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enough to cause ionization of atoms and molecules. Therefore,
RF energy is a type of non-ionizing radiation. Other types of
non-ionizing radiation include visible light, infrared radiation
(heat), and other forms of electromagnetic radiation with
relatively low frequencies.
While RF energy does not ionize particles, large amounts can
increase body temperatures and cause tissue damage. Two
areas of the body, the eyes and the testes, are particularly
vulnerable to RF heating because there is relatively little blood
flow in them to carry away excess heat.
Research Results to Date: Is there a connection between RF
and certain health problems?
The results of most studies conducted to date say no. In addition,
attempts to replicate and confirm the few studies that have
shown a connection have failed.
The scientific community at large therefore believes that the
weight of scientific evidence does not show an association
between exposure to Radio Frequency (RF) from cell phones and
adverse health outcomes. Still the scientific community has
supported additional research to address gaps in knowledge.
Some of these studies are described below.
Interphone Study
Interphone is a large international study designed to determine
whether cell phones increase the risk of head and neck cancer. A
report published in the International Journal of Epidemiology
(June, 2010) compared cell phone usage for more than 5,000
people with brain tumors (glioma and meningioma) and a similar
number of healthy controls.
Results of this study did NOT show that cell phones caused brain
cancer. In this study, most people had no increased risk of brain
cancer from using cell phones. For people with the heaviest use
of cell phones (an average of more than ½ hour per day, every
day, for over 10 years) the study suggested a slight increase in
brain cancer. However, the authors determined that biases and
errors prevented any conclusions being drawn from this data.
Additional information about Interphone can be found at
http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2010/pdfs/pr200_E.pdf.
Interphone is the largest cell phone study to date, but it did not
answer all questions about cell phone safety. Additional research
is being conducted around the world, and the FDA continues to
monitor developments in this field.
International Cohort Study on Mobile Phone Users (COSMOS)
The COSMOS study aims to conduct long-term health monitoring
of a large group of people to determine if there are any health
issues linked to long-term exposure to radio frequency energy
