Study links cell phones, tumors

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Radio Frequency and health risk

It is the second article on this topic I've read this month. However there are other problems beyond tumors. See Free use article from Science News:
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20020629/fob3.asp

I have been mentally tracking articles about radio frequency ill-effects on the body since the article in the mid-1960s when I read that pulse-code modulation (same as radar) could be heard in the brain, without involving the ears (this factor was often used by radio technicians in WWII for tuning their radar sets). The frequency with maximum sound recognition centered at about 1150 MHz and tapered to unnoticeable at 50 MHz either side in a bell-shaped curve. There was also a bell shaped curve for the level of radiation with the optimum at about 1-milliwatt per square-centimeter measured at the skull boundary. A Boston Hospital doing research to use this factor to explore its use as a hearing aide did not pursue the study citing that the 1-milliwatt per square-centimeter radiation at the skull was considered unsafe. Now we have 800 MHz (plus and minus) cell-phones of up to 600 milliwatts next to many heads.

There have been related studies. One study was done in conjunction with the largest amateur radio organization, American Radio Relay League about 25 years ago, with 65,000 ham radio operators. It indicated ham radio operators had three times the rate of leukemia of the general population. Most of that ham radio population operated equipment between 1.8 and 30 MHz.

Two years ago it was noted that the children's' leukemia rate in the new suburbs of Rome built near the Vatican short-wave transmitters were six-times those on the other side of Rome. Most of that equipment operates between 3 and 21 MHz.

There have been on-going reports of cancers and plant mutations near high voltage power-lines that run at 60 Hz or some modest multiple thereof.

It appears anecdotally that the incidence of cancer or related maladies increases with the decrease in frequency toward direct current. The added effect of increased field strength is obvious.

However the range of frequency maybe an illusion as certain narrow frequency bands have tremendous effects on parts of cells. The clearest example is the small bell-shaped curve response at about 2400 MHz, which is one resonant frequency of water, and the reason microwave ovens are designed to work exactly there. The FCC allocates the 2400 MHz frequency band (2350-2450) to ham radio and other miscellaneous uses because atmospheric water absorption of a transmitter's radiation makes communications at any reasonable distance difficult.

Now home cordless telephones are using that 2400 MHz frequency. Just the obvious accumulation of cross-linked clear molecules in the eye at 2400 MHz to cause cataracts would seem to cause alarm but so far, I have read nothing.

...Ted Hommel, W7LFL
tedhommel@earthlink.net

Posted by: tedhommel   Posted on: 10/15/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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