Are cell phones safe?
The radiation levels in cell phones, known
as radio frequency (RF) radiation, are regulated by the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC, other US government agencies,
and peer-reviewed studies consider the radiation from cell phones to
have no adverse health effects. However, an accumulating amount of
scientific research suggests that cell phone use may cause cancer,
disrupt pacemakers, decrease fertility, damage DNA, and increase the
risk of traffic accidents.
Did You Know?
Pro & Con Arguments
In
2008, the $148.1 billion wireless industry had over 270 million
subscribers in the US (87% of the population) who used over 2.2 trillion
minutes of call time. Read more...
Cell Phones ProCon.org is a
nonpartisan, nonprofit website that presents facts, studies, and pro and
con statements on questions related to whether or not cell phones are
safe.

Did You Know?
Cordless home phones,
television, radio, laptops, and palm held computers all produce
radiofrequency (RF) radiation, the same type of radiation that is
produced by cell phones.
The radiation emitted by a cell phone can penetrate 4 - 6 cm (1.6 - 2.4 in) into the human brain (215 KB) .
[1]
The amount of RF absorbed into the head can be reduced by using a wired
ear-piece (not a Bluetooth) rather than placing the phone against the
ear.
A 2002 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (8 MB)  [24] (released in 2009 under a Freedom of
Information Act request) concluded that using a hands free device
(Bluetooth, headset, etc.) does not reduce distraction or make cell
phone use safer while driving. As of Sep. 2009, six states had passed
laws requiring the use of a hands free device while driving.

