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Mobile phones could increase slight risk of not having no chance of cancer … maybe?

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mark blake

I would argue that my warped headline is just about as explanatory as all the reportage and even the WHO study itself. My understanding of the findings is that while there is no clinching evidence to show a direct link, there is enough to keep scientists interested in conducting more research. A quick look at headlines from across the world though, is proof that everybody has their own interpretation. Obviously the mobile companies are thrilled, while (I assume that) folks who make radiation shields will be crying foul!

Granted that scientific research, in particular statistical studies can often be tricky, but this topic was always going to be explosive. For now though, ignore the nitty-gritties of the number crunching and causation v correlation debate. This part of the WHO press release, in my opinion, is the crucial one:

The cut-point for the heaviest 10% of users (1640 hours lifetime), spread out over 10 years, corresponds to about a half-hour per day. Today, mobile phone use has become much more prevalent and it is not unusual for young people to use mobile phones for an hour or more a day. This increasing use is tempered, however, by the lower emissions, on average, from newer technology phones, and the increasing use of texting and hands-free operations that keep the phone away from the head. (Full PDF document here)

So what we’re left with is an outdated study and a balancing act of factors that may or may not cancel each other out. Milind Deora made a strong case for erring on the side of caution, in ToI’s editorial page last month, arguing that the carcinogenic nature of smoking too, took a long time to prove beyond doubt. While I agree at some level, one must remember that even statistical correlation is meaningless without a scientific explanation that can then be double-blind tested. In the case of smoking, the effects of burnt tobacco on various organs of the human body were clearly proven. Mobile phone radiation is non-ionizing (unlike X-rays) and there is no proof as yet of its ability to biologically alter cells or cellular contents like DNA.

 

 

Thanks!

 

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