Health
Related: About this forumFCC proposes first cellphone radiation investigation in 15 years
Chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission Julius Genachowski released a proposal on Friday to formally investigate whether wireless radiation is carcinogenic and should thus be regulated more strictly.
If the proposal is approved by a majority of the FCC's four other commissioners, the inquiry will move forward with an investigation of existing cellular radiation regulations as well as whether wireless devices used by children should carry be subject to higher standards, reports The Wall Street Journal. It has been 15 years since the commission last examined the issue.
A number of independent studies have raised concern over wireless radiation emission and its possible role in causing brain tumors, though a lack of conclusive evidence has kept the debate from being resolved. The proposed inquiry is not meant to put these questions to bed and an FCC official said that the agency has no plans to create new rules based on any possible findings.
"The great weight of the most credible scientific evidence tells us there is no causal link between cellphone usage and brain tumors," said FCC commissioner Robert McDowell (R-Va.). "Nonetheless, it is prudent to reassess our methodology and procedures from time to time, provided we don't cause unwarranted concern among cellphone consumers along the way."
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/06/15/fcc_proposes_first_cellphone_radiation_investigation_in_15_years.html
MADem
(135,425 posts)and were huge, even (with a backpack attachment)!
A very close family friend, almost a relative, really, died recently of the very same gioblastoma. He had a job where he used a cellphone constantly.
I am glad they are looking at this again. It is, indeed, prudent to do so.
I am a fan of the speakerphone feature...not that I use a cellphone, or even a wireless landline, all that much.
longship
(40,416 posts)And the physics shows low plausibility. But there still is enough plausibility to take the research further, which should be done.
I don't think prospective trials are practical on this. And blinding is difficult. But some of the European countries, notably Sweden and Denmark, have huge medical data bases. These could give a study enough statistical power to put this question to bed once and for all.
If there is an effect, I don't think it's significant. But we should find out.