On
July 24, 2008, a warning was issued (1 MB)  [25] by the Director of
the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute to faculty and staff to
decrease cell phone exposure due to a possible connection between cell
phone radiation and brain tumors. The warning prompted a congressional
hearing on cell phone use and tumors (19 KB) .
Pro & Con Arguments: "Are cell phones safe?"
PRO Cell Phones
CON Cell Phones
According
to some studies, the use of a cell phone can slightly decrease the risk
of developing the brain tumors glioma and meningioma. [1]
Studies
have shown an association between cell phone use and the development of
glioma, a type of brain cancer. According to one meta-study there is a
"consistent pattern" connecting cell phone use and the increased risk of
developing brain cancer. [12]
Cell phone radiation, like
radio, TV, and visible light radiation, is non-ionizing and cannot cause
cancer. Ionizing radiation, including x-rays and ultraviolet light,
produces molecules called ions that have either too many or too few
electrons. Ions are known to damage DNA and cause cancer. Cell phone
radiation lacks sufficient energy to add or remove electrons from
molecules, and therefore it cannot ionize and cause cancer. [2]
Many
studies have found that long term cell phone use increases the risk of
tumors of the head. According to one Swedish study, the risk of acoustic
neuroma (a tumor formation on the nerve near the ear) was greater on
the side of the head that the cell phone was held. [13]
Using
a cell phone while driving, even with a hands-free device, is unsafe
and can make accidents more likely. The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) estimates that driving distractions, including
the use of cell phones, contribute to 25% of all traffic crashes. [14]
Cell
phone radiation levels are tested and certified by the manufacturer to
meet the safe levels established by the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC). Random tests of phones on the market by FCC scientists
further ensure that radiation levels meet FCC guidelines. [3]
The
radio frequency (RF) emissions from cell phones have been shown to
damage genetic material in blood cells which is a common precursor to
cancer. [15]
Cell phones do not cause cancer or other health
problems. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), US Government
Accountability Office (GAO), and numerous other agencies have concluded
that there is no evidence in the scientific literature proving that cell
phones cause brain tumors or other health problems. [4] [5]
Driving
while talking on a cell phone is as dangerous as driving drunk.
According to researchers at the University of Utah people who drive
while talking on their cell phones are as impaired as drunk drivers with
a blood alcohol level of 0.08%. [16]
If cell phones were
causing cancer we could expect a rise in the rate of brain and other
related cancers. However, according to the National Cancer Institute,
there has been no increase in the incidence of brain or other nervous
system cancers between the years 1987 and 2005 despite the fact that
cell phone use has dramatically increased during those same years. [6]
Children
are at an increased risk for adverse health effects from cell phone
radiation. One study has shown that children under the age of eight
absorb twice the amount of radiation into their brain tissue as adults
due to their lower skull thickness. [17]
The radiofrequency
radiation from cell phones can damage the DNA in sperm. Cell phone
storage in front pockets has been linked to poor fertility and an
increased chance of miscarriage and childhood cancer. According to the
Cleveland Clinic Center for Reproductive medicine, semen quality "tended
to decline as daily cell phone use increased." [18] [19]
Many
activities that distract drivers are much more dangerous than talking
on a phone. Research shows that cell phone use is a factor in less than
1% of accidents and that adjusting the radio or CD player, talking with
passengers, or eating, and drinking while driving are all responsible
for more accidents than cell phones. [7] [8]
Long term cell phone use can increase the likelihood of being hospitalized for migraines and vertigo by 10-20%. [20]
Studies
correlating head tumors and cell phone use show inconsistent results,
may have been tainted by recall bias (participants not remembering how
often and for how long they have used their cell phones), and have not
been replicated. Most studies have not found any association between
cell phone use and the development of head tumors. [9]
The
use of cellphones by people with pacemakers is unsafe. According to the
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), radiofrequency energy from cell
phones can create electromagnetic interference (EMI) that may disrupt
the functioning of pacemakers, especially if the cell phone is placed
close to the heart. [21]
Cell phones increase personal
safety by providing an easy means of contacting others during an
emergency. According to an American Association of Retired Persons
(AARP) poll, 56% of people over the age of 65 cite safety as a reason
they have a cell phone. [10]
Lithium-ion batteries, used in
most cell phones, can explode from exposure to high heat, or from
overcharging a faulty counterfeit battery. These explosions have caused
injuries and started fires. [22]
Despite popular belief, it is
safe for persons with a pacemaker to use a cell phone. According to the
American Heart Association, the radiofrequency emissions (RF) of cell
phones available in the United States do not affect pacemaker
functioning during normal use. [11]
Background: "Are cell phones safe?"
The
radiation levels in cell phones, known as radio frequency (RF)
radiation, are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The FCC, other US government agencies, and peer-reviewed studies
consider the radiation from cell phones to have no adverse health
effects. However, an accumulating amount of scientific research suggests
that cell phone use may cause cancer, disrupt pacemakers, decrease
fertility, damage DNA, and increase the risk of traffic accidents.
On
Apr. 3, 1973, the world's first portable cell phone, the DynaTAC (also
known as "the brick"), was introduced in the US by Dr. Martin Cooper at
Motorola. The phone was a foot long, weighed two pounds, and cost
$4,000. It was not until 1983 that the first commercial cell phone
system was launched in Chicago by Ameritech Mobile Communications.
On
Feb. 26, 1985, the first safety guidelines (127 KB)  [27] for radio
frequency (RF) radiation - the type of radiation used by cell phones,
cordless phones, radio, television, microwaves and wi-fi to transmit
their signals - were enacted by the US Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) to ensure that people were not exposed to dangerous "thermal
effects" - levels of RF that could heat human flesh to harmful levels.
Image showing inventor Dr. Martin Cooper and a prototype of the DynaTAC (aka "the brick"), the first commercial cellphone, 1973.
Source: www.cbc.ca (accessed Sep. 21, 2009)
RF
wavelengths, unlike sound waves and the waves in the ocean, are part of
the electromagnetic spectrum - meaning they move via interaction
between their electric and magnetic fields. RF waves move at the speed
of light (186,282 miles/second) and can penetrate solid objects such as
buildings.
The RF radiation from cell phones is contained in the
low end (non-ionizing portion) of the broader electromagnetic spectrum
just above radio and television RF and just below microwave RF. At high
exposure levels non-ionizing radiation can produce a thermal or heating
effect (this is how microwaves heat food). Exposure to the high end
(ionizing) radiation of X-rays and Gamma rays is known to cause cancer.
Whether or not exposure to the low end (non-ionizing) spectrum causes
cancer remains debated.
In 1993 concern over a possible link
between brain tumors and cell phone use became a major public issue when
CNN's Larry King Live show reported on a husband who had sued a cell
phone manufacturer in a Florida US District Court for causing his wife's
brain tumor (the case was dismissed in 1995).

