Case Study

Are mobile phones safe? Case study

Georgina Walsh Centre number: 32234 Candidate: 9407


Contents page:

Page 1: Title pagePage 2: Contents page

Page 3: IntroductionPage 4: What is a mobile phone?

Page 5: How do they work?Page 6: Mobile phone masts

Page 7: Electromagnetic spectrumPage 10: Ionizing radiation

Page11: Non Ionizing radiationPage 12: Sources

Page 16: BibliographyPage 17: Conclusion



Introduction

In this case study I am going to be looking at the risks and benefits of mobile phones. Over the years, mobile phones have gone from luxury items to something that people see as a necessity. In the last decade mobile phones have become incredibly popular and nowadays only12% of adults don't have a mobile phone, about half have one mobile phone, but 40% now have more than one, with 10% owning more than four mobile numbers and handsets. The graph below shows the number of mobile phone connections in 1997 right up to 2009. The graph shows that mobile phones have dramatically increased from just a few million, to about 77 million in the UK by 2009.

In 1992 mobile phones were much bigger than they are today. For example the Nokia 1011 weighed 475g, which was rather heavier than today’s slim line models. A lot of the weight came from the unit's nickel-cadmium rechargeable battery, which yielded a low - by today's standards - talk time of just 90 minutes. It could stay operational for 12 hours in stand-by mode.



The picture below shows the first hand held phone created in 1973 to modern phones from 2010, and as you can see there as been a change through these times, they have got smaller, weigh less, cheaper and have more gadgets which can be an advantage of a mobile phone but the question of this case study is Are mobile phones safe? So hopefully with the information that you are about to find out you can make a decision on whether you think mobile phones today are dangerous or not. A disadvantage of a mobile phone could be that they might be dangerous to our health.

What is a mobile phone?

A mobile phone, which can also called mobile, cell phone or hand phone is an electronic device used for full duplex two-way radio telecommunications over a cellular network of base stations known as cell sites.[1] Basically this means that a mobile can send radio waves to a mobile phone mast which then sends it to the person who they can to call and then they can communicate which each other. Mobile phones differ from cordless telephones, which only offer telephone service within limited range through a single base station attached to a fixed land line, for example within a home or an office. Low-end mobile phones are often referred to as feature phones, whereas high-end mobile phones that offer more advanced computing ability are referred to as smart phones.

A mobile phone allows its user to make and receive telephone calls to and from the public telephone network, which includes other mobiles, and fixed line phones across the world. It does this by connecting to a cellular network owned by a mobile network operator. A key feature of the cellular network is that it enables seamless telephone calls even when the user is moving around wide areas via a process known as handoff or handover.

In the 21st century a telephone can do many other things other than just make a phone call to somebody. Modern mobile phones can also use devices such as text (sms) messages, email, Internet access, games, Blue tooth, infrared, camera, MMS messaging, MP3 player, radio and GPS.

Martin Cooper of Motorola demonstrated the first hand held phone in 1973, using a handset weighing in at two kilos. In the year 1990, 12.4 million people worldwide had cellular subscriptions. By the end of 2009, only 20 years later, the number of mobile cellular subscriptions worldwide reached approximately 4.6 billion, 300 times the 1990 number, penetrating the developing economies and reaching the bottom of the economic pyramid. On the bottom left is a picture of Martin Cooper holding his hand held phone that was created in 1973. On the bottom left is a picture of the first hand held phone next to a



modern iphone which you can then get an idea of how big this phone actually was and it most properly weighed a lot as well.

How do mobile phones work?

Mobile phones are two-way radios. When you talk into a mobile telephone, it picks up your voice and converts the sound to radiofrequency energy (or radio waves). The radio waves travel through the air until they reach a receiver at a nearby base station. The base station then sends your call through the phone network until it reaches the person you are calling.

When you receive a call on your mobile phone, the message travels through the phone network until it reaches a base station close to your phone. The base station then sends out radio waves that are detected by a receiver in your mobile phone, where the signals are changed back into voice or data.

Depending on the equipment and operator, the frequency that each operator utilises is 900 MHz, 1800 MHz or 2100 MHz.

Base stations are designed for a number of different purposes, such as to provide coverage to a wide area or to increase capacity in a heavily congested area. Base stations are divided into three "cell" categories.

1- Macro cells: they are the main structure for mobile phone networks and work up to a theoretical 22-mile range. In reality, they usually cover a much smaller area, possibly as little as a mile or two, because the signal strength is reduced by buildings, trees and features of the landscape.

