A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley may raise fresh concerns about the potential health risks associated with the extensive use of mobile phones and smartphones.
According to an article posted on the website of The Daily Mail, the UC Berkeley researchers updated their 2009 review of published studies conducted in the U.S., Sweden, the UK, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand regarding the effects of mobile phones on human health. That review found a definitive link between heavy mobile phone usage and an increased incidence of brain cancer.
The researchers’ updated review included a meta-analysis of 46 case-control studies and concluded that 1000 hours of mobile phone use (the equivalent of 17 minutes per day for 10 years) could increase an individual’s chance of having brain cancer by 60%.
The UC Berkeley researchers are apparently not alone in their concern. The Daily Mail article notes that more than 250 scientists who have studied the health effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields from mobile devices have signed the International EMF Scientist Appeal calling for stronger exposure limits for mobile phones and health warnings.
Joel Moskowitz, one of the authors of the UC Berkeley review, notes that consumers can reduce the potential health risks associated with the use of mobile phones by: 1) reducing overall mobile phone usage; 2) keeping the device at least 10 inches away from their body; and 3) using mobile devices only when strong communication signals are available since such devices typically increase their levels of electromagnetic radiation when signals are poor.
Read the published study detailing the UC Berkeley researchers’ work and findings.
