Mobile
Phones: Fresh Doubts Over Safety Of Hands-6.00 Kits
CNN
November 02, 2000
Hands-6.00
wiring does not reduce radiation emissions claims a new study
Hands-6.00
sets on mobile telephones could triple the amount of rays beamed into the head
says a consumer watchdog.
The British
Consumers' Association told CNN.com it was "concerned" by its
findings, which directly contradict government research, and is recommending
users spend as short a time as possible using their phones.
The
association is also calling for the mobile phone industry to fit hands-6.00
sets with a radiation blocking metal/ceramic mix called ferrite.
The CA's
principle researcher Antonia Chitty said that even though the hands-6.00 sets
appeared to increase the delivery of radiation beams the levels were still
below those considered safe by international guidelines.
"(But)
if you are worried about radiation levels you should adopt a precautionary
approach and limit the length of time you are using the phone."
An initial CA
report on the issue was published in April and sparked the British Department
of Trade and Industry to carry out its own research.
Its findings,
published in August, were that "hands-6.00 kits reduce exposure for
mobile phone users."
A DTI
spokeswoman told CNN.com: "Apart from this Consumers Association report,
no-one has criticised our report." She said the DTI believed the
methodology used in the tests by the CA may be throwing up the different
results.
But the DTI
is taking the new study seriously and says it will consider all the factors.
E-Minister Patricia Hewitt's has pledged to provide the public: "clear
and unambiguous advice."
The CA tested
five different kinds of mobile phone and 10 kinds of hands-6.00 kits including
those by Nokia, Ericsson, Panasonic, Philips and BT Cellnet.
It found the
critical factor determining the radiation emissions was the length between the
earpiece and the mobile phone antenna.
"Although
these kits can reduce radiation, they can also increase it significantly,
depending on where you position the phone and kit," said editor of the CA
magazine Which?, Helen Parker.
"Unfortunately
there is no way that consumers can work out the best position to reduce
radiation."
The National
Radiological Protection Board, which sets safe levels of emissions for the
industry to follow, says it is still studying mobile phones and pointed to
differences in research methods.
Scientific
spokesman for the NRPD, Dr Michael Clark, told CNN.com: "We would like to
see an international standard for the precise measurement of radiation because
we feel different scientists are measuring different things."
The NRPD
recently agreed to adopt the International Commission on Non-Ionising
Radiation Protection guidelines on radiation emission which is three watts of
phone radiation per kilogramme of human tissue.
The actual
biological effects of radiation from phones have yet to be determined.
Scientists
know that the brain "heats up" from the use of mobile phones, but,
said Clark: "You can't stick a thermometer inside a human brain."
Swedish-based
strategic press relations officer for Ericsson, Mikael Westmark told CNN.com
said the company had not yet had time to digest the report, but it appeared
different measuring methods were being used.
"The
last time these test were done people were very frightened, then there was a
report from the UK government which contradicted their findings and people
wondered 'what was that all about?' It is very confusing."
Nokia
referred CNN.com to the Federation of Electronic Industries for a company
comment.
"Hands-6.00
equipment was never designed to reduce radiation emissions, but to allow
people to write to type while listening to their phone," the FEI
spokeswoman said.
She said the
CA survey used different equipment "or parameters" to the DTI tests
but the manufacturing industry would be studying the new report thoroughly.
Panasonics
spokeswoman, Mahafrid Jamooji, said she had not read the CA report herself but
understood it had used a different methodology to reach its conclusions and
advised mobile phone users wanting more information to contact the FEI.
Celenec, the
EU body for setting standards on mobile phone usage, is currently working on
an international harmonisation method for measuring radiation emissions which
is to be published early next year.
