German research foundation
Verum exposed cells of human tissue in glass dishes to mobile phone signals and discovered that the low-power microwaves they emit can damage DNA, potentially causing cancer and other illnesses.
The so-called Reflex study which took four years to complete is the
second independent study released within the last two months which links cell phone use to body cell damage, adding to the already heated debate over mobile phone safety.
It also found that the risk was increased in areas with a poor signal because the mobile phone used higher-powered radiation to maintain contact with the network. The output from a single handset can range from a minimum of two milliwatts to a maximum of about a watt, depending on whether the phone is in use and how good the signal is.
The experts involved included scientists from the universities of Vienna, Bologna, Milan, Hannover and Bordeaux, as well as Finnish experts in radiation and nuclear safety. They admit the results do not yet prove mobile phones are harmful, because although the cells were affected in the laboratory, the body can often tackle any damage through its own immune system.
What should we believe? Is this study one more piece of evidence that mobile phones are not as safe as the industry tell us they are?
[via
Wired]