Henry Lai, whose study will be
published
next month in the Journal of Bioelectromagnetics. 

"We need to determine the consequences of these microwaves on humans.
The
truth is, it's possible the memory loss may not even affect human brain
function," he said. "But it did alter the brain functions of rats, and
that's a concern." 

Still, Lai said he is not discouraging cell-phone use.

"If you need to use the phone, use it. It's great for emergencies and
convenience," Lai said. "But there is a thing called prudence. I would
think twice about making lengthy unnecessary calls." 

Lai's research comes on the heels of recent studies suggesting a link
between cell-phone use and brain tumors, and even the possibility that
the
microwaves could ignite petroleum fumes at gas stations. 

Cell-phone users weren't surprised by Lai's findings, and many have
already
begun taking precautions. 

"They're very convenient, but I don't think humans were meant to have
high-powered transmitting devices next to their head," said 35-year-old
Randy Tolchinsky, a Los Angeles area resident who was using his phone at
a
Starbucks, in Woodland Hills, about 25 miles northwest of downtown Los
Angeles. 

"I'm going to get the hands-free earpiece. I don't want a tumor or
memory
loss." 

Tolchinsky's friend Eran Bikovsky, 32, of Westlake Village another 10
miles
north, also believes cell phones pose a health risk. 

"After you've been talking on them for a while, you feel funny,"
Bikovsky
said. "I don't even keep my phone on when it's in my pocket." 

According to the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal
Communications Commission, however, the evidence against cell-phone
radiation is ambiguous. 

"The available science does not allow us to conclude that mobile phones
are
absolutely safe or that they are unsafe," the FDA said in a paper issued
in
October. 

A spokesman for Motorola Inc., a major manufacturer of cellular phones
and
microchips found in digital equipment, said he agrees with the FDA
position. 

"The research keeps rolling in, but we haven't seen anything conclusive
to
demonstrate that cell phones are a health risk," said Motorola spokesman
Norm Sandler. "We agree with the FDA and the scientific community that
more
research needs to be done. Our position could change with more
definitive
results." 

In the study, Lai put 100 rats in a large tank of water and taught them
to
swim around barriers to a platform in the middle of the tank. The water
was
filled with powdered milk so the rats couldn't see and needed to
remember
the route. The rats easily found their way after six tries, Lai said. 

Next, he exposed half of the rats to microwaves similar to those emitted
by
cell phones, although the frequency was set at 2,450 MHz, higher than
cell-phone frequencies, which are usually between 850 and 1,700 MHz. The
rats' entire bodies were exposed for an hour. 

"All of the exposed rats forgot the way and swam randomly, and the
unexposed rats found the platform just fine," Lai said. 

The rats may have lost spatial memory, Lai said. "It's the kind of
memory
people have when driving or walking and mapping out where they are
going,"
he said. 

The reason they performed differently is not known, but the microwaves
could have decreased the amount of acetylcholine in the brain. The
chemical
controls navigation and memory in rats, and it is also present in the
human
brain, Lai said. 

He said the conditions, time frame and environment in which the rats
were
exposed can't be directly compared to the conditions when a person is
talking on a phone. The microwave frequency used on the rats was higher
than cell-phone frequencies, and the rats' entire bodies were exposed. 

But phones emit microwaves and, just as microwaves heat meat, they can
heat
living tissue. 

"We exposed the rats to higher than normal frequencies, but you could
cook
a turkey at any frequency," Lai said. "Also, cell-phone microwaves are
far
more concentrated than the microwaves we used. We want to know if they
are
causing hot spots in the brain. The issue isn't the frequency; it's the
intensity." 
-- 
==================================================
Susan L. Gawarecki, Ph.D., Executive Director
Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee, Inc.
136 S Illinois Ave, Ste 208, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Please note new area code:
Phone (865) 483-1333; Fax (865) 482-6572; E-mail loc@icx.net
OCTOBER INSIGHTS CAN BE FOUND AT: http://www.local-oversight.org
==================================================
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