Why is there concern that cellular telephones may cause cancer?There are three main reasons why people are concerned that cellular telephones (also known as "wireless" or "mobile" telephones) may cause certain types of cancer:
* Cellular telephones emit radiofrequency (RF) energy (radio waves), which is a form of
radiation that is under investigation for its effects on the human body (1).
* Cellular telephone technology emerged in Europe in the 1980s but did not come into
widespread use in the United States until the 1990s. The technology is rapidly changing, so
there are few long-term studies of the effects of RF energy from cellular telephones on the
human body (1).
* The number of cellular telephone users has increased rapidly. As of December 2008, there
were more than 270 million subscribers to cellular telephone service in the United States,
according to the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association. This is an increase
from 110 million users in 2000 and 208 million users in 2005.
For these reasons, it is important to learn whether RF energy from cellular telephones affects human health.
What is RF energy and how can it affect the body?RF energy is a form of electromagnetic radiation.
Electromagnetic radiation can be divided into two types: Ionizing (high-frequency) and non-ionizing (low-frequency) (2). RF energy is a form of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation. Ionizing radiation, such as that produced by x-ray machines, can pose a cancer risk at high levels of exposure. However, it is not known whether the non-ionizing radiation emitted by cellular telephones is associated with cancer risk (2).
Studies suggest that the amount of RF energy produced by cellular telephones is too low to produce significant tissue heating or an increase in body temperature. However, more research is needed to determine what effects, if any, low-level non-ionizing RF energy has on the body and whether it poses a health danger (2).
Cellular Telephone Use and Cancer Risk ---Read More : www.cancer.gov