2- Micro cells: they are used to improve the capacity of the main network, especially in areas where the volume of calls is high, such as in airports and shopping centres. They emit less power than the macro cells and have a range of only a few hundred metres.

3- Pico cells: they are situated in buildings and give dedicated



coverage and capacity to a very small area such as a particular floor in a building. [1]

Mobile phone masts

Studies of the sites show high incidences of cancer, brain haemorrhages and high blood pressure within a radius of 400 yards of mobile phone masts. One of the studies, in Warwickshire, showed a cluster of 31 cancers around a single street. A quarter of the 30 staff at a special school within sight of the 90ft high mast have developed tumours since 2000, while another quarter have suffered significant health problems. The mast is being pulled down by the mobile phone after the presentation of the evidence operator O2 by local protesters. While rejecting any links to ill health, O2 admitted the decision was “clearly rare and unusual”. Phone masts have provoked protests throughout Britain with thousands of people objecting each week to planning applications. There are about 47,000 masts in the UK. Dr John Walker, a scientist who compiled the cluster studies with the help of local campaigners in Devon, Lincolnshire, Staffordshire and the West Midlands, said he was convinced they showed a potential link between the angle of the beam of radiation emitted from the masts’ antennae and illnesses discovered in local populations. “Masts should be moved away from conurbations and schools and the power turned down,” he said. Some scientists already believe such a link exists and studies in other European countries suggest a rise in cancers close to masts. In 2005 Sir William Stewart, chairman of the Health Protection Agency, said he found four such studies to be of concern but that the health risk remained unproven.



Electromagnetic spectrum

[2]

Gamma rays: Gamma rays are given off by stars, and by some radioactive substances. They are extremely high frequency waves, and carry a large amount of energy. They pass through most materials, and are quite difficult to stop; you need lead or concrete in order to block them out. Alpha can be stopped by a piece of paper, beta can be stopped by 5cm of aluminium and gamma can be stopped by lead. Radioactive materials can emit gamma rays. Big particle accelerators that scientists use to help them understand what matter is made of can sometimes generate gamma rays. But the biggest gamma-ray generator of all is the Universe! It makes gamma radiation in all kinds of ways.

X-rays: An example of X-rays being used is: in hospitals and also in airports. X-rays are very high frequency waves, and carry a lot of energy. They will pass through most substances, and this makes them useful in medicine and industry to see inside things. Some types of nebula give off X-rays by stars. An X-ray machine works by firing a beam of electrons at a "target". If we fire the electrons with enough energy, X-rays will be produced.

U ltraviolet: Ultra violet is made by special lamps that give off ultra violet that can be used in sun beds and also in lamps that are used to kill insects, e.g. a fly. These waves have very high energy and very short wave lengths; shorter than visible light. Some animals like honeybees can see ultra-violet light. Some plants have white flowers, at least you think that they are all white, but



they may appear to be different colours to a honeybee because of the amounts of ultra-violet light, which they reflect.

Visible:

Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain. = Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet are the colours of the visible spectrum. We cannot see Infrared, but we can feel it warm our skin when we sit in the sun. Infrared has a longer wavelength (less energy) than Red light. We cannot see Ultra-violet light, but we feel the sun has burnt our skin if we were in the sun too long yesterday. It is the Ultra-violet, which is thought to cause skin cancer. UV light has a shorter wavelength (more energy) than visible light.

Infra red:

These radio or light waves have a very short wavelength; their wavelength is longer than visible light. Infrared can be detected by special infra-red film. If the police shine an infra-red light on you they will be able to take a picture of you using infra-red film: you will not know that they have taken your photo. Animals like the pit viper have infra-red detectors so that they can find their prey in the dark.

Microwaves:

Microwaves have such a short wavelength that they are very easily absorbed by water. This is why they are used in microwave ovens. What happens is that when the water in your TV dinner absorbs the microwaves, the energy of the microwaves is converted into heat. If your food, like dry pasta doesn’t have any water or moisture in it then the microwave wont cook it and it will properly burn. It makes the water molecules vibrate faster. Some people are frightened that the radio waves coming out of their mobile phones are short enough to cook their brains.

