Cell
Phones Probed For Double Trouble; Driving Hazard, Cancer Link Feared
San Francisco Chronicle
Journalist: Tom Abate
October 23, 2000
With more
than 100 million cell phones in everyday use, questions are being raised about
whether these handy devices might boost the risk of brain cancer or increase
the chances of having an automobile accident.
``There's not
a lot of certainty on either side of these debates,'' said Robert R. Goldberg,
editor of Pennsylvania's EMF Health Report newsletter, which has tracked the
safety of radio devices for 15 years.
For
consumers, the one plus in these safety debates is that cell-phonemakers are
trying to lessen both perceived risks, by making it easier to track cell-phone
emissions and by providing headsets and mouthpiece attachments for hands-6.00
use while driving.
Questions
about the potential cancer-causing effects of cell phones arose during the
early 1990s, after a Florida man filed a lawsuit charging that his wife's
fatal brain tumor was caused by her cell phone.
Although his
case was dismissed for lack of scientific evidence, the suit prompted a wave
of studies about the possible cancer-causing effects of cell-phone emissions.
An article in
the August issue of the IEEE Spectrum, the scholarly journal of electronics,
surveyed the scientific literature on the issue. It divided studies into two
main types: epidemiological reports that track brain-cancer rates among cell-
phone users, and lab experiments that try to establish cause and effect by
exposing animals to radio signals.
EMF
EMISSIONS
Since World War II, when radar came into use, scientists have tried to
ascertain which parts of the electromagnetic frequency could have health
effects. EMF emissions range all the way from extremely low-frequency waves
given off by power lines to ultrahigh-frequency waves from X-ray machines.
Cell-phone emissions fall between the radiation emanating from AM/FM radio
broadcasts and the output of microwave ovens.
During the
1970s and 1980s, some epidemiological studies showed that children living near
power lines suffered childhood leukemia at double the rate of the general
population (4 per 100,000 versus 2 per 100,000). But lab experiments failed to
establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
As cell
phones became more common, concern shifted to whether holding the phone close
to the ear could induce a higher rate of brain cancer.
Studies to
date are inconclusive, however. Epidemiological studies might not detect an
increase in brain cancer rates among cell- phone users -- if there is any link
-- because cancers can take 20 or 30 years to develop.
Meanwhile,
there have been conflicting results from lab experiments designed to expose
cells to the sort of radiation given off by cell phones.
`INSUFFICIENT
SCIENTIFIC BASIS'
The uncertainty is summed up by a recent pronouncement by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration: ``There is currently insufficient scientific basis for
concluding either that wireless communications technologies are safe or that
they pose a (health) risk to millions of users.''
In response
to concerns about the cancer issue, most cell-phonemakers will begin providing
some information about the emissions coming from their devices. Federal
regulations define maximum emissions in terms of a specific absorption rate.
This measures how much EMF radiation the device puts out at its peak point.
The SAR must be less than 1.6 watts per kilogram.
Beginning in
December, cell- phonemakers will put this SAR number somewhere inside the
booklet that explains how to use the phone. Higher-powered phones will have
SARs approaching the maximum, while phones with lower SARs will necessarily
have less power. The industry is eager to avoid having consumers equate lower
SARs with higher safety.
``There is
nothing to suggest that the difference in the SAR levels means anything to
safety,'' said Jo- Anne Basile, a vice president with the Cellular
Telecommunications Industry Association.
Meanwhile,
experts suggest two easy ways people can minimize their exposure to cell-phone
radiation. Avoid using phones where the signal is weak because the phone
compensates by boosting its output. Second, consider getting an earpiece and
mouthpiece to bring the phone away from the head.
SAFETY
FEATURE
Hands-6.00 headsets, which are priced at less than $15, are also being
advanced as a way to lessen the risk of car crashes induced by cell-phone use.
The issue of
cell-phone distraction as a cause of accidents has heated up in recent years.
Again, experts are divided over whether cell phones pose any greater risk than
other common distractions, like tuning the car radio, changing CDs or eating
or sipping coffee while behind the wheel.
Since 1995,
however, 37 states have proposed bills dealing with cell phones in cars. Some
have simply sought to collect data on whether cell phones were used at times
of accidents. Others have sought to ban phone use while driving. Most state
bills have died. Assemblywoman Audie Bock, Green-Piedmont, recently held
hearings on the issue but has not yet proposed legislation.
A handful of
cities has banned the use of handheld cell phones while driving, although
hands-6.00 phones are permitted.
EMERGENCY
USE
Industry
advocates point out that cell phones have obvious benefits. ``Cell-phone users
make over 100,000 emergency calls a day,'' said Dee Yankoskie, another CTIA
spokeswoman. Mike Bagley, a public policy spokesman for Verizon Wireless,
called cell phones ``the one device you can take into the car that can save
your life.''
The National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) held hearings on cell-phone
safety during the summer. The federal regulators concluded that it is
impossible to determine whether cell- phone distraction is causing accidents
because accident reports don't gather data on which distractions -- cell
phones being one of many -- may have caused the accident.
For instance,
people involved in accidents could lie about whether a cell phone was in use.
Even if a court order produced the phone record proving otherwise, such data
would not enable regulators to compare cell-phone distractions to other risks,
such as leaning over to tune the radio or glancing at map to look for an exit.
``We don't
know the magnitude of the problem and we have no way to collect the data,'' a
NHTSA spokesman said.
Even so,
federal and state officials are clearly concerned that cell phones will
increasingly distract drivers. For one thing, more cell phones are coming into
use. In addition, manufacturers are building more features into phones. Newer
models will have e-mail and Internet access.
But don't
expect federal action soon. ``We're still in the study phase,'' the NHTSA
spokesman said.
