Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!howland.erols.net!news.maxwell.syr.edu!news.doit.wisc.edu!wiscnews.wiscnet.net!jmoulder From: jmoulder@its.mcw.edu (John Moulder) Newsgroups: asci.med.physics,sci.physics.electromag,sci.answers,news.answers Subject: Cell Phone Antennas & Health FAQs Followup-To: sci.med.physics Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 15:17:45 -0500 Organization: Medical College of Wisconsin Lines: 310 Approved: new-answers-request@MIT.edu Expires: 24 July 2002 00:00:00 GMT Message-ID: Reply-To: jmoulder@mcw.edu (John Moulder) NNTP-Posting-Host: net-206-140.dhcp.mcw.edu Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: wiscnews.wiscnet.net 1024949866 29904 141.106.206.140 (24 Jun 2002 20:17:46 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@wiscnews.wiscnet.net NNTP-Posting-Date: 24 Jun 2002 20:17:46 GMT Summary: A series of Q&As on wireless communication (including cell phone) base station antennas and human health. Keywords: cellular, phone, mobile, PCS, health, antennas, EMF, cancer, FCC, tower, mast, RF Mail-Copies-To: nobody User-Agent: YA-NewsWatcher/3.1.8 Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu sci.physics.electromag:53666 sci.answers:14343 news.answers:232954 Archive-name: medicine/cell-phone-antennas-health-faq Posting-Frequency: monthly Last-modified: 13 May 2002 Version: 4.3.1 URL: http://www.mcw.edu/gcrc/cop/cell-phone-health-FAQ/toc.html Copyright: (c) 1996-2002 John E. Moulder & The Medical College of Wisconsin Author: John E. Moulder Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Mobile Phone Base Station Antennas and Human Health --------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Summary This FAQ addresses the issue of whether mobile phone (cellular phone) base station antennas (towers, masks) are a risk to human health. Issues surrounding the phones themselves are addressed indirectly, and some aspects of the FAQ are also relevant to other types of broadcast antennas. While discussion of general issues are international in some of the technical and regulatory aspects of the FAQ are USA-specific. Mobile phone base stations are low-power multi-channel two-way radios. A mobile phone (cell phone) is a low-power, single-channel, two-way radio. When you talk on such a mobile phone, you (and perhaps dozens of other people around you) are talking to a nearby base station. From that base station your phone call goes into the regular land-line phone system. Because mobile phones and their base stations are two-way radios, they produce radio-frequency radiation (that's how they communicate), and they expose people near them to radio-frequency (RF) radiation. However, because both the phones and the base stations are low power (short range), the RF radiation exposure levels from them are generally very low. The consensus of the scientific community, both in the US and internationally, is that the power from these mobile phone base station antennas is far too low to produce health hazards as long as people are kept away from direct access to the antennas (see Q13 and Q14). It is critical to be aware of the difference between antennas, the objects that produce radio-frequency radiation, and towers (masts), the structures that the antennas are placed on. It is the antennas that people need to keep there distance from, not the towers that hold the antennas. There may be some reasons to be concerned about human health effects from the hand-held mobile phones themselves (although it is not clear that any risks to human health actually exist). These concerns exist because the antennas of these hand-held phones deliver much of their radiofrequency energy to very small volumes of the user's body. Base station antennas do not create such localized exposures (unless you are standing directly in front of one), so the potential safety issues concerning the hand-held phones have no real applicability to the base station antennas. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The full version of this FAQ is now available only on the web: http://www.mcw.edu/gcrc/cop/cell-phone-health-FAQ/toc.html This posted version contains only the table of contents and a list of recent revisions. --------------------------------------------------------------------- El documento "Preguntas y respuestas sobre antenas de telefonía móvil y salud humana" está disponible en español: http://www.mcw.edu/gcrc/cop/telefonos-moviles-salud/toc.html --------------------------------------------------------------------- Queste FAQ riguardanti "le antenne per telefonia mobile e i loro effetti sulla salute" sono disponibili in italiano all'indirizzo: http://space.tin.it/clubnet/albpales/Telefonia_mobile/toc-it.htm" --------------------------------------------------------------------- This document is available in Chinese at: http://www.ym.edu.tw/rad/cbase/ This document is available in Japanese at: http://www.iftech.or.jp/cellular/health.html --------------------------------------------------------------------- There are two related FAQs: Powerlines & Cancer FAQs: http://www.mcw.edu/gcrc/cop/powerlines-cancer-FAQ/toc.html Static Electromagnetic Fields and Cancer FAQs http://www.mcw.edu/gcrc/cop/static-fields-cancer-FAQ/toc.html --------------------------------------------------------------------- What's New? Jun-2002: Spanish version, "Preguntas y respuestas sobre antenas