Public Health Hazards Of Mobile Phones

Mobile Phones – Health Hazard ? Dr. N.Seetharaman M.D Assistant Professor Department of Community Medicine PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Coimbatore.

Some 500 million people worldwide use mobile phones Increasing concerns about possible public health hazard from prolonged usage What IS a cell phone?

low power radio devices that transmit and receive RF radiation through an antenna used close to the user's head.

(900-1800 MHz)

Hazardous or Not ?

Studies abound No one can be conclusive

still in the phase of uncertainty Enormous Scope for future Research

What have we studied ? Studies on C/o ! Sleep disturbance, ! memory problems, ! head-aches, ! nausea & dizziness

Studies on Changes in the ! blood pressure ! electro-encephalographic activity, ! permeability of the blood-brain barrier.

Predictions made are concerning short-term effects. Existing data considered insufficient to project long-term effects

The validity of many of these findings is uncertain, as are the mechanisms for such Actions

The Electro Magnetic Spectrum

E M F

Ionizing

Radiofrequency (RF) fields RF fields are non-ionizing radiations - NIR Can have other effects These effects depend on frequency and intensity of the RF field. By no means, will all of these effects result in adverse health effects.

Do not break bonds

Non-Ionizing

Possible Effects of Mobile Phones on Health 1) Thermal

and

2) Non – Thermal

Primary concern - induce or promote cancer Remember “Cumulative” # of hrs/day X # of years of usage

Remember “Dose-Response”

HOW do we find out if mobile phones cause cancer ? Pick 100 people with brain cancer; ask for h/o Cell-phone usage Pick 100 people without brain cancer; ask for h/o Cell-phone usage

Case Control Study Pick 100 people who use Cellphones; 100 more who don’t use Cellphones Wait and watch how many of them develop brain cancer

Cohort Study Delve in to the studies already done; Compare; Compile; Conclude

Meta – Analysis

Meta-Analysis

What have we been doing ?

ICNIRP Guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection Report of the “Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones”

Weight-of-Evidence Criteria for RF Radiation and Cancer Amount and quality of epidemiological evidence Strength of association in the epidemiology Consistency of the epidemiology Exposure–response relationship Coherence with the physics of RF radiation Amount of laboratory evidence relevant to assessment of genotoxicity

Limited data of poor to fair overall quality

Strength of laboratory evidence for genotoxicity Amount of laboratory evidence relevant to assessment of epigenetic activity Strength of laboratory evidence for epigenetic activity

Overall

Weight-of-Evidence Criteria for RF Radiation and Cancer Amount and quality of epidemiological evidence Strength of association in the epidemiology Consistency of the epidemiology Exposure–response relationship Coherence with the physics of RF radiation Amount of laboratory evidence relevant to assessment of genotoxicity Strength of laboratory evidence for genotoxicity Amount of laboratory evidence relevant to assessment of epigenetic activity Strength of laboratory evidence for epigenetic activity

Overall

None to weak relative risks of 0.6–2.5

Weight-of-Evidence Criteria for RF Radiation and Cancer Amount and quality of epidemiological evidence Strength of association in the epidemiology

Studies show

Consistency of the epidemiology

~ no consistent associations between exposure and any Coherence with the physics of RF radiation specific types of cancer Exposure–response relationship

Amount of laboratory evidence relevant to assessment of genotoxicity

and

Strength of laboratory evidence for genotoxicity Amount of laboratory evidence relevant to assessment of epigenetic activity Strength of laboratory evidence for epigenetic activity

~ consistently show no associations between exposure and overall cancer

Overall

Weight-of-Evidence Criteria for RF Radiation and Cancer Amount and quality of epidemiological evidence Strength of association in the epidemiology

Even studies which show an association show little or no Exposure–response relationship evidence for an exposure – Coherence with the physics of RF radiation response relationship Consistency of the epidemiology

Amount of laboratory evidence relevant to assessment of genotoxicity Strength of laboratory evidence for genotoxicity Amount of laboratory evidence relevant to assessment of epigenetic activity Strength of laboratory evidence for epigenetic activity

Overall

Weight-of-Evidence Criteria for RF Radiation and Cancer Amount and quality of epidemiological evidence Strength of association in the epidemiology Consistency of the epidemiology Exposure–response relationship

Significant biological effects are implausible at the sub-thermal power levels

Coherence with the physics of RF radiation Amount of laboratory evidence relevant to assessment of genotoxicity

