A study on cellphone radiation will be undertaken by the US Department of Health and Human Services, building on Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s criticism linking them to neurological damage and cancer, reports Reuters.
Last year, the department said 22 states had restricted cellphone use in schools to improve the mental and physical health of children. The FDA has also removed old webpages saying cellphones are not dangerous.
“Webpages with old conclusions about cellphone radiation have been taken down while HHS undertakes a study on electromagnetic radiation and health research to identify gaps in knowledge, including on new technologies, to ensure safety and efficacy,” said HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon.
However, the FDA and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention continue to say that to date, there is no credible evidence pointing to health problems from cellphone radiation.
The National Cancer Institute, under the National Institutes of Health, says “evidence to date suggests that cellphone use does not cause brain or other kinds of cancer in humans”.
Reuters article – Health department to launch study on cellphone radiation (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Cellphones and brain cancer – do we still need to worry?
Large study to look at impact of mobile phone use on teenagers
Major WHO review finds no link between phones and brain cancer