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The evidence is clearer that there is a link between cancer and cell phone radiation, said Thursday the National Institutes of Health.
"The National Toxicology Program (NTP) concluded that it was clearly established that male rats exposed to high levels of radio frequency (RFR) like those used in 2G and 3G cell phones were developing cancerous heart tumors," said the agency in a statement. The conclusion comes from a final report on research evaluating the effect of radio-frequency radiation, used in cell phones. "There was also evidence of tumors in the brain and adrenal gland of exposed male rats. For female rats and male and female mice, the evidence was equivocal as to whether the observed cancers were associated with RF exposure. "
The report is a draft published in February.
What is surprising, however, is that another federal health agency, the US Food and Drug Administration, disagrees with the conclusion.
"After reviewing the study, however, we disagree with the findings of their final report regarding" clear evidence "of carcinogenic activity in rodents exposed to radio frequency energy." said Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health. said in a statement Thursday in response to the report.
Both agencies, which both report to the US Department of Health and Human Services, agree that the results of these studies in rats and mice should not be applied to the use of the drug. human cell phone.
"The exposures used in the studies can not be directly compared to the exposure that humans experience when they use a cell phone," said John Bucher, Senior Scientist of the National Toxicology Program. "In our studies, rats and mice received radiofrequency radiation all over their body. On the other hand, people are mainly exposed in specific local tissues close to where they hold the phone. In addition, the exposure levels and exposure times in our studies were higher than what people are feeling. "
The final report and consensus of the National Toxicology Program is the culmination of a $ 30 million research effort over 10 years.
The research included two large animal studies – one in rats and the other in mice – that link high levels of cell phone radiation to evidence of carcinogenic activity in male rats, including a type rare tumor called schwannoma in the heart. There were no such significant findings in female rats.
Similarly, no significant findings emerged from the mouse study, according to reports.
"One of the most interesting aspects of our discoveries is that malignant schwannomas – even if they are present in the heart and not in the heads of these animals – are in fact schwannomas," Bucher said in February. writing the report. released.
The FDA notes that cell phones emit low levels of non-ionizing radiofrequency energy and are therefore not considered powerful enough to permanently damage biological tissues, including DNA.
NIH also noted that studies do not evaluate current 5G networks used or Wi-Fi. "5G is an emerging technology that has not yet been defined. From what we currently understand, it is likely that this differs radically from what we have studied, "said Michael Wyde, chief toxicologist of studies.
Confusion and controversy
Studies of the national toxicology program involved approximately 3,000 rodents, as reported in the February draft report.
The animals were exposed to levels of radio radiation equal to and above the highest level currently allowed for mobile phone broadcasts. Researchers monitored the health of indoor animals at 2 years of age.
A 2-year-old rat would be a bit like a 70-year-old human, Bucher said.
The researchers divided the rodents into two groups based on low or high radiofrequency radiation levels and exposed their entire bodies to radio frequency radiation in 10-minute increments totaling approximately nine hours per day over a two-year period.
"It's important to consider the extent of animal exposures in these studies compared to what one would normally receive from a cell phone," Bucher said. "The lowest energy level of the radio frequency radiation we studied was similar to the highest level currently allowed for mobile phone broadcasts."
Among male rats, researchers found tumors in about 6% of those in the group most exposed to radiation, said Bucher. This percentage "exceeded the average historical incidence (0.8%) and exceeded the highest rate observed in a single historical control group (2%) of peer-reviewed studies completed," the researchers wrote.
The researchers also found that male rats in the high exposure group appeared to live longer than other rats, but further research is needed to determine why and how this might be relevant to the study results.
"Studies on animals like this contribute to our discussions on this topic, but we must remember that the study was not designed to test the safety of mobile phone use. in humans, we can therefore draw conclusions about the risks of its use, "says Shuren.
"On the basis of our ongoing assessment of this problem, the totality of the available scientific evidence still does not allow to conclude to adverse effects on human health due to exposures equal to or lower than current limits." of exposure to radiofrequency energy. We believe that existing security limits for cell phones remain acceptable to protect public health. "
"Be careful"
"Consumer safety is the first priority of the wireless industry," CTIA, the industry association representing the US wireless communications industry, said in a statement on Thursday. "We follow expert advice on mobile phones and health effects. The scientific community will review today's report as part of the many scientific studies conducted over several decades.
"We note NTP's own assessment that today's report can not be extrapolated to the use of human cell phones, and the Food and Drug Administration agreed that" these results do not should not be applied to the use of human cell phones "and that" existing safety limits for cell phones remain ". acceptable to protect public health. "These findings are consistent with the official federal statistics on brain tumors, which show that since the introduction of cell phones in the mid-1980s, the rate of brain tumors in the United States has declined."
WarnerMedia, CNN's parent company, belongs to the AT & T communications company.
The Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization, said in a statement Thursday that "the findings reinforce the need for people, especially children, to be cautious when using mobile phones and other devices emitting radiation ".
Olga Naidenko, a senior scientist in the Children's Environmental Health Group, said: "This report should sound the alarm for policymakers and educate all Americans. These studies should have been done before more than 90% of Americans, including millions of children, start using this technology day-to-day. "
Joel Moskowitz, director of the Center for Family and Community Health at the School of Public Health at the University of California at Berkeley, said in an email that the new report confirmed the concerns of the scientific community regarding "damage to by chronic exposure to electromagnetic sources of low intensity fields. "
Bucher was clear: "We believe that the link between radiofrequency radiation and tumors in male rats is real and external experts have agreed."
Shuren said the FDA would continue to evaluate the scientific evidence regarding the potential effects of RF radiation on the health of animals and humans.
So what should a mobile phone user do? People can take certain steps to limit their exposure to RF radiation. These include keeping phones away from your body and using ear buds or other means to communicate without holding the phone against your body.
"I have not changed the way I use a cell phone," Bucher said.
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