Heating Effect

Moving charges collide with the atoms of the conductor resulting in an increase in the internal resistance of the conductor in the form of heat. Factors affecting the amount of heat produced:

The resistance (The greater the resistance the greater the heat produced)

The strength of the current The length of time



Everyday uses of the heating effect

Heating elements (e.g. Toasters, kettles, light bulbs, microwaves)The elements should have the following properties

High resistance High melting point Don’t react to oxygen easily Fuses as safety precautions

They should have the following properties Low resistance Low melting points

[4]

Radio waves Radio waves are made by various types of transmitters, depending on the wavelength. They are also given off by stars, sparks and lightning, which is why you hear interference on your radio in a thunderstorm. Radio waves are the lowest frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum, and are used mainly for communications.Radio waves are divided into:-Long Wave, around 1~2 km in wavelength. The radio station "Atlantic 252" broadcasts here.Medium Wave, around 100m in wavelength, used by BBC Radio 5 and other "AM" stations.VHF, which stands for "Very High Frequency" and has wavelengths of around 2m. This is where you find stereo "FM" radio stations; such as BBC Radio 1and Further up the VHF band are civilian aircraft and taxis.UHF stands for "Ultra High Frequency", and has wavelengths of less than a metre. It's used for Police radio communications, television transmissions and military aircraft radios - although military communications are now mostly digital and encrypted.



Ionizing radiation

Mobile phones don’t emit ionizing radiation. [5]

Ionizing radiation consists of subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves that are energetic enough to detach electrons from atoms or molecules, thus ionizing them. The occurrence of ionization depends on the energy of the individual particles or waves, and not on their number. An intense flood of particles or waves will not cause ionization if these particles or waves do not carry enough energy to be ionizing. Roughly speaking, particles or photons with energies above a few electron volts (eV) are ionizing.

Examples of ionizing particles are energetic alpha particles, beta particles, and neutrons. The ability of an electromagnetic wave (photons) to ionize an atom or molecule depends on its frequency. Radiation on the short-wavelength end of the electromagnetic spectrum—high frequency ultraviolet, x-rays, and gamma rays—is ionizing.

Ionizing radiation comes from radioactive materials, x-ray tubes, particle accelerators, and is present in the environment. It is invisible and not directly detectable by human senses, so instruments such as Geiger counters are usually required to detect its presence. In some cases it may lead to secondary emission of visible light upon interaction with matter, as in Cherenkov radiation and radio luminescence. It has many practical uses in medicine, research, construction, and other areas, but presents a health hazard if used improperly. Exposure to radiation causes damage to living tissue, resulting in skin burns, radiation sickness and death at high doses and cancer, tumors and genetic damage at low doses. The diagram at the top shows somebodies DNA broken and a cancer cell is growing into a tumor. This could be caused by ionizing radiation.


http://www.radscihealth.org/RSH/Figures/Docs/MP98_Fig1.gif%00%E5%A1%B9%EF%92%81%E1%B4%BB%E4%A1%BF%E2%B2%AF%E5%B6%82%E8%97%84%E6%8C%A7%00%00%EA%AE%A5


Non Ionizing radiation [6]

Non-Ionizing radiation is electromagnetic radiation that does not have sufficient energy to remove electrons from the outer shells of atoms. Types of Non-Ionizing radiation are: ultraviolet (UV), visible light, infrared (IR), microwave, radio (and television), and extremely low frequency (ELF, sometimes referred to as EMF or ELF-EMF). Non-Ionizing radiation is produced by a wide variety of products in the home and in the workplace, from lasers to power lines, tanning beds to household appliances, cellular phones to ham radios.The primary health effect from high exposure levels of non-Ionizing radiation arises from heat generation in body tissue. Worldwide, scientists have conducted years of research looking for other potential health effects and many of these efforts are on going. In spite of this, we know less about non-Ionising radiation than we do about Ionizing radiation. Most of the health effects that have been observed occur at much higher levels than those to which most people are exposed.DRC has the responsibility and authority to control all sources of radiation, including non-Ionizing sources. The Utah Radiation Control Board may adopt rules to control these sources if they constitute a significant health hazard. Currently, the Board has not written rules to control or limit exposure to the various types of non-Ionizing radiation. However, because of recent public concerns regarding potential health effects from ELF-EMF, the Board directed Division Staff to review available research to see if additional controls were warranted. Staff prepared a position paper that was adopted by the Board. The Board concluded that existing scientific evidence is not sufficient to warrant legislation or regulation at this time. DRC will continue to monitor this area for evidence indicating additional regulations are needed. Division Staff can also be contacted by EMAIL or phone for additional information. The symbol at the bottom of the page is a symbol for Non-Ionizing radiation.


http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://z.about.com/d/chemistry/1/0/W/h/nonionizingwarning.jpg&imgrefurl=http://daymix.com/Non-Ionizing/&usg=__ZqxNsFxWyExIK2pCBf7EGETWqrA=&h=548&w=624&sz=39&hl=en&start=5&itbs=1&tbnid=E2n6_eJJUnhYpM:&tbnh=119&tbnw=136&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnon%2Bionizing%2Bradiation%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1%00%E5%A1%B9%EF%92%81%E1%B4%BB%E4%A1%BF%E2%B2%AF%E5%B6%82%E8%97%84%E6%8C%A7%00%00%EA%AE%A5


Sources for mobile phone research

Source 1- The Swedish association for the Electro Sensitive 1997 http://www.feb.se/ARTICLES/free_mobphones.html

“Is your mobile phone dangerous? Nobody knows for sure. The scientists downplay the risk, but the cell phone story is a thriller: - Today’s knowledge could be tomorrow's nightmare, says the scientist Olle Johansson from Karolinska Instituttet. - It is likely in 30 years from now wonder how people in the whole world could place such a high frequency radiation source to the head. Why can the mobile phone be dangerous? The antenna radiates microwaves. The same type of radiation as in a microwave oven, although in much smaller doses. Like the microwave oven heats food, the microwaves of the phone heat human cells. Science does not know exactly what happens with human cells which are exposed to microwaves.”

Nobody knows for sure if mobile phones are dangerous. Scientist Olle Johansson says that the knowledge that we have today on mobile phones could be used to prevent us from any harm against mobile phones in the future. Mobile phones created the same amount of radiation as microwave ovens do but we don’t think that they are dangerous for us so mobile phones shouldn’t be dangerous either. Like a microwave oven the home heats human cells. If cells move, mutate, it may cause cancer but scientists don’t know what happens to human cells for sure.

I think that this source is reliable because this case study was written by a reporter for a Swedish newspaper so I think the facts will be true because you cant print things in a newspaper that aren’t true. On the other hand it was created in 1997 which is a little outdated so the facts might have changed in 2010 than 1997.

Source 2- from the times January 12, 2005

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article411329.ece January 12th 2005 by Sam Coates, Nigel Hawkes and Alexandra Blair

“All of these studies have yet to be replicated and are of varying quality but we can’t dismiss them out of hand,” Sir William said. If there was a health risk — which remained unproven — it would have a greater effect on the young than on older people, he added. For children aged between 8 and 14, parents had to make their own judgments about the risks and benefits. “I can’t believe that for three to eight year-olds they can be readily justified,” he said.

We don’t know for sure if mobile phones are dangerous, but if there was a health risk then there would be more of a risk to younger children than adults. Parents need to decide what age they think there children will be old enough to use a phone and if it is safe for them. The parents need to use the ALARA as low as reasonably achieve, or the precautionary principle, out weigh the benefits from the risks, it you need to use a mobile for safety and the risks are low then you should use one, better safe than sorry.


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article411329.ece

http://www.feb.se/ARTICLES/free_mobphones.html


I think this case study is reliable because it was written by three journalists from the Times newspaper so the facts must be right if it was printed to the general public. As this article was written in 2005 which wasn’t that long ago so I think this piece of evidence is reliable and will help me to make a decision on whether mobile phones are safe or not.

Source 3- from Mobile Hazard - Glen Discovery Ltd. (+44) 07961 488547 OR 01382 860992 independent Ecoflow distributor

http://www.mobilehazard.co.uk/ by Independent Distributor of Ecoflow plc

“We all benefit from the convenience of mobile phones, computers, and other electronic technology, but there is an expanding body of evidence that suggests the modern world is full of consequential electromagnetic pollution which can damage our health and especially that of children. Health warnings against the harmful effects of non-ionising electromagnetic radiation, particularly that produced by the mobile phone, are well documented by many leading experts including the General Secretary of the World Health Organisations and numerous government advisors. Neurosurgeon, Leif Salford, referred to the 1.3 billion users of mobile phones as "the largest biological experiment in the history of the world."

Modern technology has made are lives much easier in the 21st, e.g. mobile phones and computer for fast communication. Not all of this new technology is good for us; this is evidence that suggests mobiles can damage our health and especially children’s health. Non-ionizing radiation that is produced in mobile phones may be damaging our health.

