News update 19th September 2008
news.omega
*19^th September 2008*
*News update from RRT*
On 8^th & 9^th September, the Radiation Research Trust brought together
leading experts in the fields of science, politics and regulation from
across the globe to debate the health effects of electromagnetic fields.
This was the first time that such a conference was organised to include
experts from both sides of the health debate (those that believe
electromagnetic fields have negative effects on health and those that
believe the opposite is true).
Entitled ‘Electromagnetic fields and health – a global issue’, the
conference took place at the Royal Society, and was attended by a number
of highly prominent speakers. These included speakers from world
establishments such as ICNIRP, WHO, RNCNIRP and national bodies such as
the UK Health Protection Agency and the MTHR. They were joined by
scientists, politicians, lawyers and concerned citizens, each offering
differing viewpoints in order to encourage discussion around risk
assessment, precautionary measures, social policy and areas where
further research is required.
The conference produced a number of informative presentations on a wide
variety of issues related to electromagnetic radiation. Topics covered
included the effects of mobile phone base stations, brain tumour
studies, studies on electro-sensitivity and electromagnetic fields
effects on animals and humans.
The conference was organised by the Radiation Research Trust with the
aim of developing appropriate precautionary guidance so that
policy-makers can make the best decisions about regulation and give
clear and appropriate advice to the public, in particular parents, young
people and those with environmental sensitivities.
*Eileen O’Connor, Trustee at the Radiation Research Trust, said:*
/ “The conference was extremely successful in gathering some of the
World’s leading speakers and organisations with expertise in
electromagnetic radiation, sparking debate on public policy and the
precautionary approach. Now we need to collectively agree on the way
forward, filling in the gaps in scientific research and whilst doing
this, looking at ways to keep the public informed of potential risks
with appropriate precautionary advice.”/
*The RRT is producing conference proceedings which will follow later on
this year. *
*Also see further news and reports about the RRT Conference*
* *
*_Powerwatch UK_*/ /
Please visit Powerwatch UK for an overview of the conference.
http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/news/20080917_rrt_conference.asp
Dr Ian Gibson, Labour MP and trustee for the Radiation Research Trust
extended a warm welcome, inviting guests to join him for dinner at
Westminster.
Photograph taken at Westminster Monday 8^th September, 2008
**
*News coverage from the RRT conference*
**http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/61725/Is-wi-fi-putting-our-children-in-danger-
<http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/61725/Is-wi-fi-putting-our-children-in-danger>
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1659731.ece
http://www.metro.co.uk/mobile/article.html?Mobiles_linked_to_kids'_bad_behaviour&in_article_id=298487&in_page_id=63
<http://www.metro.co.uk/mobile/article.html?Mobiles_linked_to_kids%27_bad_behaviour&in_article_id=298487&in_page_id=63>
http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/2008/09/08/use-of-mobiles-cause-child-behavioural-problems/
http://www.britainnews.net/story/403691
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health/Using_mobile_while_pregnant_Beware/articleshow/3458115.cms
*_Microwave News_*
*September 18…* "Where is Interphone?” asked Ian Gibson, a member of the
U.K. Parliament at last week's Radiation Research Trust (RRT) conference
in London. "Whose desk is it on?" No one offered an answer, not even
Anders Ahlbm, a member of the Swedish Interphone group, who earlier that
morning had given a talk on EMF epidemiology.
Read the details at:
*Mikko Ahonen posting about the conference:*
http://beyondcreativity.blogs.com/mblog/2008/09/i-am-back-from.html
*_Another Important development _*
*_European Parliament Recommends Stricter Safety Limits for Cell Phones_*
Sep 18, 2008 13:12 ET
ALBANY, NY--(Marketwire - September 18, 2008) - University at Albany,
Institute for Health and the Environment - The European Parliament has
voted 522 to 16 to recommend tighter safety standards for cell phones.
In light of the growing body of scientific evidence implicating cell
phone use with brain tumors, the Parliament says, "The limits on
exposure to electromagnetic fields [EMFs] which have been set for the
general public are obsolete."
The European Parliament "is greatly concerned at the Bio-Initiative
international report concerning EMFs, which summarises over 1500 studies
on that topic and which points in its conclusions to the health risks
posed by emissions from mobile-telephony devices such as mobile
telephones, UMTS, WiFi, WiMax and Bluetooth, and also DECT landline
telephones.
Want to read more about it?