de telefonía móvil y salud humana" updated at: v4.3, May-2002: - Q15G generalized to cover the comments of a number of "Blue Ribbon" groups. - Reports from the Health Council of the Netherlands on the safety of mobile phones [185] and base stations [186]. - A new US government website on the safety and regulation of mobile phone and mobile phone base stations [189]. - A new French report on the safety and regulation of mobile phone and mobile phone base stations [179]. - Q14F expanded to cover the issue of "minimum safe distances" - A new survey of maximum RF levels in schools near mobile phone base stations in the UK added to [Q12]. - A report that there were no differences were found between the biological effects continuous-wave and pulsed RF radiation [178]. - A report that phase-modulated RF radiation was genotoxic to human cells, but that a continuous wave signal was not [180]. - A report that exposure of rats to mobile phone RF radiation does not promote chemically-induced breast cancer [181]. - A report that mobile phone RF radiation might cause a certain type of genotoxic injury (micronucleus formation) in human blood cells, but did not cause DNA strand breaks [182]. - A report that mobile phone RF radiation did not cause a certain type of genotoxic injury (micronucleus formation) in mammalian cells [191]. - A report that exposure of mice to mobile phone RF radiation produced no detectable effect on the brain and did not mutate the DNA of their brain cells [190]. - A report that exposure of human volunteers to RF radiation from mobile phones improved their performance on tests for "attention" [183]. - A report that head-only exposure of rats to mobile phone RF radiation rat had no effect on learning [184]. - A report that use of mobile phones is not associated with an increased risk of acoustic neuromas (a benign brain tumor) [188]. - A report that exposure to RF radiation from US Navy radar during the Korean War is not associated with a subsequent increase in cancer rates [187]. Additions and changes in 2001 and earlier in 2002: ***A detailed discussion of the "Moscow Embassy study" [70] as Q15H. ***New governmental reports and academic reviews: - A report to the U.S. Congress of the state of research into the possible health effects of mobile phone RFR [168]. - A review of the history of RFR safety guidelines [169]. - A review of possible health risks from mobile phones from the World Health Organization [165]. - A review of possible health risks from mobile phones from the American Cancer Society [163]. - A review of international RFR safety guidelines and why they differ [164]. - The Royal Society of Canada report was published in a biomedical journal along with an update [99]. - IEEE COMAR Technical Information Statement on base stations [27]. - IEEE COMAR Technical Information Statement on hand-held mobile phones [26]. ***New epidemiology studies and experimental human studies: - Mobile phone RFR had no effect on melatonin levels or immune function in humans [166]. - Exposure to RFR from GSM phones had no detectable subjective effects on human volunteers [160]. - Headaches and other symptoms were reported to be higher in users of analog phones than users of digital phones [162]. - A retrospective cohort study [155] of all types of cancer in Danish mobile phone users. No increased risk of brain cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, ocular cancer or melanoma was found. - In 1996, Mann and Röschke [113] reported that mobile phone RF caused sleep disturbance in human volunteers, when the study was repeated with a higher exposure intensity, the effect vanished [159]. - A report [154] on headaches and other symptoms reported by mobile phone users. - A report [152, 153] that intraocular melanoma is associated with occupational use of mobile phones and other RF sources. - A report [146] that RF from mobile phones affects EEG, but not memory or reaction time. ***New cellular and animal studies: - Exposure of mice to digital or analog mobile phone RFR did not promote cancer (particularly lymphoma) induced by ionizing radiation [172]. - Exposure of mice to digital mobile phone RFR did not promote chemically-induced skin cancer [177]. - Exposure of mice to RFR did not promote chemically-induced skin cancer [175]. - Exposure of normal mouse cells and human tumor cells to digital or analog mobile phone RFR had no effect on their growth [173]. - RFR was not mutagenic in bacteria (the Ames test) [176]. - RFR did not cause chromosome damage in rats [174].- Mobile phone RFR did not cause chromosome damage in human blood cells [167]. - RFR at 4 W/kg had no effect on the blood-brain barrier of mice [170]. - A study of RF radiation effects on "stress" responses in animals [161] found that restraint of animals for the exposure produced effects, but the RFR exposure itself did not. - Zook and Simmens [104] reported the absence of an effect on brain tumor incidence in rats exposed to continuous-wave or pulsed RFR at 1.0 W/kg. - No increase in cancer in mice exposed to ultra-wide band RF pulses [156]. - No evidence for genotoxic or epigenetic activity in human lymphocytes exposed to 600 MHz GSM at 0.4-10 W/kg for 4 hrs [157]. - RFR of pregnant rats had no affect in their offspring [145]. - RFR may induce heat shock in worms without a detectable rise in temperature [148]. - RFR did not damage chromosomes and did not enhance the activity of known carcinogens [149]. - RFR did not cause cell transformation [151]. - RFR did not cause chromosome damage and did not enhance micronucleus formation [150]. ***New dosimetry and biophysical studies: - A report on the near impossibility of assessing RFR exposure from mobile phone base stations without site specific measurements or calculations [171]. - An analysis [147] of RFR exposure levels to a person on a roof near a base station antenna. - A theoretical examination finds that nonthermal effects of RFR are implausible [158]. