3G Phones Lower Dose Of Radio Waves
June 1st, 2011 | by Mobile Data Group |The latest 3G mobile devices such as iPhones and other smart phones may deliver a lower dose of radiowaves to the brain than earlier models but frequent use could still cause cancer, a health expert says.
A report released by the World Health Organisation’s cancer research wing says radio frequency electromagnetic fields generated by such devices are “possibly carcinogenic to humans”.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said heavy usage could lead to an increased incidence of glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer.
However, an Australian researcher who worked on the report with 30 other experts says more research is needed before any real link can be made between mobile phone use and cancer.
“Really, what it’s saying is there is an observed association between using a mobile phone and a higher risk of brain cancer,” Professor Bruce Armstrong from the University of Sydney told the ABC this morning.
“But it’s also saying that there are perhaps biases in the study or … other factors that could explain that association.”
Professor Armstrong said researchers studied radiowave activity on those who used phones the heaviest and for the longest period, and health risks for average users was “really quite small”.
“In the general population, particularly in the younger population, there is just no evidence … that brain tumours are increasing in a way that would suggest that they are related to the greater amount of radio-frequency energy in our environment,” he said.
The 3G technology used by iPhones, BlackBerries and other mobile phones also appeared to emit less harmful radiowaves, he said.