_http://new.marketwire.com/2.0/release.do?id=901580_
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Complaint Filed Over Health Effects of French Mobile Antenna
Peter Sayer, IDG News Service
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/151275/complaint_filed_over_health_effects_of_french_mobile_antenna.html
Friday, September 19, 2008 9:00 AM PDT
A French mobile phone company could face criminal charges for
"administration of a harmful substance," following a complaint by a
family living near one of its base station transmitters.
The complaint filed Wednesday blames radio signals from an antenna
erected by Bouygues Telecom
<http://www.pcworld.com/tags/Bouygues+SA.html> in 2000 for the health
problems, including tachycardia and cardiac arrhythmia, of one of two
17-year-old twins living in Chevreuse, southwest of Paris, according to
the family's lawyer, Richard Forget.
The state prosecutor now has three months to decide whether to launch an
investigation, after which time Forget will seek recognition by the
court to pursue the case.
Forget believes it's the first complaint to equate mobile phone signals
to a harmful substance, and also the first that could result in criminal
charges against a mobile phone network operator. Bouygues is the only
operator to have an antenna in the area where the family lives, he said.
Another factor in the complaint is a note from the family's
cardiologist, relating the change in the 17-year-old's health to the
operation of the transmitter, which entered service in 2003.
Bouygues Telecom has no comment to make on the matter, a representative
said.
The effects on health of mobile phone signals has been much studied and
debated, but the results have so far been inconclusive.
Employees of the Paris city authority have also blamed radio signals for
their health problems, and forced the city to shut down free Wi-Fi
access points installed in some public buildings.
However, tests conducted by an independent laboratory in four city
libraries found that radio signal levels there were between 80 and 400
times lower than the legal maximum, the city authority said Thursday.
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*2008/09/19
*
CAP wants Penang WiFi project stopped till safety is assured
By : Melissa Darlyne Chow <mailto:ne...@nst.com.my>
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/Frontpage/20080919182544/Article/index_html
GEORGE TOWN:
The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has proposed that the "Penang
Free WiFi" project be stopped until the state government can prove that
it is safe.
Its president S.M. Mohamed Idris said the state government should not
allow the technology to be imposed on the residents as they would be
unable to avoid the electro-magnetic radiation from the project.
"The state government should take the precautionary approach in this
matter and stop the project as it may affect the health of all Penang
residents," he said in a statement today.
Mohamed Idris said CAP was worried about the possible health effects of
the project which was launched recently.
He said the project would create a Wi-Fi fog over the state and no one
would be able to escape its effects.
"There will be an increase of Wi-Fi telecommunication towers and masts
all over the state. They are already a health concern of residents who
live near them.
"These concerns will be multiplied many folds if there are to be more of
these towers and masts.”
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*Cell phones linked to sluggish sperm*
Cleveland Clinic study indicates men may not want to keep cell phones in
their pockets while using hands-free devices.
By Darren Toms, Newsradio WTAM 1100
*Check out Darren's personality page*
<http://www.wtam.com/pages/darrentoms.html>
Friday, September 19, 2008
http://www.wtam.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=122520&article=4268759
<http://www.wtam.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=122520&article=4268759>
*(Cleveland)* – This may be the last time you read the words sperm and
cell phone in the same sentence.
But researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have found that radio-frequency
electromagnetic waves emitted from cell phones in talk mode may cause
decreased sperm quality in men.
The study was just published by researchers at the Glickman Urological
and Kidney Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in the journal Fertility
and Sterility.
The study found that cell phone radiation caused the generation of
significantly higher levels of free radicals in sperm cells while
decreasing the amount of antioxidants found in the seminal fluid.
Together, these conditions were shown to have a negative impact on the
motility and viability of sperm cells.
These findings could have major implications for the millions of
reproductive-age men using hands-free devices for their conversations
while storing their phones in their pockets in talk mode.
“We wanted to identify why cell phone use and decreased sperm quality
appear to be related, so we devised a research protocol that could be
done completely in the lab, thus not harming participants while getting
more objective results,” said Ashok Agarwal, Ph.D., Head of the
Andrology Laboratory and the Director of Center for Reproductive
Medicine at the Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, who led the
study.
“We never imagined that we’d identify a causal link so clearly in our
initial study design, so we’re happy that this research has provided
clean data to fuel future research and discussion in this area.”
Dr. Agarwal’s previous study, which was published in the journal
Fertility and Sterility in 2007, used self-reported data from 361
subjects and found that men who used their cell phones more than four
hours a day had significantly lower sperm quality than those who used
their cell phones for less time. The 2007 study did not, however,
identify a possible cause, so the research team set out to create a new
study that would provide more insight.