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Contents 1. What are mobile phone base stations; and are there health hazards associated with living, working, playing, or going to school near one? 2. Are scientists seriously concerned about possible health risks from mobile phone base station antennas? 3. Do the differences between cell phones, PCS phones, and other types of portable (mobile) phones matter when evaluating the potential impacts of base station antennas on human health? 4. Do the differences between mobile phone base station antennas and other types of radio and TV broadcast antennas matter when evaluating their potential impacts on human health? 5. Do mobile phone base station antennas produce radiation? 6. Is the non-ionizing radiation (radio-frequency radiations) from mobile phone base station antennas similar to ionizing radiations such as X-rays? 7. Is the radio-frequency radiation from mobile phone base station antennas similar to the "EMF" produced by power lines? 8. Are there safety guidelines for mobile phone base station antennas? 9. Is there a scientific basis for these radiofrequency radiation safety guidelines? 10. Are all the safety guidelines the same? 11. Does the U. S. have safety guidelines for mobile phone base stations? 12. Can mobile phone base station antennas meet the safety guidelines? 13. Are there circumstances where mobile phone base station antennas could fail to meet the safety guidelines? 14. What siting criteria are required to ensure that a mobile phone base station antenna will meet safety guidelines? A. What are some general siting criteria? B. What are the difference between a high-gain antenna and a low-gain antenna? C. What do the phrases "antenna gain", "transmitter power" and "effective radiated power (ERP)" mean? D. What is the difference between the RF patterns for high-gain and low- gain antennas? E. Is it safe to live on the top floor of a building that has a mobile phone base station antenna on it? F. Are use restrictions or "set-backs" required around mobile phone base station antenna sites and what is the "minimum safe distance"? G. What precautions need to be taken when working around mobile phone base station antennas? H. How do you assess compliance with radio-frequency radiation guidelines for mobile phone base stations? 15. Does everyone agree with the current RF safety guidelines? A. Does the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency think that the current safety guidelines for mobile (cellular) phones are adequate? B. Has an Australian group claimed that there is evidence that living near TV broadcast towers causes an increase in childhood leukemia? C. Has an Israeli epidemiologist claimed that there is evidence that low- level RF exposure causes a variety of health effects? D. Has a British group reported excess leukemia and lymphoma around a high-power FM/TV broadcast antenna? E. Has a University of Washington (Seattle, U.S.A) researcher claimed that there is evidence that RF exposure from base stations is hazardous? F. What about the claims on British, American and French TV that there is new data suggesting that cell phones might cause cancer? G. What have various expert scientific panels (UK, US, Canada, Netherlands, France) said about the safety of mobile phone base stations? H. Did microwave irradiation of the US Embassy in Moscow cause cancer or other injuries to people working there? 16. Are there epidemiological studies showing that RF radiation exposure from mobile phone base stations is safe? 17. Could modulated RF radiation produce different effects than the continuous-wave (CW) RF radiation used in many laboratory studies? 18. Are there groups (such as children or the elderly) that are more sensitive to the effects of RF radiations? 19. Will mobile phone base station antennas affect heart pacemakers, cause headaches, etc? A. Will mobile phone base station antennas affect medical devices such as cardiac pacemakers? B. Do cell phones or cell phone base stations cause headaches? C. Does radio-frequency radiation from cell phones or cell phone base stations cause physiological or behavioral changes? 20. Can radio-frequency radiation produce biological effects? 21. Is there any replicated evidence that RF radiation can cause cancer? 22. Is there any evidence that RF radiation can cause miscarriages or birth defects? 23. What do the most recent scientific laboratory studies of RF radiation and cancer show? A. What about the report that exposure of mice to cell phone radiation causes lymphoma? B. Has anyone else exposed rodents to cell phone radiation to see if they got cancer? C. What about the report that exposure of mice to cell phone radiation causes damage to the DNA in their brain cells? 24. Where can I get more information? 25. Who wrote these Questions and Answers?