Findings from two new studies have suggested that cell phone radiation could be a source of certain cancers. The studies conducted by researchers from the US National Institutes Health, preliminarily found that six percent of male rats exposed to the same kind of radiation cell phones emit – though in much larger quantities – developed a type of cancer called a schwannoma in their hearts.
It was reported that the scientists, based on preliminary data released, had earlier cautioned, in the early days of 2016 on the possibility of a link between cell phone radiation and cancer. It was this early warning that prompted the researchers to embark on another research to verify the earlier findings.
In their multi-million dollar study, as reported on Dailymailonline.com, the researchers exposed rats and mice to high levels of radiation over the course of 18 hours each day, alternating 10-minute exposures with 10-minute periods without exposures.
It was observed that radiation surges when cell phones are trying to connect to faint network signals or transmit large amounts of information.
Experts warned that it is these inconsistent exposures that make the devices particularly risky.
Describing the operations of smartphones and other wireless devices, the study co-author Dr John Bucher, said they put out small amounts of low frequency microwave radiation when they connect networks and transmit information.
“Our ultimate findings are about the same as we put out in 2016. This energy is not nearly as strong as ultraviolet radiation or X-ray energy, but the new studies add to the mounting evidence that even microwave radiation, in high doses, can pose some health risks”, Bucher noted.
The findings on the two studies revealed that there were ‘statistically significant’ differences in the incidence of heart schwannoma tumors in rats.
It was also found that the incidences of other cancers were not higher, statistically speaking, than the researchers would have expected to see in rats as they aged in general.
Expatiating on the development of malignant schwannomas, Bucher said it can start anywhere, but seem to be most common in the leg, arm or lower back, sometimes causing a bump, pain, muscle weakness or tingling.
“Though they are not common in human hearts, cardiac tissue is a good target for cell phone radiation”, Dr Bucher says.
While this pair of studies have been described as the largest conducted by the institute on the carcinogenic effects of cell phone radiation, the authors cautioned that while much more research is needed to find out whether or not the ways that average people use cell phones could raise cancer risks, the findings highlight an ‘area of concern’.