In this latest study, researchers collected semen samples from 32
subjects, including nine patients and 23 healthy donors, and divided the
samples into two parts to allow for both a test group and a control
group. Specimens from the test group were then placed 2.5 centimeters
from a 850 MHz cell phone in talk mode for 1 hour. Researchers
identified this distance as being the typical distance between the
testes and trouser pockets, a common place for men to store their cell
phones while talking on a hands-free earpiece.
Special equipment measured and monitored the radio-frequency
electromagnetic waves emitted by the phone. Then, researchers measured
the levels of reactive oxygen species (harmful free radicals), total
antioxidant capacity and DNA integrity of the sperm cells, and compared
them to the control group.
The findings showed that cell phone radiation increased the amount of
reactive oxidative stress (or free radicals) and decreased the amount of
antioxidants in semen to levels that have a negative impact on the
motility and viability of sperm. Measurements of the test group versus
the control group revealed that cell phone radiation creates a state of
oxidative stress within sperm cells that causes a significant decrease
in their ability to function optimally.
There were no significant differences in the amount of DNA damage to the
cells in the test group versus the control group; however, the
researchers recommend further studies in this area with a larger sample
size.
(Copyright © 2008 Clear Channel. All rights reserved.)
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*FERTILITY*
Is That A Phone In Your Pocket?
A new study finds that the radiation emitted by cell phones can lower
sperm quality.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/159624/page/2
By Joan Raymond | NEWSWEEK
Published Sep 18, 2008
Just when you thought you were doing something good by using a
hands-free cell-phone device, along comes a fertility specialist to put
a damper on the party. According to a study published Sept. 19 in the
online version of the journal Fertility and Sterility, men who stash
their cell phones in their pockets or clip them to their belts while
using an earpiece to chat may also be compromising their sperm. The
study found that the radiofrequency electromagnetic waves a cell phone
emits when it's in talk mode can lead to higher levels of free radicals
in sperm samples from healthy men—free radicals are the rogue molecules
that have been implicated in heart disease, cancer and numerous others
human diseases—and to a reduction in sperm motility and viability.
In a study of 361 men published last year, Cleveland Clinic fertility
specialist Ashok Agarwal, the lead author of the new study, found that
there was a higher incidence of poor sperm quality among men who
reported that they were heavy cell-phone users than among men who
weren't. Because of the limitations of studies that rely on
self-reported data, he decided to devise a follow-up lab experiment to
look at what happens to sperm exposed to the frequency of radiation most
often used by cell phones. Agarwal talked to NEWSWEEK's Joan Raymond
about the new study and why he nonetheless keeps his phone in his
pocket. Excerpts:
*NEWSWEEK: Why do a study like this? I thought researchers had debunked
the idea that cell-phone use is linked to human disease.
**Ashok Agarwal:* That's not true. We still have questions that haven't
been answered. And there are still more questions to ask. This
particular study was designed to examine whether exposure to
radio-frequency electromagnetic waves from cell phones would cause any
kind of changes in human sperm. That was our central question. And one
that needed to be answered.
We did a study of some 361 men that was published last year and showed
that increased cell-phone use is related to a poorer quality of sperm.
This was a self-reported study, and that has limitations. But there was
a significant relationship between cell-phone use and sperm quality,
especially among men who used [cell phones] for more than four hours per
day. We wanted to find out what was going on. But you obviously can't
conduct a study on humans, with a group of men that [would] be exposed
to something [potentially] hazardous. So we devised a lab experiment,
since animal models have a lot of limitations when it comes to studies
about reproductive health.
*What did the study entail?
*We took sperm samples from 23 healthy men, and from nine men with known
fertility issues. The samples were then divided into two portions to
make a control group and a test group. We exposed the test group sperm
to a cell phone in "talk" mode with a radiation of 850 megahertz, the
frequency most often used by cell phones in the U.S. We selected a
distance from the tube containing the test sperm samples to the cell
phone that mimicked the distance from an average man's gonads to, say, a
phone kept in the trouser pocket. We exposed the sperm for about one
hour to see if there was any effect on the sperm quality in exposed and
unexposed portions.
*What markers did you look at?
*We looked at several markers, including motility, viability and
cellular or molecular changes.
*What did you find?
*There were 85 percent more free radicals generated by the exposed sperm
samples in both healthy and infertile specimens versus the control
group, and a 6 percent decrease in antioxidants in the exposed samples,
the chemicals that fight free-radical damage. Motility, or what
proportion of sperm are moving, decreased by 7 percent, and the
viability, or the percentage of sperm that is alive … decreased by 11
percent. That was for both groups, the healthy men and men with
fertility problems, as compared to a control group that had no exposure.
*Were you surprised by this?
