Samsung SGH-C225NBATMB User Manual

Page 143

Advertising
background image

Appendix C: Consumer Update on Wireless Phones

143

The research done thus far has produced conflicting results, and
many studies have suffered from flaws in their research
methods. Animal experiments investigating the effects of radio
frequency energy (RF) exposures characteristic of wireless
phones have yielded conflicting results that often cannot be
repeated in other laboratories. A few animal studies, however,
have suggested that low levels of RF could accelerate the
development of cancer in laboratory animals. However, many of
the studies that showed increased tumor development used
animals that had been genetically engineered or treated with
cancer-causing chemicals so as to be pre-disposed to develop
cancer in the absence of RF exposure. Other studies exposed
the animals to RF for up to 22 hours per day. These conditions
are not similar to the conditions under which people use
wireless phones, so we don t know with certainty what the
results of such studies mean for human health.
Three large epidemiology studies have been published since
December 2000. Between them, the studies investigated any
possible association between the use of wireless phones and
primary brain cancer, gioma, meningioma, or acoustic neuroma,
tumors of the brain or salivary gland, leukemia, or other
cancers. None of the studies demonstrated the existence of any
harmful health effects from wireless phone RF exposures.
However, none of the studies can answer questions about long-
term exposures, since the average period of phone use in these
studies was around three years.

11.What research is needed to decide whether RF exposure

from wireless phones poses a health risk?

A combination of laboratory studies and epidemiological studies
of people actually using wireless phones would provide some of
the data that are needed. Lifetime animal exposure studies
could be completed in a few years. However, very large
numbers of animals would be needed to provide reliable proof
of a cancer promoting effect if one exists. Epidemiological
studies can provide data that is directly applicable to human

Advertising