A new review from the World Health Organization shows that despite a rise in cellphone use, there’s no evidence connecting it to increased brain cancer rates.
Rachel Pannett reports for The Washington Post.
In short:
- A WHO-commissioned review looked at more than 5,000 studies and focused on 63 for further analysis, ultimately concluding there is no link between cellphone use and brain cancer, even for long-term users.
- Newer technologies, like 3G and 4G, emit lower radio frequencies, reducing exposure compared to older networks, with no evidence of increased cancer risk.
- Concerns about cellphone towers and radiation remain unproven, with experts concluding more towers actually reduce phone radiation by improving signal strength.
Key quote:
“Worries about the health effects of new technology are common and tend to increase when a new technology is adopted widely or adopted quickly."
— Keith Petrie, technology expert, University of Auckland
Why this matters:
All wireless devices - including cell phones, WiFi routers, and the towers they depend on for service - emit radiofrequency (RF) radiation. While this WHO review focuses primarily on studies related to cell phones and cancer, scientists have raised concerns about RF radiation’s potential to cause other health effects and suggest that more research is needed to fully understand any impacts of exposure.
More resources:
For additional coverage on the research that’s been conducted on RF radiation’s potential health impacts - and how regulatory bodies approach those findings - see Peter Elkind’s ProPublica reporting:
