Electro-Magnetic Radiation/Fields (EMR/EMFS) 2 – the problems with research

I have discussed how science works and especially how its reporting (or not) is affected by monied interests and governments.  This is an interesting case study where the EMF issues  resembles so many other issues concerning health and environment.  Besides EMFs that occur from electrical wire sources and equipment, there are newer systems that are also of concern that need research.  When you are outside, non-ionizing EMFs are minimized when away from electrical power lines, but an additional modern phenomenon is that of Cell Phone Towers and the cell phones themselves.  These are a worldwide phenomenon that has a lot of interest since so many people are now addicted to the system that generates billions of dollars to the industry. In the past 50 years the levels of EMR found within the environment has risen, not just a little, but by several estimates, millions of times that of the background radiation.  Electro Magnetic Pollution is at unbelievable levels nd no one seems concerned.  How many people actually read the cell phone instruction booklet when they acquire a new phone? Go to the Health and Safety information pages and read of the booklet (I’m Sure everyone does this).  The Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) for cell phones in the U.S. 1.6W/Kg tissue (for the Head).  Curiously in Europe it is a higher level of 2W/Kg (for the Head).  What I find fascinating is that it doesn’t mention duration of exposure.

There is a real medical condition called Electro Sensitivity (ES) with manifest physical symptoms that affects at least 2.5% of the human population (185 million people).  So these people are on the more sensitive end of the population bell curve.   This means that a great many may have minor symptoms to one degree or another that are ignored, but long-term effects are not known.  The electrical and cell phone industry has created the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) to look in to the health effects of EMR and especially Microwaves experienced through Cell Phone Technology.  OK, a red flag – the industry is funding the research to show it is safe!  What happens to research that shows it isn’t.  Is there independent research that shows what is happening?  This where this issue starts to look like nearly every other environmental health issue.  Polarized opinions from both sides with their research to back them up and a debunking of the other side.  At this point the issue is not overly contentious, but it is getting there.  Because of the international nature of the problem and the amount of money involved should there be a real problem, delving through the research is almost humorous in how ridiculous it becomes.  For starters, the ICNIRP with its vested interest in reporting cell phones are safe sanctions the bulk of the research.  In Britain the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR) Programme, released a report in 2012 that gave the findings of 31 individual research projects, funded by the telecommunications industry and UK government over an 11 year period.  Notable for its delay was that the report was not released until 2014.  Meanwhile before the MTHR report was the 2011 report from the World Health Organization (WHO)/International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC):

“A Working Group of 31 scientists from 14 countries has been meeting at IARC in Lyon, France, to assess the potential carcinogenic hazards from exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields.  Their conclusion was that radiofrequency electromagnetic fields are possibly carcinogenic to humans.   The evidence was reviewed critically, and overall evaluated as being limited among users of wireless telephones for cancers like glioma and acoustic neuroma, and inadequate to draw conclusions for other types of cancers. The Working Group did not quantitate the risk; however, one study of past cell phone use (up to the year 2004), showed a 40% increased risk for gliomas in the highest category of heavy users (reported average: 30 minutes per day over a 10‐year period).”

This is for the cell phones and close proximity usage (more data in the next post).  Now consider that there are over 5 million cell phone towers around the world all beaming Radio Frequencies at us in the Radio Frequency range.  Radio and televisions have been with us for a long time with no major long-term problems but the Radio Frequencies in Cell towers and phones are closer to the microwave region of the spectrum.  The energy levels being used are relatively low compared to say ionizing radiation sources (x-rays, gamma rays, etc…) but the close proximity and constant usage means more exposure at close range over longer periods.  There is no research from the ICNIRP set up to measure long term or constant low level effects because it is treated as insignificant.   The same could be true of pesticides, antibiotic use, pharmaceutical use, etc…  Pinning down the research is hard and conflicting, but widening the net a little brings even more related environmental problems from EMFs in general.   To be continued……………….