Do Mobile Phones Cause Brain Cancer?

I discussed some of the health concerns related to Wi-Fi technology. Many people have similar concerns about perceived health risks related to mobile handsets. There have been reports, largely based on anecdotal evidence, that link the use of mobile handsets with brain cancer, but research has not established a definitive causal relationship between the two.

The problem with anecdotal evidence is that it fails to establish a causal relationship between cell phones and cancer; it merely states that Group A uses cell phones, and has a slightly higher incidence of cancer than Group B, which doesn't use cell phones. For all we know, Group A also smokes three packs of cigarettes a day and works at a chemical plant.

The big misunderstanding here involves the difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Mobile phones produce low-energy, non-ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation is radiation that is very high frequency (above a million MHz for X-rays) and high energy, which enables it to break chemical bonds such as those found in human cells. Ionizing radiation can damage DNA molecules, causing cell death or even cancer.

Cell phones are low power and operate at a much lower frequency than sources of ionizing radiation, such as X-rays. The non-ionizing radiation produced by mobile handsets cannot break chemical bonds. At very high levels of exposure, higher energy non-ionizing radiation can cause warming of tissues, much like a microwave, but handsets do not have that much power.

If you are concerned about possible health risks, limit your exposure, use a hands-free earpiece, and continue to monitor the research.

Insider insight: With the worries about cell phone-related health risks, it was inevitable that a few products would appear that would claim to mitigate some or all of them. The supposed health risk that creates the most concern, and headlines, is a proposed link between cell phones and brain cancer. One product that claims to mitigate this threat is a cell phone radiation shield.

These shields usually consist of an oval sticker that fits over the earpiece of your phone. Manufacturers claim that these bits of plastic, sometimes metal mesh, block harmful radiation. Even if the non-ionizing radiation from a cell phone were dangerous, placing a sticker over the speaker on your phone wouldn't protect you. Sound waves emanate from the speaker, not radiation. In general, radiation emanates from the phone in all directions so these stickers do nothing to block RF radiation.

Some manufacturers sell cell phone cases made of material that they claim blocks RF radiation. I remain skeptical that they can even block the RF waves, not to mention they usually have a dear plastic window over the keypad that will definitely allow radio waves to penetrate. If radiation shield cases really did work, you wouldn't be able to use your phone, because it wouldn't be able to send or receive a signal. So obviously, plenty of RF is escaping, not to mention what comes out of the antenna (which isn't shielded).

If you are genuinely worried about using your cell phone, don't waste your money on these products. Buy a headset and keep your phone away from your head. It's safer while driving, too.