Call for Concern : Cellular Trade Group Endorses New Research on Phone Radiation
Amid growing consumer and investor concern, the cellular phone industry and an influential congressman Friday called for new research into whether portable wireless phones emit hazardous radiation.
Backing off its initial claims that no additional studies were needed, the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Assn. said Friday in Washington, D.C., that it will spend at least $1 million for new research into the safety of the devices.
Meanwhile, the continuing radiation fears battered cellular stocks again Friday, with leading phone manufacturer Motorola falling $4.875 to $51 and McCaw Cellular Communications, the largest service provider, dropping $3.375 to $32.50.
The industry group asked three federal government agencies--the Federal Communications Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Health and Human Services Department--to appoint a blue ribbon panel of scientists to direct the independent investigation into the health implications of a technology that now has more than 10 million subscribers in the United States.
“Despite the many research studies showing that cellular is safe, it has become necessary to reassure those whose doubts have been misled by this scare,” CTIA President Thomas Wheeler told a news conference.
Separately, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) asked the General Accounting Office and FCC for a similar review.
The developments in Washington and on Wall Street came a week after a Florida man first appeared on national television to publicize his claim that electromagnetic radiation emitted by a cellular phone contributed to the brain cancer death of his 33-year-old wife last year.
Although the cellular industry initially dismissed the allegations as the complaints of a distraught widower, consumer fears grew throughout the week as the story was repeated in the nation’s media.
Cellular companies reported receiving thousands of calls from worried users and watched helplessly as usage of their networks showed signs of dropping. At the same time, cellular sales, which had been exploding, appeared threatened by the cancer scare.
McCaw Cellular, whose stock price and network use have slipped in the last week, said it will underwrite its own study of the issue. The company is also considering whether to redesign its brand of portable cellular phones by moving the antenna that emits the conversation-carrying microwave signals away from the head of the user.
Retailers in Los Angeles, where an estimated 1 million cellular subscribers make it the wireless phone capital of the world, say sales haven’t noticeably declined over the last week.
But they do report that an unprecedented number of customers are now demanding assurances that the devices can be used safely before making their purchases.
The issue is far from clear.
The cellular industry denies any suggestion that these phones, whose antennas are capable of sending microwave radio signals for miles, pose a health hazard. Further, the industry argues, research completed to date supports its contentions.
However, some scientists and public interest groups say the appropriate research has not been conducted to categorically rule out health risks from microwave radiation emitted by portable cellular phones.
The central issue is whether repeated exposure to radiation from low-power, high-frequency microwave devices, such as cellular phones, can cause or contribute to cancer development.
Scientific studies have already linked strong doses of low-frequency radiation--the type emitted by power lines--with health hazards, including certain cancers.
But a debate has been swirling for much of the last decade as scientists struggle to understand the importance of preliminary research suggesting possible health effects from exposure to higher frequency microwave radiation as well.
“The research is suggestive of significant biological effects,” says Dr. Ross Adey, the associate chief of the research and development staff at the Jerry L. Pettis Veterans Hospital in Loma Linda and one of a handful of authorities on the subject. “But more research is needed.”
Consumer groups have been trying for years to rally concern for the health effects of microwave and electromagnetic radiation.
In California, consumer activists have prodded the Public Utilities Commission to investigate potential health hazards from the low-frequency radiation emitted by overhead high voltage power lines and how the government should respond. A report is pending.
Some consumers say the PUC should expand the investigation to include the effects of microwave radiation emitted by cellular signal transmission stations.
“The issue is that we cannot say for sure that there is no problem here and yet we have to make policy decisions that affect everyone,” says Peter Frech, executive director of Citizens Concerned About Electromagnetic Fields. “The question is should we make these decisions so that we are safe or so that we are sorry?”
In some communities, citizens have already answered.
In Beverly Hills, the city’s health commission has recommended against installation of a cellular transmission facility on the Hawthorne Elementary School campus because of health concerns for the students and faculty.
In Santa Barbara County, residents of tony Hope Ranch cited potential health hazards in rejecting the installation of four cellular transmission stations on a hilltop in their community.
Even though the project would improve wireless telephone reception in the area, the homeowners’ association said they could not subject the residents to possible safety risks.
Dangers of Radiation
While concerns have been raised recently about possible hazards from radiation from cellular phones, electromagnetic radiation is everywhere. Household electrical appliances emit extremely low-frequency radiation while X-rays emit extremely high-frequency radiation. Research has shown that exposure to high-frequency radiation can alter living cells, which can contribute to diseases such as cancer.
* Common Sources of Radiation
POWER LINES AND TRANSFORMERS: These emit low-frequency electromagnetic radiation. After one study reported elevated rates of leukemia in children living near transformers, regulators, including the California Public Utilities Commission, have launched investigations.
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HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES: These give off tiny amounts of electromagnetic energy that quickly dissipate over distance. Some consumers worry about the amount emitted from television sets. Of particular concern are appliances that touch the body, such as electric blankets and electric shavers, which leave little space for the energy to dissipate.
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CELLULAR TELEPHONES: These devices emit a radiation frequency far higher than that from electrical appliances. Preliminary studies suggest that radiation from portable phones could be hazardous since the source of the radiation, the phone antenna, is close to the body.
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COMPUTER TERMINALS: After one study suggested that exposure to electromagnetic radiation from computers might be linked to problems with pregnancies, some employers are repositioning the devices. Of greatest concern is exposure to the rear of the machines, where concentration is the greatest.
