Federal study links cell phone radiation to brain cancer
May 28, 2016
As public interest groups have been raising concerns about for years, the radiation emitted from wireless devices could cause brain cancer, according to a study from the National Toxicology Program.
The study appears to confirm human evidence used by the World Health Organization to determine that cell phone radiation is a possible carcinogen.
The research found that male rats exposed to radio-frequency radiation had a greater chance of being diagnosed with a brain cancer called malignant glioma, as well as developing a tumor found on the heart. The radiation levels the rats were exposed to included power levels that current cell phones are allowed to emit.
The 10-year, $25 million study from the National Toxicology Program, part of the National Institute for Health, was conducted on laboratory animals to help determine what the potential risks could be for people, said Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group.
“The federal government isn’t exposing rats to cell phone radiation because we’re concerned about rats getting cancer from cell phone use,” Cook said. “These studies are done because of their relevance to people, and this particular study raises serious concerns.”
“By confirming the connection between cell phone radiation and malignant tumors in male rats, the NTP’s study raises concerns for risks to people to a new level,” said David Andrews, Ph.D., a senior scientist with the EWG.
David Carpenter, director of the School of Public Health at State University of New York at Albany, said the study “won't end the debate, but I can't imagine anything with more credibility than an NTP report."
Carpenter said the report could cause other health organizations to take a new look at the issue, including the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, which in 2011 classified cell phone radiation as a “possible carcinogen.”
Reports by the EWG from 2009 and 2013 pointed out the potential health risks from cell phones and wireless devices. Its 2009 report described studies that showed increased risk of two types of brain tumors, including glioma.
To help concerned consumers take steps to protect themselves and their families, the EWG has created tools and tips that can help reduce exposure to radiation from cell phones. For details, see its Guide to Safer Cell Phone Use and the best cell phone case to mitigate radiation exposure.
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