I don’t think this source is very reliable because it doesn’t tell you when the article was written or published and also it doesn’t say clearly who wrote the article so I don’t think it’s very reliable. Also if you don’t know who has written it then it could be anyone who hasn’t been educated and they might be saying wrong things about mobile phones.

Source 4 http://www.canceractive.com/cancer-active-page- link.aspx? n=2275&Title=Europe's MEPs Vote to Minimise EMF Exposure Risks

“The Daily Mail reported a 25% increase in young people being hit by mouth cancer on 25/9/05. The British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF) said smoking and drinking normally cause risk factors, however none of these are common risks in younger people. The figure is forecast to rise sharply in the next ten years, with people in their twenties and thirties increasingly vulnerable. (Daily Mail Report 10/11/03).”

There has been a 25% increase in young people getting mouth cancer, which is unusual because smoking and drinking usually cause mouth cancer. In the next ten years figures for mouth cancer will rise.

I don’t think this source is reliable because it doesn’t mention mobile phones causing the mouth cancer, it just says there has been an increase in the


http://www.canceractive.com/cancer-active-page-

http://www.mobilehazard.co.uk/


amount of young people getting this but they could be getting mouth cancer from anywhere, it doesn’t directly say mobile phones are causing this.

Source 5 Stewards report first issued 16 June 2000 by Sir William Steward http://www.iegmp.org.uk/report/clarification.htm Stewards report

“The Expert Group believes that, on the basis of the evidence currently available, there is no need for the general population to be worried about the use of mobile phones. In line with the precautionary approach highlighted in the report, the Expert Group notes that individuals may choose to:

Use phones for as short a time as possible. Use phones with low specific energy absorption rate (SAR) values. Use hands-free kits and other devices provided they have been proved to reduce SAR. The Expert Group discourages the use of mobile phones whilst driving. As a general rule the Expert Group considers that children less than 16 years of age should be discouraged from using mobile phones. Children are likely to be more vulnerable to any unrecognised health risks from mobile phone use than are adults. The rationale is as follows:

The developing nervous system is likely to be more vulnerable than the mature nervous system to potentially hazardous agents.

Because of their smaller heads, thinner skulls and higher tissue conductivity, children may absorb more energy from a given phone than do adults.

If there are detrimental health effects caused by mobile phone signals, those using phones for a longer period of their lives will tend to accumulate a greater risk.

The justification for suggesting persons aged less than 16 years is as follows:

Development of the head and nervous system is generally complete by age 16 years. For example, the density of synapses reaches adult level around puberty and skull thickness and brain size reach adult levels around ages 14 to 15.

16 years old is usually recognised as the age at which individuals are sufficiently mature to make informed choices about other 'adult' activities.”

On basic research and evidence, it doesn’t show that mobile phones are dangerous or may cause you any problems with your health. Just in case there is a risk factor you should try and change your phone habits such has: change ears when speaking on the phone, don’t use your phone as much, text instead of ringing people and also use hands free. Children as more likely to be vulnerable to health risks of phones if there is any than adults because they are younger and also they are still growing. Children shouldn’t use phones until they are 16 because their skulls are thinner which means they can absorb more energy from a phone than adults, which could be bad for them in the long run.


http://www.iegmp.org.uk/report/clarification.htm


I think this source is reliable because nobody has come up with a better case study than the steward’s report and also because he has become sir William steward since writing the report so the facts must be correct and the source is therefore reliable.

Source 6 Mobile phones are not dangerous By Archive on Friday, 8th February 2008

http://recombu.com/news/mobile-phones-are-not-dangerous_18461105.html

“Claims that using mobile phones could be dangerous have been dismissed by a study undertaken by the Tokyo Women's Medical University. According to the study there was no sign of increased risk of brain cancer among mobile phone users, suggesting that radiation from mobile phones was not linked to cancer.

Lead researcher Professor Nahito Yamaguchi said: Using our newly developed and more accurate techniques, we found no association between mobile phone use and cancer."

Tokyo Women`s Medical University have said there is no sign of an increase of brain cancer as there has been an increase in mobile phones, there is no link from phones to cancer.

I think this source may be reliable because they are from university so they must be clever and know what they are talking about. On the other hand it may not be reliable because many other reports say there hasn’t been enough information found out about phones and cancer or phones havent been around long enough so this source could be unreliable and the facts of phones not being connected to cancer could be wrong.

Bibliography

www.psrast.org/mobileng/mobilstarteng.htm I think this source is unreliable because anyone can change the information and it might be there own opinion and not true facts.

