In 2002, Washington University in St. Louis conducted a study in which they examined 480 rats over a two-year period to determine whether the radiation exposure from cell phones causes brain cancer; they found no correlation. Yet in May of 2011, the World Health Organization added cellular phones to their list of carcinogenic hazards.
Most recently, the Danish Cancer Society’s Institute of Cancer Epidemiology found that cell phone users face no more of a cancer risk than non-users. This study—the most extensive of its kind—examined more than 300,00 Danish cell phone users over 17 years.
According to the National Cancer Institute, cell phones emit radiofrequency energy, which is a type of non-ionizing radiation that can be absorbed by the tissues closest to where the phone is held. The amount of radio waves depends on multiple factors: among them, the distance between the phone’s antenna and the user, the technology of the phone, and the distance between the cell phone user and cell phone towers.
The Federal Communications Commission and the Food and Drug Administration suggest that those who are concerned about their exposure to radiofrequency energy should use a hands-free device and rely on cell phones for shorter conversations or when landline phones are not available.
There are approximately 5 billion cell phone users worldwide. Not a single study has demonstrated a consistent link between cell phone use and cancer of the brain. As cell phone technology rapidly evolves, and as the number of years people have used cell phones increases, more research is necessary.