On Aug. 7,
1996, the FCC exanded its guidelines on RF exposure (90 KB)  [3] with
input from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH), and the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA). The guidelines created a measure of the rate that
body tissue absorbs RF energy during cell phone use called the specific
absorption rate (SAR). The SAR for cell phone radiation was set at a
maximum of 1.6 watts of energy absorbed per kilogram of body weight per
cell phone call that averages 30 minutes and the cell phone is held at
the ear. SAR levels for cell phones sold in the US range from a low of
.109 watts to the maximum of 1.6 watts. Holding a cell phone away from
the body while using a wired earpiece or speaker phone lowers the amount
of radiation absorbed, and text messaging, rather than talking, further
lowers that amount.
Photographs of the FCC's cell phone specific absorption rate (SAR) testing equipment.
Source: "Research and Regulatory Efforts on Mobile Phone Health Issues," www.gao.gov, May 2001
The
FDA and the International Association for the Wireless
Telecommunications Industry (CTIA) signed a research agreement in 2000
to further investigate the health effects of cell phones. They concluded
that "no association was found between exposure to radiofrequency (RF)
radiation from cell phones and adverse health effects."
The
safety concerns over cell phone radiation continued into 2001 when the
US Government Accountability Office (GAO) was commissioned by Senators
Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) to compile a
report on the safety of cell phones. The final GAO report, "Research and
Regulatory Efforts on Mobile Phone Health Issues (2.5 MB) ," [5]
issued in May of 2001 concluded that there is no scientific evidence
proving that cell phone radiation has any "adverse health effects" but
that more research on the topic was needed.

Six states
have taken legislative action to lessen the possible safety hazards of
talking on a cell phone while driving. New York (96 KB)  [28] was first
in 2001. Five other states (Connecticut [2005] (66 KB)  [29],
California [2007] (146 KB)  [30], New Jersey [2007] (12 KB)  [31],
Washington [2007] (112 KB)  [32] and Oregon [2009] (27 KB)  [33]) have
since passed laws prohibiting drivers from talking on handheld cell
phones.
Illustration showing an estimate of the absorption of radio frequency radiation into the brain based on age.
Source: "The Case for Precaution in the Use of Cell Phones," www.environmentalhealthtrust.org, July 2008
In
July of 2008 Dr. Ronald Herberman, Director of the University of
Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, issued a warning to hospital faculty and
staff (1 MB)  [25] to decrease direct cell phone exposure to the head
and body due to a possible connection between cell phone radiation and
brain tumors. Due to this warning, the House Subcommittee on Domestic
Policy held a hearing on the possible link between cell phone use and
tumors (19 KB)  [26] in Sep. 2008 to learn more about the possible
risks.
In 2008, the $148.1 billion wireless industry had over 270
million (70 KB)  [34] subscribers in the US (87% of the population)
who used over 2.2 trillion minutes (142 KB)  [35] of call time.
In
2009, the debate surrounding the safety of cell phone use while driving
was re-ignited when a Freedom of Information Act request, filed by the
Center for Auto Safety and Public Citizen, revealed a 2002 report by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (8 MB)  [24] that
concluded that using a hands free device does not lessen "cognitive
distraction" or make cell phone use safer while driving. The report had
not been previously released.

On May 17, 2010, the
results of the 13 country, 10 year, $25 million INTERPHONE study (3 KB)
 [36] (the largest ever to date) found that using a cell phone may or
may not increase a persons risk of developing brain tumors.
On
June 22, 2010, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 9-1 to make
the city the nation’s first to require that retailers post cell phone
radiation levels prominently in their stores. [23]
On May 31,
2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the
World Health Organization (WHO) issued a press release (249 KB)  [37]
announcing it had added cell phone radiation to its list of physical
agents (98 KB)  [38] that are "possibly carcinogenic to humans" (group
2B agents). Other group 2B agents include coffee, DDT, pickled
vegetables, and lead. The classification was made after a working group
of 31 scientists finished a review of previously published studies and
found "limited evidence of carcinogenicity" from the radio frequency
electromagnetic fields emitted by wireless phones, radio, television,
and radar.
On Oct. 20, 2011 the British Medical Journal published
a study (392 KB)  of 358,403 Danish citizens – the largest study of
its kind to date – which concluded that "there was no association
between tumors of the central nervous system or brain and long term (10
years +) use of mobile phones." The study compared data from the Danish
cancer registry and Danish cell phone
Illustration showing the electromagnetic spectrum.
Source: "Research and Regulatory Efforts on Mobile Phone Health Issues," www.gao.gov, May 2001
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