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Safety Guidelines
source. The so-called ‘cordless phones,’ which have
a base unit connected to the telephone wiring in a
house, typically operate at far lower power levels,
and thus produce RF exposures far below the FCC
safety limits.
4. What are the results of the research done already?
The research done thus far has produced conflicting
results, and many studies have suffered from flaws in
their research methods. Animal experiments
investigating the effects of radio frequency(RF) energy
exposures characteristic of wireless phones have
yielded conflicting results that often cannot be
repeated in other laboratories. A few animal studies,
however, have suggested that low levels of RF could
accelerate the development of cancer in laboratory
animals. However, many of the studies that showed
increased tumor development used animals that had
been genetically engineered or treated with cancer
causing chemicals so as to be pre-disposed to develop
cancer in the absence of RF exposure. Other studies
exposed the animals to RF for up to 22 hours per day.
These conditions are not similar to the conditions under
which people use wireless phones, so we don’t know
with certainty what the results of such studies mean for
human health. Three large epidemiology studies have
been published since December 2000. Between them,
the studies investigated any possible association
between the use of wireless phones and primary brain
cancer, glioma, meningioma, or acoustic neuroma,
tumors of the brain or salivary gland, leukemia, or other
cancers. None of the studies demonstrated the
existence of any harmful health effects from wireless
phone RF exposures. However, none of the studies can
answer questions about long-term exposures, since the
average period of phone use in these studies was
around three years.
5. What research is needed to decide whether RF
exposure from wireless phones poses a health risk?
A combination of laboratory studies and
epidemiological studies of people actually using
wireless phones would provide some of the data that
are needed. Lifetime animal exposure studies could
be completed in a few years. However, very large
numbers of animals would be needed to provide
reliable proof of a cancer promoting effect if one
exists. Epidemiological studies can provide data that
is directly applicable to human populations, but 10 or
more years follow-up may be needed to provide