Mobile phones use low energy radio waves. Since these phones have become more and more a part of our every day lives there have been concerned raised that regular exposure to these waves could damage people’s health. In particular there has been a worry that use of mobile phones could lead to brain tumours.
In 1999 the British government set up an expert committee to advise on the risks of mobile phones. That committee presented its findings in 2000 (the Stewart report), and this has been reinforced by a report from the National Radiation Protection Board (now part of the Health Protection Agency), which was published in 2004.
The two reports are in full agreement that, at the present time there is no clear evidence that there is any health risk, and certainly no cancer risk, from the use of mobile phones. They also agree that there is no reason why such a risk should be expected.
However, both reports make the point that it is still too soon to be absolutely certain of the long term effects of regular mobile phone use. There is no evidence to suggest that such use will be harmful, but until sufficient time has passed to be sure of this then the recommend that young children should have their use of the phones limited. There are several reasons for this:
- the skulls of young children are thinner than adults, and are still growing, which means that radio waves penetrate them more easily
- the brain cells of children absorb more of the radio waves than adults, and are more sensitive
- people who first start regularly using mobile phones as young children will have a longer lifetime exposure to any effects of the phones than older people.
This recommendation for young children to keep the use of these phones to a minimum is not because the experts feel that there is a risk, but is just being extra safe, so that, in the very unlikely event that time does show up any hazard, children, who would be most at risk, will have been protected.
Summaries of the two reports are available on the following web sites: www.hpa.org.uk/radiation and www.iegmp.org.uk