[1] http://www.stroud.gov.uk/docs/cassiopea/phone_work.asp I think this source is reliable because it was written by stoud district council and therefore people can’t change the information and also the information is correct.


http://www.stroud.gov.uk/docs/cassiopea/phone_work.asp

http://www.psrast.org/mobileng/mobilstarteng.htm

http://recombu.com/news/mobile-phones-are-not-dangerous_18461105.html


[2] http://www.purchon.com/physics/electromagnetic.htm#ultra

For the information on the electromagnetic spectrum I got the information for the website www.purchon.com. I think this website is reliable because at the bottom of the page it says last revised on 24th March 2010 so the information is updated and also it says Gondar Design Science writes lessons for the guardians education site so the information given must be reliable. On the other hand the information can be limited because it is only up to GCSE level but this is okay for this case study project.

Ionizing radiation http://en.wikipedia.org Date accessed: 15th June

I don’t think this site is very reliable because anyone can make an account and change the information to make it wrong.

[3] www.bbc.co.ukDate accessed: 26th June Mobile phone masts

[4] http://www.ulwaziproject.co.za/f3science/ Date accessed: 30th June Heating effect I don’t think this website is reliable because the website is all about the Ulwazi project which is a project to get school children connected to the internet so that they can help with there learning.

“The second phase of the Ulwazi project is aimed at providing a demonstrator which will investigate a number of key concepts embedded in a living laboratory. This phase will focus on the development of a much larger INTER-SCHOOL broadband network sponsored by Motorola which will provide connectivity between four centres which are separated over a distance of 100 km.”

The people who had set up this website might not know anything about science and the heating effect, they might just know about setting up the


http://www.ulwaziproject.co.za/f3science/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/

http://en.wikipedia.org/

http://www.purchon.com/

http://www.purchon.com/physics/electromagnetic.htm#ultra


internet, the are not scientists and the facts they are promoting may not be true.

[5] Images from google of ionizing radiation Date accessed: 30th Junehttp://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.radscihealth.org/RSH/Figures/Docs/MP98_Fig1.gif&imgrefurl=http://biochemistry.coravil.com/2007/12/ionizing-radiation-causing-cancer-cell.html&usg=__ij81ch3uYW8qcHMCpJnbWr3t_EU=&h=417&w=594&sz=27&hl=en&start=3&itbs=1&tbnid=RMnDNPOCEttnpM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dionizing%2Bradiation%2Bdna%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1

[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-ionizing_radiation Date accessed: 30th June 2010I don’t think this website is reliable because anyone can make an account and change the information to make it wrong.

Conclusion

After reviewing all of the information I have received in this case study, I have come to the conclusion that we don’t actually know if mobile phones are dangerous or not. I think that mobile phones haven’t been around long enough to see whether they are affecting us or not.

All of these studies have yet to be replicated and are of varying quality but we can’t dismiss them out of hand,” Sir William said. If there was a health risk — which remained unproven — it would have a greater effect on the young than on older people, he added.

Also if mobile phones were affecting us then I think it would affect children more because they are still growing and there brains wont be able to handle radiation as well as a fully grow adult could. Also to prevent harm from mobile phones in case they do find out there is problems with mobile phones and your health then you should do things to stop the risk being higher. (ALARA)You could not use your phone as much, swap ears when talking, text more than speaking, if you are a male don’t keep your phone in your pocket because it may cause low sperm count and also you could used a hands free kit.

I don’t think mobile phones are dangerous because nobody actually knows what causes cancer and if phones did cause cancer then everyone with a phone would get a brain tumour or some kind of cancer but they don’t.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-ionizing_radiation

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.radscihealth.org/RSH/Figures/Docs/MP98_Fig1.gif&imgrefurl=http://biochemistry.coravil.com/2007/12/ionizing-radiation-causing-cancer-cell.html&usg=__ij81ch3uYW8qcHMCpJnbWr3t_EU=&h=417&w=594&sz=27&hl=en&start=3&itbs=1&tbnid=RMnDNPOCEttnpM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dionizing%2Bradiation%2Bdna%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1




On the other hand it may cause cancer because all those people who live near mobile phone masts who have got cancer cant just be a coincidence, not that many people in one area would have it but maybe something else is causing the cancer, because not all areas with mobile phone masks have people living around it with a high frequency of cancer.

As a whole I don’t think phones cause cancer right now but if they continue to grow and more people start getting them and more evidence is produced to back up this them maybe phones can cause cancer.

By Georgina Walsh 10k


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