*We were actually excited. We had some inkling that we would see some
changes, but not to this extent. The exposure was not that long.
*So should men chuck their earpieces, get their phones out of their
pants and go buy a purse?
*No. This study isn't definitive. Our preliminary results should be
validated with a larger sample size. The next step is to obviously take
a look at the muscles, fat and tissues that separate the testes from
this exposure. We're building a very sophisticated computer model that
will mimic real-time cell-phone use. Essentially, we want to re-create
with a computer model exactly how men use their cell phones and how it
may affect their fertility. Those answers will add to the body of knowledge.
*What do you want to say to men you see who use hands-free devices and
stash their phones in their pants?
*I think if I went up to a man and told him he may be harming his
fertility because of his cell-phone use, I'd probably get a punch in the
nose. I do believe that something is going on with cell-phone use and
male fertility. But we need more well-designed studies with more
convincing results before we can say with certainty that cell phones
hurt male fertility.
*Where do you keep your cell?
*In my pants pocket. But I don't use a hands-free device, so my phone is
in standby mode, not talk mode, when it's in there. We're not sure if a
cell phone in standby mode could cause damage to sperm because we don't
know for sure the minimum amount of radiation that may induce damage to
sperm cells. There are a host of things that we don't know at this time.
Besides, I already have two children.
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Anger at school mobile phone mast plan
Parents of children at Martongate who are concerned about the
possibility of a phone mast outside the school. (PA0837-17)
http://www.bridlingtonfreepress.co.uk/news/Anger-at-school-mobile-phone.4500313.jp
*Published Date: *18 September 2008
By Alexa Copeland
CONCERNED parents are protesting against a "totally inappropriate" plan
to erect a phone mast near a primary school.
The grass verge in front of Martongate Primary School has been earmarked
by mobile phone company Vodafone for a base station – a radio signal
transmitter on a 12-metre pole.
Mobile phones cannot operate without them, but concerned parents argue
some studies have shown radiation emitted from the masts can be damaging
to health, causing increased risk of cancers and blood pressure problems.
However, a Vodafone spokesman said: "All our base stations are built and
operated in accordance with stringent international guidelines and
typical public exposures from base stations will be many hundreds, if
not thousands, of times below these guidelines."
Fay Firth, of Aysgarth Rise, whose eight-year-old son Jacob attends
Martongate, is dismayed at the plan.
"It is absolutely absurd," said Fay.
"I've done my research and found all sorts of awful health side effects
from these things. They can also affect children's concentration and
their ability to study; it's so hard to get their attention in the first
place.
"Why not put it in Bempton Lane? Surely that's a much better place as it
would still cover the whole of Bridlington from up there but would be
away from schools and houses."
An independent report commissioned by the Government department for
Children, Schools and Families suggested beams with the highest levels
of radio frequency radiation usually fall between 50 and 200 metres of a
mast.
Therefore it advised that base stations should not be placed where their
beams will fall on to school grounds without the permission of teachers
and parents.
Martongate headteacher David Carruthers said the plan was still at the
pre-consultation stage and a planning submission had not yet been made.
But he said it was "only right" parents were offered the chance to have
their say.
In a letter from the school, parents were informed that if the plan
reaches the next stage – an application for planning permission – Mr
Carruthers would lead a "high profile campaign" in calling for a formal
consultation to ensure a more appropriate site was found.
Carol Firth, of Wensleydale Close, is Jacob's grandmother and only
became aware of the proposal after finding the letter from the school in
her grandson's workbook.
"It should be advertised to everyone more clearly," she said. "It was
just lucky that I discovered the letter in Jacob's bag but I bet there's
plenty of people out there who don't even know what's going on."
Carol also strongly objects to the base station. "Surely the siting of
this mast is totally inappropriate beside a school."
Conclusions about the health risks associated with radio wave exposure
are often conflicting.
A report by the Environmental Management and Design Division at Lincoln
University, New Zealand, looked at over 40 studies of the health of
people exposed to mobile phone radiation.
It found people exposed to even low-level radio frequency had a
heightened risk of sleep disturbance and cancers in many parts of the body.
However, the World Health Organisation argues cancers are unevenly
distributed among any population and, given the widespread presence of
base stations, cancer clusters will occur near stations by chance.
The organisation insists there is no convincing scientific evidence that
signals from base stations are harmful.
As planning permission has not yet been sought by Vodafone for a base
station in Martongate, East Riding of Yorkshire Council says it is
unable to comment on the issue.
The Vodafone spokesman said: "The proposed radio base station in
Martongate is required to improve the 3G coverage (mobile broadband) to
our customers in the area.
