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Experts confirm effects of mobile telephone radiation.
Young and healthy adults have no problem - other groups at risk
The radiation of wireless communication indeed has effects on the central
nervous system, influences the functioning of the brain and causes damage
to DNA.
That is confirmed by 25 experts who studied the relevant scientific literature
of 2000 to 2004. The investigation was done by the working group 'Mensch
Umwelt Technik' ( MUT ) of the Jülich research institute in Jülich,
Germany. The results were presented to the public on May 9th, 2005.
The experts guess that the effects on the central nervous system can
not cause health problems, though this opinion has no scientific base.
The influence on the brain results in shortened or prolonged reaction
times and less or more cognitive mistakes, depending on the parameters
of the radiation. The experts think the damage to DNA is not a problem,
since it would not lead to cell damage.
T-Mobile
The investigation was ordered and financed by T-Mobile, a provider of
mobile communications. The experts only studied scientific reports and
did not pay attention to the many experiences of people suffering from
health effects of modern radiofrequent radiation. The complaints of these
people however fit in well with the effects on the central nervous system,
increased neuronal activity and influence on the functioning of the brain.
The damage to DNA moreover fits in well with the results of epidemiologic
investigations, finding an increased risk of cancer in the neighbourhood
of antenna towers. The experts however state that the results of epidemiologic
investigations are not consistent and more research is needed. In the
meantime they advise to keep mobile calls short and not to use a mobile
phone in a moving car without outside antenna nor at a far distance from
the antenna tower.
Risk groups
Young and healthy people are not at risk, say the experts. However, the
radiation of mobile communication systems ( probably combined with other
factors ) could be harmful to other groups, like children, elderly or
sick people, babies and pregnant women. Probably the pulse-modulated radiation
is most effectful on the central nervous system and brain. The working
mechanism is non-thermal and not yet understood. Pulse-modulation is used
by e.g. GSM, UMTS, DECT, WLAN, WIFI, TETRA and many other wireless systems.
The experts say headaches and problems with concentration and remembrance
could be related to the radiation of mobile phone systems, but according
to the literature the other complaints probably are not. Having studied
the scientific literature, they doubt if electrohypersensitivity ( EHS
) exists, but they emphasize that the absence of evidence is not evidence
of absence.
No consensus
The experts studied the permeability of the 'blood brain barrier', the
risk of cancer, the damage to DNA, the effects on the brain and central
nervous system and the disturbance of well-being. About the permeability
of the 'blood brain barrier' there is no consensus. The experts think
the 'blood brain barrier' could fail under stress or thermal conditions,
but without relevance to health. There is no consensus about the damage
to DNA neither. However, the experts think this can not be relevant biologically
and to health, since the literature does not mention cell damage as a
consequence. Laboratory tests with animals do not show an increase of
cancer. Nevertheless the experts say there could be an increased risk
of cancer in humans in the long term. They advise to be on the safe side
and keep mobile phone calls short.
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