Neurobehavioral effects among inhabitants around mobile phone base stations

“Inhabitants living nearby mobile phone base stations are at risk for developing neuropsychiatric problems and some changes in the performance of neurobehavioral functions”

Source: Abdel-Rassoul G, et al, Neurotoxicology. 2006 Aug 1. Abstract

http://www.psrast.org/mobileng/mobilstarteng.htm#Non-thermal

The abstract

Neurotoxicology. 2007 Mar;28(2):434-40. Epub 2006 Aug 1.
Neurobehavioral effects among inhabitants around mobile phone base stations.

Abdel-Rassoul G, El-Fateh OA, Salem MA, Michael A, Farahat F, El-Batanouny M, Salem E.

Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufiya University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt. gaafar17@yahoo.com
Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is a general concern on the possible hazardous health effects of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiations (RFR) emitted from mobile phone base station antennas on the human nervous system.

AIM: To identify the possible neurobehavioral deficits among inhabitants living nearby mobile phone base stations.

Apple’s manual: “for wireless data transmission, keep the iPhone at least 5/8ths of an inch away from your body”

How to Lower Cell Phone Health Risk

We all have repeatedly been told of the dangers of talking on our cell phones and the concerns of the possible link to brain cancer from holding the devices up to our ear.

Now they are going further than that by telling us we should not carry them in our pockets. They point out you need to read the fine print that comes with your cell phone.

For example Apple’s manual tells you for wireless data transmission over a cellular network, keep the iPhone at least 5/8ths of an inch away from your body. BlackBerry says 0.98ths of an inch from your body when the device is transmitting.

Base stations affect health negatively

Among people living closer than 300 m away from the base station, a French study found an increased incidence for tiredness (within 300m), for headache, sleep disturbance, discomfort, etc (200 m). For irritability, depression, loss of memory, dizziness, libido decrease, etc (100 m). Women significantly more often than men complained of headache, nausea, loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, depression, discomfort and visual perturbations.

This first study on symptoms experienced by people living in vicinity of base stations shows that, in view of radioprotection, minimal distance of people from cellular phone base stations should not be < 300 m.

Source: Santini R, et al, Pathol Biol (Paris). 2002 Jul;50(6):369-73.

Great cancer risk increase in the vicinity of a GSM base station

Health risks from Base Station radiation

Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Application of Science and Technology (PSRAST)

A German study found a threefold higher frequency of cancer among people living in the vicinity (400 m) of a GSM base station compared to people living further away from the antenna. The risk for mammary cancer was 3,4 times greater and the average age of contracting this disease was considerably lower, 50,8 years than in the control group (69,9 years). The frequency increased also the longer people had been exposed to the radiation. The study covered a ten year long period (1994-2004), starting the year after the installation of the base station. Before the installation of the base station, there was no difference in cancer incidence between people living in the vicinity of the (future) base station and the control area.

Excerpt:
“The result is a quite concrete epidemiological proof of a connexion between exposition to radiation from GSM Base stations and Cancer. This result is, considering the available documentation about the effect of highfrequency electromagnetic radiation not only plausible but probable.”

Source (in German): Horst Eger, Klaus Uwe Hagen, Birgitt Lucas, Peter Vogel, Helmut Voit, Einfluss der räumlichen Nähe von Mobilfunksendeanlagen auf die Krebsinzidenz. Umwelt·Medizin·Gesellschaft | 17 | 4/2004

Comment by PSRAST

There exsists ample and uneqiuvocal evidence today that microwave radiation damages DNA. It has also been established beyond doubt in experimental studies that DNA damage increases cancer risk. This study adds to several others indicating that the DNA damage from microwaves brings about a considerable increase of cancer risk among people exposed to the radiation.

This study is just one of several indicating various health disturbances in people living or working close to base stations (see below).

“BlackBerry Torch ….says, ‘If you keep the phone in your pocket, it can exceed the FCC exposure guidelines’.”

“Well, it has in France. Bills passed both houses of the French national government this spring that ban the marketing and creation of phones uniquely for children. It’s also had an impact in Israel, a country that is very sophisticated in its use of radar and microwaves, and Finland, both of which have issued warnings.”

“But think about the fine print warning that comes with BlackBerry Torch. It says, If you keep the phone in your pocket, it can exceed the FCC exposure guidelines. What’s that supposed to tell you? It sounds like that phone cannot safely be put in your pocket — well, where do they expect people to keep them?”

“I recently spoke to someone at Bell Canada who was just given his new phone and was asked to sign a statement that he had read the manual. He said: “Why am I supposed to sign this statement? So when and if I develop cancer years later I can’t sue them?” The manual tells him “hold the phone .9 inches from the body,” which nobody does.”

“I think it might have started out as nothing more than companies wanting to make profits, and wanting to keep their products in a positive light. Companies are allowed to make profits; I’m not opposed to that. And I imagine people genuinely thought these kinds of dangers from radiation weren’t possible, because the physics paradigm [at the time] said it wasn’t. But it has since been morphed into something worse.Now even the insurance industry is listening to scientists. Many companies are no longer providing coverage for health damage from cellphones.”

New Book Claims Cell Phones Are Unhealthy

by Anna Attkisson

A new book titled “Disconnect: The Truth about Cell Phone Radiation, What the Industry Has Done to Hide It, and How to Protect Your Family” by toxicologist and epidemiologist Devra Davis connects cell phones with a variety of health problems. Salon recently talked to the National Book Award finalist for “When Smoke Ran Like Water.” The author, who has spoken before Congress on the effects of smoking on cancer, uses some relatively recent studies that have tied cell phone use to rises in brain damage, cheek cancer, and malfunctioning sperm as the basis for her claims. She also points to a new small-print warning on cell phone packaging that says phones should be kept at least one-inch from the ear. And she uses the fact that many insurance companies refuse to insure cell phone companies against health-related claims as proof of her assertions as well. She is not alone in her claims of cell phone dangers, with the World Health Organization indicating that more than 10 years of use could cause brain cancer. The problem with that is proof, considering most of us haven’t been using phones for 10 years yet.

However, there’s nothing wrong with a little caution, just in case. Surprisingly she doesn’t recommend throwing out your phone. She does recommend you use a headset, text more, and keep your phone in a purse or other bag, instead of in your pocket. We have five recommendations of our own.

Read more: http://blog.laptopmag.com/new-book-says-cell-phones-are-unhealthy#ixzz12Wb5kGyQ

October 11th, 2010

http://blog.laptopmag.com/new-book-says-cell-phones-are-unhealthy#axzz12Wcgig4E