Cellular Telephone

Cellular
Telephones

   

• Kenneth
  J Rothman (Epidemiology Research Institute, USA)
  
  Epidemiological
  evidence on health risks of cellular telephones.
  
  The
  Lancet, vol.356, November 25,2000, pg. 1837-40
  
    
  
  It
  is too soon for a verdict on the health risks from
  cellular telephones in view of changing technology.
  From the Interphone project and some other
  large studies in progress, better information may
  emerge.
  Based on the epidemiological evidence
  available now, the main public-health concern is
  clearly motor vehicle collisions, a behavioural
  effect rather than an effect of radiofrequency
  exposure as such.
  Neither the several studies of occupational
  exposure to radiofrequencies nor the few cellular
  telephones users offer any clear evidence of an
  association with brain tumours or other
  malignancies.
  Even if the studies in progress were to find
  large relative effects for brain cancer, the
  absolute increase in risk would be probably much
  smaller than the risk of motor vehicle collisions.
  Cellular telephone affects the quality of
  life in many ways – for good and ill, the health
  risk is just one part of a picture.