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118 Guidelines for Safe and Efficient Use
cumulative hours of mobile phone use. Most cancer causing agents
increase risk with increased exposure. An ongoing study of brain cancers
by the National Cancer Institute is expected to bear on the accuracy and
repeatability of these results.
1
2. Researchers conducted a large battery of laboratory tests to assess the
effects of exposure to mobile phone RF on genetic material. These
included tests for several kinds of abnormalities, including mutations,
chromosomal aberrations, DNA strand breaks, and structural changes in
the genetic material of blood cells called lymphocytes. None of the tests
showed any effect of the RF except for the micronucleus assay, which
detects structural effects on the genetic material. The cells in this assay
showed changes after exposure to simulated cell phone radiation, but only
after 24 hours of exposure. It is possible that exposing the test cells to
radiation for this long resulted in heating. Since this assay is known to be
sensitive to heating, heat alone could have caused the abnormalities to
occur.Thedataalreadyintheliteratureontheresponseofthe
micronucleus assay to RF are conflicting. Thus, follow-up research is
necessary.
2
FDA is currently working with government, industry, and academic
groups to ensure the proper follow-up to these industry-funded research
findings. Collaboration with the Cellular Telecommunications Industry
Association (CTIA) in particular is expected to lead to FDA providing
research recommendations and scientific oversight of new CTIA-funded
research based on such recommendations.
Two other studies of interest have been reported recently in the literature:
1. Two groups of 18 people were exposed to simulated mobile phone signals
under laboratory conditions while they performed cognitive function tests.
There were no changes in the subjects’ ability to recall words, numbers, or
pictures, or in their spatial memory, but they were able to make choices
more quickly in one visual test when they were exposed to simulated
mobile phone signals. This was the only change noted among more than
20 variables compared.
3
2. In a study of 209 brain tumor cases and 425 matched controls, there was
no increased risk of brain tumors associated with mobile phone use. When
tumors did exist in certain locations, however, they were more likely to be
on the side of the head where the mobile phone was used. Because this
occurred in only asmall number of cases, the increased likelihood was too
small to be statistically significant.
4