Are Mobile Phones a danger to our health, and should they be continued to be used?

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Are Mobile Phones a danger to our health, and should they be continued to be used?

Ever since the price of mobile phones dropped, resulting in a huge increase in the number of people owning them, the question has always been asked as to whether they are safe and if they pose a danger to our health. The full results of long-term use on such a huge scale has never been able to be tested, as quite simply they have not been around long enough for the symptoms to make themselves clear. What are the effects of mobile phones and how serious are they? Should we continue to use them, or are the effects so serious that they should be abolished as soon as possible?

New reports continue to be published suggesting that there might be health risks from mobile phones electromagnetic radiation. There can be no doubt any longer that mobile phone radiation affects living cells. For example research shows that nematode worms exposed to mobile phone radiation produce more eggs, release stress hormones and grow larger.  But what is the effect of mobile phone radiation on people? Could we see a mass court action in twenty years time against telecom companies by people claiming compensation for health damage caused by radiation? It's a possibility, even though at present the clear evidence suggests that if there is any effect on human health at all, it is a very, very low  for the individual user

However some studies have caused concern in the media. For example, in March, 2003 a study in the International Journal of Oncology suggested that mobile phone users had a 30% increased risk of brain tumours- mainly accoustic neuromas- that occurred close to the ear used for mobile phone listening.  had shown that growth of leukaemia cells could be increased dramatically after exposure to mobile phone radiation. Such evidence is likely to be able to be relied upon, as the Journal featured is an unbiased base from where the research has been conducted. However, it may be possible that as the purpose of the article was to entertain the reader, the evidence may be biased towards showing only the damage that mobile phone use causes, to create a more interesting read.

Also what makes these studies difficult to evaluate is that other research has not shown the same findings and the effects may be very different depending on the type of electromagnetic radiation. GSM and GPRS (2.5G) phones use what is known as pulsed radiation. The levels rise and fall very rapidly. 3G phones on the other hand use continuous levels. Some research suggests that pulsed radiation may have a greater effect on cells than constant exposure, which is important because different studies have used different types of radiation - perhaps an explanation for some of the more contradicting results.

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All of the suggested potential problems relating to mobile phones and their risks stem from radio waves and their resulting effects, but what is a radio wave? Mobile phones and the antennas mounted on base stations are two-way radios that produce radio-frequency emissions, similar to those emitted by TV and radios used by taxis, emergency services and broadcasters.

Radio Frequency is part of the electromagnetic spectrum- as are television emissions, light, X-rays and Gamma Rays, but they operate at much lower frequencies. At the higher frequencies X-rays and Gamma Rays can break chemical bonds, damaging the material of cells ...

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