WHO Study: Mobile Phones Not Linked to Brain Cancer

A systematic review commissioned by the World Health Organization and published in Environment International today found no link between mobile phone use and brain cancer.

The Safety of Mobile Phones and Radio Waves

Mobile phones, which are often held close to the head during use, emit radio waves, a type of non-ionizing radiation. This has led to concerns about a potential link between mobile phones and brain cancer.

Given the pervasive use of mobile phones and wireless technology in daily life, it has been crucial for science to investigate the safety of radio wave exposure from these devices. Over time, the scientific consensus has consistently confirmed that there is no connection between mobile phone radio waves and brain cancer, or other health issues.

Despite the general consensus, some research studies have occasionally suggested a potential for harm.

In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified radio wave exposure as a possible human carcinogen. This classification was often misunderstood, leading to increased concern.

Reliance on Limited and Potentially Biased Observational Studies

IARC, part of the World Health Organization, based its classification on limited evidence from human observational studies, which track disease rates and potential causes in populations. While these studies are valuable for investigating long-term health effects, they can be biased.

The IARC classification was influenced by earlier studies where individuals with brain cancer reported higher mobile phone use than they actually had, such as the INTERPHONE study.

The new systematic review, which analyzes a much larger and more recent data set, provides greater confidence that exposure to radio waves from mobile phones and wireless technologies does not increase the risk of brain cancer.

The new review is part of a series of systematic reviews commissioned by the World Health Organization to examine potential health effects linked to radio wave exposure more closely.

Strong Evidence Against Health Risks from Wireless Radio Waves

This systematic review offers the most robust evidence to date that radio waves from wireless technologies do not pose a health risk. It is the most comprehensive review on the subject, analyzing over 5,000 studies and including 63 published between 1994 and 2022 in its final assessment. Studies were excluded mainly for relevance, which is typical in systematic reviews.

The review found no link between mobile phone use and brain cancer, or any other head or neck cancers, including cases of prolonged use over ten years. The frequency of use, whether measured by the number of calls or total call time, also showed no impact.

These findings are consistent with previous research, indicating that despite the significant increase in wireless technology use over recent decades, there has been no corresponding rise in brain cancer incidence.

Safety Limits for Mobile Phones Proven Effective

Overall, the results are very reassuring. They confirm that our national and international safety limits are effective. Mobile phones emit low-level radio waves that are below these safety thresholds, and there is no evidence that such exposure affects human health.

Nonetheless, ongoing research is crucial as technology evolves rapidly. With new technologies using radio waves at various frequencies, it’s essential to continually assess the safety of these exposures.

However, the current challenge is to address and correct the persistent misconceptions and misinformation about mobile phones and brain cancer.

There is still no evidence of any established health effects from mobile phone exposure, which is reassuring.

Read the original article on: Science Alert

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