Cell Phone Antennas & Health FAQs
John Moulder
Archive-name: medicine/cell-phone-antennas-health-faq
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 10 Oct 1998
Version: 2.0.6
URL: http://www.mcw.edu/gcrc/cop/cell-phone-health-FAQ/toc.html
Copyright: (c) 1996-98 John E. Moulder & The Medical College of Wisconsin
Author: John E. Moulder <jmou...@mcw.edu>
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Cellular Phone and Personal
Communication System (PCS) Base Station Antennas and Human Health
** Summary
This FAQ addresses the issue of whether cellular phone base station
antennas are a risk to human health. Issues surrounding the phones
themselves are not directly addressed, but some aspects of the FAQ are
also relevant to other types of broadcast antennas. While discussion of
general issues are international in scope, some of the technical and
regulatory aspects of the FAQ are currently USA-specific.
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The full version of this FAQ is now available on the web at:
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.
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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
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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
Resumen: Este documento trata la cuestión de si las antenas de estaciones
base transmisoras de telefonía celular, SCP y otros tipos de transmisores
portátiles representan un riesgo para la salud humana.
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Revisions
(v2.0.6, Oct-98):
- A new review on power-frequency electromagnetic fields and cancer
added to note 4.
- An additional review by Goldsmith [29B] added to Q15C.
- A brief discussion of the allegation that cell phones cause headaches
[48] added as Q19B.
- A new review on RF exposure and cancer by Repacholi added as note
74.
- A new review on biomedical issues in wireless communications by
Stuchly added as note 83.
(v2.0.5, Aug-98):
- Pointer to a Spanish version added.
- Coverage of the 1998 Bioelectromagnetic Society meeting added:
- A report on headaches in cell phone users [25] is discussed in Q23A.
- A report that RF exposure from cell phones may depend on the type of
use [22] is discussed in Q23A.
- A report cell phones cause damage to chick embryos [26] is discussed
in Q23A.
- A report that cell phone RF does not promote liver cancer [27] is
discussed in Q23D.
- A report [82] that RF exposure causes a slight decrease in cell
growth was added Q23B.
- A report [76] that cell phone use causes a slight rise in blood
pressure was added to Q23B.
- Two additional RF epidemiology studies [33,79] were added to Q15F.
- Two new laboratory studies [75,78] of genotoxic activity and two
review of genotoxicity studies of RF [80, 81] were added to Q23E.
- A study which measured RF from cell phone base stations [77] is
discussed in Q12 and Q13.
- The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection has
updated it guidelines [6]. At the frequencies used for cell and PCS
phones the guidelines are essentially unchanged.
** Contents
1. Are there health hazards associated with living, working, playing, or
going to school near a cellular phone or PCS base station antenna?
2. Is anyone seriously concerned about possible health risks from
cellular phone and PCS base station antennas?
3. Do the differences between cellular phone and PCS base station
antennas matter when evaluating their potential impacts on human
health?
4. Do the differences between PCS base station antennas and other types
of radio and TV broadcast antennas matter when evaluating their
potential impacts on human health?
5. Do cellular phone and PCS base station antennas produce radiation?
6. Is the non-ionizing radiation (radiowaves) from cellular phone and
PCS base station antennas similar to ionizing radiations such as
X-rays?
7. Are the radiowaves from cellular phone and PCS base station antennas
similar to the "EMF" produced by power lines?
8. Are there safety standards for cellular phone and PCS base station
antennas?
9. Is there a scientific basis for these radiofrequency safety
standards?
10. Are all the safety standards the same?
11. Does the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) have safety
guidelines?
12. Can cellular phone and PCS base station antennas meet the safety
standards?
13. Are there circumstances where cellular phone and PCS base station
antennas could fail to meet the safety standards?
14. What siting criteria are required to ensure that a cellular phone
and PCS base station antenna will meet safety standards?
A. What are some general siting criteria?
B. How can you tell the difference between a high-gain (sector)
antenna and a low-gain (whip) antenna?
C. What is the difference between the RF patterns for high-gain and
low-gain antennas?
D. Is it safe to live on the top floor of a building that has a cell
phone or base station antenna on it?
15. Does everyone agree with the current RF safety standards?
A. Is it true that the Environmental Protection Agency thinks that
the current safety standards for cellular and PCS phones are
inadequate?
B. Hasn't an Australian group claimed that there is evidence that
living near TV broadcast towers causes an increase in childhood
leukemia?
C. Hasn't an Israeli epidemiologist claimed that there is evidence
that low-level RF exposure causes a variety of health effects?
D. Hasn't a British group reported excess leukemia and lymphoma
around a high-power FM/TV broadcast antenna?
E. Haven't a British and a New Zealand researcher claimed that there
is evidence that low-intensity RF exposure is hazardous?
F. Are there epidemiological studies showing that RF exposure is
safe?
16. Will planning for cellular and PCS base antennas be disrupted by the
FCC's adoption of a safety standard other than the current ANSI
standard?
17. Are use restrictions or "set-backs" required around cellular phone
or PCS base station antennas?
18. Are there groups (such as children or the elderly) that are more
sensitive to the effects of radiowaves?
19. Will cellular phone and PCS base station antennas affect heart
pacemakers, cause headaches, etc.?
A. Will cellular phone and PCS base station antennas affect medical
devices such as cardiac pacemakers?
B. Do cell phones and cell phone base stations cause headaches?
20. Do radiowaves produce biological effects?
21. Is there any evidence that radiowaves can cause cancer?
22. Is there any evidence that radiowaves can cause miscarriages or
birth defects?
23. What do the most recent scientific studies of radiowaves and human
health show?
A. What do recent reports from scientific meetings say?
B. What do recent reports from scientific journals say?
C. What about the new report that exposure of mice to cell phone
radiation causes cancer?
D. Has anyone else exposed rodents to cell phone radiation to see if
they got cancer?
E. What about the new 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?
patric...@my-dejanews.com
More on phone radiation / tumours etc etc. Web TV etc. Hope you find it
useful.
My own Web TV site is
http://www.globalchange.com/radiation.htm
30,000 hits a week on whole site + my own vigorous discussion area. Do join
in!
Dr Patrick Dixon
In article <jmoulder-R...@admin-one.radbio.mcw.edu>,
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