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hours per day. These conditions are not similar to the conditions
under which people use wireless phones, so we don’t know with
certainty what the results of such studies mean for human health.
Three large epidemiology studies have been published since
December 2000. Between them, the studies investigated any
possible association between the use of wireless phones and
primary brain cancer, glioma, meningioma, or acoustic neuroma,
tumors of the brain or salivary gland, leukemia, or other cancers.
None of the studies demonstrated the existence of any harmful
health effects from wireless phone RF exposures. However, none
of the studies can answer questions about long-term exposures,
since the average period of phone use in these studies was
around three years.
5. What research is needed to decide whether RF exposure
from wireless phones poses a health risk?
A combination of laboratory studies and epidemiological studies
of
people actually using wireless phones would provide some of
the
data that are needed. Lifetime animal exposure studies could
be
completed in a few years. However, very large numbers of
animals
would be needed to provide reliable proof of a cancer
promoting
effect if one exists. Epidemiological studies can
provide data that is
directly applicable to human populations, but
10 or more years’ follow-up may be needed to provide answers
about some health
effects, such as cancer. This is because the
