Health Concerns

Concerns have been raised about the normal mobile phone, which has the antenna in the handset. In this case, the antenna is very close to the user's head during normal use of the telephone and there is concern about the level of microwave emissions to which the brain is being exposed.

Telephones that have the antenna mounted elsewhere are of little concern, since exposure levels decrease rapidly with increasing distance from the antenna.

Reports have appeared in the media linking the use of mobile telephones with, among other things, headaches, hot spots in the brain and brain cancer.

Media reports have claimed that up to 70 percent of the microwave emissions from hand-held mobile telephones may be absorbed in the user's head. This is not supported by the evidence, but nevertheless leads to speculation that hot spots may be created in the user's brain, thereby raising concerns that the telephones may be a health risk. Other reports have indicated that mobile telephone users suffer localized headaches when they use their telephone. At this stage, it is difficult to evaluate the evidence supporting these reports, since they have not been published.

The brain cancer reports originated in the USA where a number of lawsuits have been lodged against mobile telephone manufacturers and suppliers. These claims for damages allege that the microwave emissions from mobile telephones used by the claimants caused their (in some cases, fatal) brain cancers. Those few cases that have been tried have been dismissed for lack of supporting evidence.

Concern about a possible increased risk of brain cancer in mobile phone users has continued. In response, a major project, INTERPHONE, has been organised. The INTERPHONE project is a multi-national series of epidemiological studies testing whether using mobile phones increases the risk of various cancers in the head and neck. The project comprises national studies from 13 different countries, which are coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Partial results from some of the studies have been published showing no overall association between mobile phone use and head and neck cancer. However some of the studies reported a small association with acoustic neuroma and glioma for prolonged (more than ten years) mobile phone use. A full report of the INTERPHONE project will be made available by IARC once all of the studies are completed.