So what I thought was interesting about the CNN video on the cell phone popcorn was this idea of danger with cell phones. Of course my original question to answer has to do with physical danger and cell phones, but the news release got me thinking more about the type of danger there could be.
Here’s what I found on Google about cell phones and cancer (search terms: cell phone cancer). There’s a guy, a Dr. Ronald Herberman, at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute who thinks cell phone use should be limited because his data shows some risks. Article about his work.
But evidently most people are not worried cause other studies don’t show any risks. Geez, who do you believe anyway? I guess the National Cancer Institute says more studies should be conducted. Here's their information. They do talk about radio frequency, but say that it is something that is changing with cell phones and needs to be studied more. Can I say microwaves and radiation? But that's another question to be answered.
This reports that there is a possible link to cancer and cell phone use, but one thing caught my eye while reading this story. It talked about who was funding the studies. Wow, I’ve never even thought about something like that. So, is research pulled in a certain direction for the group that funds it? That is messed up if it reported that way. Looks like cellular phone companies are funding some of the research. Oh man, I guess they wouldn’t want anything bad to show up, which puts them out of business.
Another article talks about another group of researchers at the University of Washington who went through a media frenzy when they suggested cell phones emit these radio waves that can cause enough DNA damage to brain cells.
Yikes, that’s what I’m worried about. They also mention Dr. Herberman from the Pittsburgh Cancer center, and interestingly they say “that if you subtract from the literature all of the industry-funded scientific studies, most research shows evidence of health effects from cell phone use.” Hmmmm, I’m thinking I need to find some of this literature and read it for myself.
One more thing I noticed as I looked at these news reports, is the dates they were made. Looks like I’m not the only one asking this question right now. These were all done in the last year. Here are two more reports, one asking for more research to be done and the other suggesting there is a link. I wonder who funded that one?
Now where should I look? I’ve actually been thinking it's time to look into the Bluetooth. Perhaps it will be a better alternative. If it shakes out to be better, that's all the justification I need. That would be totally cool!
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3 comments:
What do they mean by "heavy cell phone use" - how long do you have to use your phone in order for it to be heavy? And with a blue tooth, don't you run the risk of damaging whatever part of your body is near the phone? I keep my in my pocket...what might that do to me?
Yeah, I want to know about more than just brain cancer. I keep my phone in my pocket a lot of the time. Are there any studies on cell phones and other types of cancer?
To find some other reliable, informative web sites (like "Heavy Cell Phone Use" on Science Daily), you might look for consumer health information and advice on a site like MedlinePlus (a great source, maintained by the National Library of Medicine). The site from the National Cancer Institute is excellent. BTW, several of the references on the NCI site mention "long term cell phone use," which is interesting in light of the fact that cell phones haven't been around very long. Seems like a challenging research area since a) we need decades-long users to get good information about how using cell phones affects health, and b) exposure to the technology will be inconsistent as phone technology changes.
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