Strength of laboratory evidence for genotoxicity Amount of laboratory evidence relevant to assessment of epigenetic activity Strength of laboratory evidence for epigenetic activity

Overall

Weight-of-Evidence Criteria for RF Radiation and Cancer Amount and quality of epidemiological evidence Strength of association in the epidemiology Consistency of the epidemiology Exposure–response relationship

Extensive genotoxicity studies in cell culture, but only limited whole-animal exposure studies

Coherence with the physics of RF radiation Amount of laboratory evidence relevant to assessment of genotoxicity Strength of laboratory evidence for genotoxicity Amount of laboratory evidence relevant to assessment of epigenetic activity Strength of laboratory evidence for epigenetic activity

Overall

Weight-of-EvidenceCriteria Criteriafor forRF RFRadiation Radiationand andCancer Cancer Weight-of-Evidence Amount and quality of epidemiological evidence Strength of association in the epidemiology Consistency of the epidemiology Exposure–response relationship Coherence with the physics of RF radiation Amount of laboratory evidence relevant to assessment of genotoxicity

Cellular studies strongly unsupportive, animal studies moderately unsupportive

Strength of laboratory evidence for genotoxicity Amount of laboratory evidence relevant to assessment of epigenetic activity Strength of laboratory evidence for epigenetic activity

Overall

Weight-of-Evidence Criteria for RF Radiation and Cancer Amount and quality of epidemiological evidence Strength of association in the epidemiology Consistency of the epidemiology Exposure–response relationship

Few relevant cellular studies, some animal studies

Coherence with the physics of RF radiation Amount of laboratory evidence relevant to assessment of genotoxicity Strength of laboratory evidence for genotoxicity Amount of laboratory evidence relevant to assessment of epigenetic activity Strength of laboratory evidence for epigenetic activity

Overall

Weight-of-Evidence Criteria for RF Radiation and Cancer Amount and quality of epidemiological evidence Strength of association in the epidemiology

Some unreplicated evidence for epigenetic activity at Exposure–response relationship high (possibly thermal) Coherence with the physics of RF radiation exposure levels Consistency of the epidemiology

Amount of laboratory evidence relevant to assessment of genotoxicity Strength of laboratory evidence for genotoxicity Amount of laboratory evidence relevant to assessment of epigenetic activity Strength of laboratory evidence for epigenetic activity

Overall

Weight-of-Evidence Criteria for RF Radiation and Cancer

Nothing in the epidemiology, biology or biophysics suggests an association; we have only few standard long-term animal exposure studies, and no strong epidemiology

Overall

Range of Actions under Scientific Uncertainty

ICNIPR Guidelines For Occupational and General Public Exposure Limits

The SAR Value It is possible to measure how much radio wave energy your body receives from the mobile phone. This is called the Specific Absorption Rate or SAR Each make | model has a different SAR value

For Mobile Phones the Exposure limit has been set as a SAR Value < 1.6 w/kg Newer Versions of All Mobile Phones MUST state the model’s SAR Value

How do i find my Mobile Phone’s SAR Value ? 3 Ways Try 1 : Check your User’s Manual. Your mobile’s SAR value may be there, if ur lucky ! Try 2 : Log on to http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/sar/ ; Select your mobile Company and model. You will be taken to the homepage of your phone company and they will give you your model’s SAR Value.

Try 3 : Any and every Electronic product will have a FCC specification Sticker. Note down that unique FCC ID #. Log on to www.fcc.gov/oet/fccid Fill in your FCC ID. In the new page that comes, your mobile’s SAR value will be given.

Hands-free - Danger free ?

Hazardous or Not ? Insufficient Data

C E

L L U L A R

E X P O S U R E D O S E - R E S P O N S E S T A T H U M A R E P R O D U C I A N E P

I S T I C S N B L E I M A L

P A T H O L O G Y I D E M I O L O G Y

The Bigger Summary As of now, we do NOT have enough evidence to conclusively say whether Mobile Phones pose a public health hazard or not. Under such circumstances of Scientific uncertainty, we are advised a precautionary approach to the use of mobile phones. In practical terms, we can start with checking our mobile’s SAR Value

SAR < 1.6 is good

> 1.6 is not good

Much more on the Web … FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health www.fda.gov/cdrh/phones/index.html. World Health Organization (WHO) International EMF Project www.who.int/peh-emf/project/en/

Mobile telecommunications and health research programme http://www.mthr.org.uk/

Thank You