Would you press your face against a microwave oven then turn it on? Of course not! But that may be similar to what you do every time you press your face against your cell phone.
According to a new ruling from the World Health Organization, cellphones are “possibly carcinogenic,’’ which would put our favorite mobile devices in the same category as certain dry cleaning chemicals and pesticides, or even engine exhaust as a potential threat to our health.
The W.H.O. panel consisted of 31 scientists from 14 countries, and was led by Dr. Jonathan M. Samet, a physician and epidemiologist at the University of Southern California and a member of President Obama’s National Cancer Advisory Board. They ruled that cellphones be classified as Category 2B, which poses the same carcinogenic risks to humans as pesticide DDT, engine exhaust, lead and various industrial chemicals. The danger comes from long term use of holding the device to one’s ear/head, versus using an earpiece or headphone.
“We looked carefully at the physical phenomena by which exposure to such fields might perturb biological systems and lead to cancer,” said Dr. Samet. But he said the result was inconclusive, adding that there were “threads of evidence” but also significant “gaps and uncertainties.” The panel made no comment on how large or small a risk cellphone radiation may pose to human health. “Our task was not to quantify risk,’’ said Dr. Samet.
But Louis Slesin, editor of Microwave News, which focuses on non-ionizing radiation, said the fact that the W.H.O.’s cancer panel has expressed concern now has the potential to change the debate about the health risks of cellphones. “It’s a wake-up call for the telecom industry and for the U.S. government to take cellphone radiation seriously,” he said. “The first step should be limiting the use of cellphones by children.”
