Easy to be confused when it comes to mobile safety
Monday November 09 2009
Tens of thousands of us are addicted to our mobile phones and could not run our business or everyday activities without one.
But what policing body is there in Ireland to monitor their safety? And how up to date is this advice?
Health & Living was prompted to find out more following a recent newspaper article which claimed that a €20m decade-long investigation, overseen by the World Health Organisation (WHO), will publish evidence that heavy users of mobile phones face a higher risk of developing brain tumours later in life.
The conclusion, while not definitive, will challenge assurances that the devices are safe, the article claimed.
A breakdown of the results found a "significantly increased risk" of some brain tumours "related to use of mobile phones for a period of 10 years or more" in some studies, The Daily Telegraph reported.
But in advance of the final report being published, what is happening in the government department charged with monitoring the safety of mobile phones and masts?
A Department of the Environment spokesman said it is largely relying on the advice of an expert group report, published by the Government in March 2007.
"The expert group concluded that no adverse short or long-term health effects have been shown to occur from exposure to the signals produced by mobile phones and base-station transmitters.
"The report has, however, recommended that precautionary measures be used, where appropriate, and that Ireland continues to adopt and enforce the international guidelines developed by the European Commission, among others."
The spokesman said: "This department has been made aware of the concerns that people with electro-hypersensitivity experience."
But it is satisfied from the tests carried out by ComReg (the State body with responsibility for electronic communications) that the reports received "would not give rise to concern that the public is exposed to levels of electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones or phone masts in excess of the widely accepted limits.
"In fact to date ComReg has commissioned over 600 site surveys of transmitters to ensure compliance with licence conditions. Recorded levels of radiofrequency signals are typically found to be in the range of 0.002pc to two per cent of the safe exposure levels. This is lower or comparable to radiofrequency exposures from radio and television broadcasts."
He said the views of the expert group report are consistent with the latest findings of the European Commission's updated advice in January this year.
He acknowledged, however, the need for more research. The department said it also takes part in the WHO work in this area and it is so far "essentially satisfied that there are no adverse health effects from exposure".
Mobile-phone operators illustrate that 30 scientific studies have not shown any adverse health effects.
For now users are advised to take basic precautions, including:
Text where possible
Children should use them sparingly
Invest in a hands-free kit
Make calls as short as possible
Ask for a SARs rating, which indicates radiofrequency radiation, before buying a phone.
- Eilish O'Regan
Irish Independent
