Experts: No Health Risk In Mobile Phones

LONDON (AP) -- There is no evidence linking mobile phones to cancer or other health problems, but more research needs to be done to be sure, a panel of experts said Wednesday.

The scientists, who are advising the British government, said existing research into the health effects of cell phones "does not give cause for concern."

They said "biological and epidemiological evidence does not suggest cancer causation ... nor any other adverse health effect from radio frequency exposures at levels below guidelines."

But the panel said knowledge about the effects of exposure to radio waves emitted by the phones "has limitations, and mobile phones have only been in widespread use for a relatively short time."

The findings of the panel, chaired by epidemiologist Anthony Swerdlow, broadly agree with those of an earlier advisory group which issued a report in 2000.

That group said there was no clear evidence that mobile phones were harmful to health, but cautioned there could be as-yet unknown biological effects of exposure to low levels of radiation.

It advised children, who could be more vulnerable to any potential harm, to limit their use of mobile phones.

The Swerdlow panel said there had been no new substantial studies on the effects of childhood exposure to cell phones since the 2000 report.

More than 47 million Britons, 70 percent of the population, own a mobile phone--one of the highest levels of cell phone use in the world.

Some scientists have linked the low-frequency microwave radio signals emitted by cell phones with brain tumors, headaches, sleeping disorders and memory loss. There also is widespread public concern about radiation from the 30,000 mobile phone masts dotted around Britain.

The report said exposure levels from the masts were extremely low and unlikely to pose a health risk.

One member of the panel, Lawrie Challis, said exposure from base stations was at least 1,000 times less than from mobile phones.

"As a scientist I think it's surprising that someone who uses a mobile phone and gets far more exposure from that should be concerned about base stations," he said.

The panel encouraged "better studies, rather than simply more" into the effects of cell phone use, and encouraged research over longer time periods than has been the case until now.

Swerdlow said several large studies currently under way--including one by the United Nations' International Agency for Research on Cancer involving 6,500 brain tumor cases from 13 countries--would help make the picture clearer.

Industry group the Mobile Operators Association welcomed the findings of the report and said it encouraged further studies.

"The industry is committed to addressing public concerns about mobile telephony in an open and transparent way," said executive director Mike Dolan.