GAO to FCC: It's time to solve the mystery of cell phone radiation

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Time to readdress EM radiation, say the US Government Accountability Office.

Reprint from Gears and Gadgets website:  http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/08/gao-to-fcc-its-time-to-solve-the-mystery-of-cell-phone-radiation/
by Casey Johnston - Aug 7 2012, 5:35pm EDT
Government
Mobile Computing

The US Government Accountability Office has recommended that the FCC formally reassess its limits for radio frequency exposure from cell phones, according to a report publicly released on Tuesday. The limits created in 1996 were based on data that is now two decades old, and while hundreds of studies have been conducted on the subject since, not many are useful or conclusive.

More than just ugly... could these towers be the reason for the
increase in cancer cases in the U.S. over the past 10 years?

The debate over the relationship between cell phone radiation exposure and human health has raged for over 16 years. For every seemingly solid, definitive study proving that cell phones have no appreciable effect on human health under current limits, a new batch of people would come out of the woodwork claiming debilitating radio frequency sensitivity (a psychosomatic condition, according to other studies). For every subject matter expert's attempt to reassure the public that cell phones don't cause brain tumors, a political entity would introduce legislation capping the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of consumer mobile phones. The council of Europe and World Health Organization declared cell phones to be possible carcinogens in May 2011, and the devices continued to sell at incredible rates. Since the FCC's limits were introduced, reason and action have failed to shake hands again and again.

On Friday, Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) introduced a bill requiring cell phone manufacturers to "examine, label, and communicate adverse human biological effects associated with exposure to electromagnetic fields from cell phones and other wireless devices, and for other purposes." The problem is, there's little agreement on what the "adverse human biological effects" are, in part because no one has really created a workable definition of normal usage yet.

The GAO writes in its report

"Studies we reviewed suggested and experts we interviewed stated that epidemiological research has not demonstrated adverse health effects from RF energy exposure from mobile phone use, but the research is not conclusive because findings from some studies have suggested a possible association with certain types of tumors, including cancerous tumors."

The GAO also points out that it is difficult to separate the effects of cell phone RF radiation from other sources of ambient radiation. Furthermore, there's no precedent for the effects of low-level long-term exposure; cell phones simply haven't been around that long.

Likewise, the way we use cell phones has changed significantly since 1996. Now, we text more than we call, so phones spend less time sitting adjacent to our brains. Furthermore, in 2012 we're far more likely to keep our phones in our pockets than in 1996, when many a portable phone made cars, purses, or bags their permanent home. While some studies make a point of being absolutely clear about usage and proximity, too many rely on self-reported usage or assume usage patterns out of sync with the modern day.

Because of all these factors, GAO has formally requested that the FCC "reassess and, if appropriate, change its current RF energy exposure limit and mobile phone testing requirements related to likely usage configurations."

Maybe, finally, we'll get to the bottom of this.

What You Can Do

Communicate your support of the Cellphone Right to Know Act by contacting your Congressional leaders.  Here's how:

 
• Send this suggested letter to all members of the US House Energy and Commerce Committee.

•  Use this suggested letter regarding HR 6358 to send to your Congressional Representative.


•  Show your support for the bill at http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h6358/show