Sunday, September 9, 2007; Page N02
It's hard to imagine life without cellphones, BlackBerrys and WiFi. But some people believe the technology that makes modern life so convenient may be hazardous to our health.
Mobile communications devices, along with microwave ovens, power lines, cellphone towers and wireless base stations, generate electromagnetic fields, a form of low-frequency radiation. EMFs have been studied as a possible factor in conditions from cancer to cognitive damage, particularly in teenagers and children, who have thinner skulls and still-developing brains.
A 2003 report from Lund University in Sweden found that rats at the development level of human teenagers experienced brain damage after being exposed to normal cellphone radiation; several recent studies have linked cellphone use to male reproductive damage and sleep disturbances in humans.
"There are enough scientific data to indicate that one should limit direct exposures to cellphone radiation," says Henry Lai of the University of Washington in Seattle, a leading researcher on the subject. "Much less is known on biological effects of wireless Internet systems, and exposure of radiation from these devices are much lower than that from cellphones. If exposure to cellphone radiation does turn out to be a health hazard, as present evidence suggests, then wireless Internet would be like passive smoking."
The World Health Organization and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences have classified ultra-low-frequency waves from power lines as possible carcinogens. But the WHO's Web site also states: "Considering the very low exposure levels and research results collected to date, there is no convincing scientific evidence that the weak RF [radio frequency] signals from base stations and wireless networks cause adverse health effects."
Not every scientist is convinced there's a problem. Many studies have found no definitive connection between cellphone and wireless Internet EMFs and health problems, and proponents of the technology point out that humans have transmitted long-range radio broadcasts for decades with no apparent problems.
Some people aren't taking any chances. Ontario's Lakehead University banned WiFi on campus because of its suspected health risks. A parents' group in Oak Park, Ill., filed suit against the school district in 2003 to prevent wireless Internet from being installed in schools, although the suit was later withdrawn.
Should you be concerned? The jury's still out. Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do to escape EMFs, though you can limit your use of cellphones and wireless devices, use headsets when possible and avoid living near power lines and cellphone towers.
And stay tuned for updates. Because mobile-phone and wireless technology is fairly new, studies examining the long-term effects of the devices are still underway.
-- Eviana Hartman
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