Mobile phone use is so widespread (it was estimated in 2011 that there were around five billion mobile phone users), public concerns about the possible health effects of mobile phones receive a lot of coverage in the media.
So many people use mobile phones, medical researchers are concerned that any associated health risks, even small ones, could cause significant public health problems.
It is important to understand the risks and possible effects of mobile phone use, and make up your own mind about how you use your mobile phone.
Health concerns over mobile phone use
Mobile phones communicate with base stations using radiofrequency (RF) radiation.
If RF radiation is high enough, it has a ‘thermal’ effect, which means it raises body temperature.
There are concerns that the low levels of RF radiation emitted by mobile phones could cause health problems such as headaches or brain tumours.
Research into mobile phones and health risks
Intensive international research has found no conclusive or convincing evidence that mobile phones are damaging to health in the short or long term.
However, in May 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified RF radiation as ‘possibly carcinogenic for humans, based on an increased risk for glioma, a type of brain cancer’.
The release of this WHO statement prompted many people to call for a ‘precautionary approach’ to mobile phone use. Research is ongoing.
Radiation in relation to mobile phone use
Radiation is a combination of electrical and magnetic energy that travels through space at the speed of light. It is also referred to as electromagnetic radiation (EMR).
Radiation is classified into two broad groups:
1) Ionising radiation (IR) – which is capable of causing changes in atoms or molecules in the body that can result in tissue damage such as cancer. Examples of IR include x-rays and gamma rays
2) Non-ionising radiation (NIR) – which doesn’t cause these changes, but can prompt molecules to vibrate. This can lead to rises in temperature, as well as other effects. Examples of NIR include ultraviolet radiation in sunlight, visible light, light bulbs, infrared radiation, microwave energy and radiofrequency energy.
