The Dangers of Cell Phone Use

Lesson #1: It Takes Many Years to Develop Brain Cancer
Based upon observational studies of people who were exposed to radiation from the atomic bomb during World War II, Davis says it can take 40 years after exposure to radiation to develop brain cancer. Further, she says that rates of cell phone use now are vastly different from those in the past, as in the mid-’80s less than three percent of the world’s population owned cell phones and early use was primarily limited to businessmen. “So the fact that we haven’t seen an increase in brain cancer yet doesn’t tell us that we will be fine in the future – and many of us have only been using cell phones in a very heavy way for a few years,” says Davis in a recent interview.

Davis also says that although there have been no legal settlements against cell phone companies as of yet, there are such lawsuits working their way through the legal system – and these lawsuits often take years to resolve.

Lesson #2: The Harm from Cell Phone Radiation Is Not Limited to Cancer
Although cancer has gotten the most attention among all the dangers of cell phone use, cell phone radiation can also lower sperm count and damage DNA. Davis says this determination has been made from independent studies conducted in various research centers in the United States, Australia, Greece and Turkey.
One of these studies was conducted by Professor John Aitken of the Australian Research Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development at the University of Newcastle. Aitken took sperm from healthy males and divided them into two samples, one a control group and the other exposed to radio frequency radiation equivalent to that produced by an average cell phone. The sperm exposed to the radiation died three times faster than the control group and showed damage to the DNA.
Cell phone radiation can also affect brain function. Glucose is a type of sugar used by the brain, and cell phone use can affect glucose metabolism. In a study published in the February 23, 2011, issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, the authors conclude the following: “In healthy participants and compared with no exposure, 50-minute cell phone exposure was associated with increased brain glucose metabolism in the region closest to the antenna.”

Lesson #3: Kids Have Higher Health Risks from Cell Phone Radiation
As bad as cell phone radiation is for adults, Davis says it is especially dangerous for children. David says that children absorb more radiation than adults because the skull and the bone marrow of children are thinner and more absorptive. She says that if children are given cell phones, they should use them only for emergencies and should text rather than call, as texting does not expose them to as much radiation.