"This location was chosen as it provides a backdrop of street furniture
against which the proposed base station will not be visually intrusive.
"As part of our pre-application consultation, we have sent out letters
explaining the proposed development and requesting feedback to local
ward councillors and the local school, and have also erected a voluntary
site notice.
"We will not submit an application until the consultation has been
completed.
"We recognise that some communities are concerned regarding the
deployment of radio base stations but last year an Irish independent
expert group concluded that exposures from radio base stations are so
low as to make it immaterial where masts are located with respect to
schools, playgrounds, health centres or other places where children gather"
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*From: *Janet Newton <JNe...@emrpolicy.org>
*Date: *September 18, 2008 8:21:37 PM CDT
*To: *Recipient list suppressed:;
*Subject: Sept. 29 DEADLINE - What We're Up Against
*
FYI -
If you had any doubt as to whether the FCC needs to hear comment
from ordinary citizens about the CTIA Petition to remove more local
zoning authority for antenna sites, the comments below from Commissioner
Adelstein will convince you that your comment is crucial. He ignores
the intent of Congress in the TCA of 1996 that chose to preserve the
major aspects of local and state authority to decide what sites are
appropriate through the democratic process at the local level.
In the/Communications Daily/ article below, FCC Commissioner
Adelstein, one of the two Democrats on the Commission, dismisses citizen
participation in local zoning proceedings as "NIMBY". His comment on
the science shows his own "misconception" about the weight of evidence
in the published science.
Thank you to all of you who have already sent your comment and
who have forwarded the earlier message to your neighbors and local
government officers.
Here's the link again for those who still need to send in their
comment:
Submit your Comment *by September 29, 2008. In - Box 1. Proceeding -
type 08-165.*Fill out the rest of the form as it applies to you as an
individual. *For Box 12 choose COMMENT. *You can attach your Comment as
a PDF document, or you can type your comment directly into the box at
the bottom of that page.
Communications Daily:
Adelstein Favors Limit on Local Cell-Tower Review
SAN FRANCISCO -- FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein praised a CTIA
request that the agency put a deadline on local rulings about building
or adding to cell towers (CD Aug 28 p5). "The CTIA position is the start
of a federal policy but much less heavy-handed" than having the FCC "lay
out every detail" of what's required of localities, he said Wednesday at
a CTIA conference: "I think it's an intriguing framework."
A nationwide backlog of 700 tower applications dating back more than a
year reflects "unreasonable delays," Adelstein said. Tower foes are "the
same people who are mad when a call gets dropped or they don't get
wireless broadband," he said. "It's the old NIMBY [not in my back yard]
problem." Exceptions would be needed to a "shot clock" for cases
involving special environmental or historical considerations, Adelstein
said. But he can't believe that legitimate "special circumstances" have
delayed those hundreds of longstanding filings, he said. Nor has he
decided on remedies for violations, including a CTIA request to "deem
granted" filings still pending when the clock runs out. Adelstein wants
the FCC to work with state and local governments on time limits.
Adelstein doesn't doubt commission authority to limit local governments,
he said. "The FCC has a role here," he said. "The congressional policy"
expressed in Communications Act Section 332 is "we need to move this
forward," and, as a commissioner, he is bound to carry that out, he
said. The FCC can decide that "the presumption has to be" that a local
government must "get it done in a time certain."
Local tower decisions lag because people fear that the structures cause
cancer, said Rod Wright, a former California Assembly member running for
the state Senate from a district in southern Los Angeles County. That
won't change "as long as you have that silence from Washington," instead
of an authoritative statement on towers and health, he said. "Cities
deliberately don't tell you" a siting decision "because they know that's
when you get to go to court," Wright told CTIA executives moderating the
panel discussion.
Many such fears are "misperceptions" and views "not based on facts, not
based on science," Adelstein said. There's "no evidence of a risk to
human health" under FCC radio-frequency limits, he said. State
governments may be able to help dispel myths, Adelstein said. Cities
should "allow collocation" by approving additional antennas on towers as
preferable to new towers, he said. Asked later if he'd be willing to
install a cell tower in his backyard to promote his position, Adelstein
said: "I'd love it. I'd get better service. I can't do it. I'm kind of
in a low area." During the panel Adelstein said setting rules for a new
auction of the 700 MHz D block is "front and center on my plate," at
least among wireless matters. The FCC should publicize proposed rules to
get suggestions before they're completed, he said. "We're not finding
overwhelming interest in that band," he said. The rules are "very
difficult to get right," he said. "We may be spending a lot of time on
that this week... That's the biggest regulatory issue before us."