- Jan 6, 2017
- 835
Don’t keep cell phones next to your body, warns California Health Department.
You might have thought this old theory was debunked some time ago, but the truth is, the jury is still out on the hazards of prolonged proximity to your cell phone. When mobile devices first became a common item–meaning back in the days of high-powered executives carrying the luxury items, not the current trend of kids in elementary school having them–there were concerns that the antenna caused tumors. This was specifically linked to the increase in brain tumors located behind the ear, as in, where a typical user would point the antenna.
Those fears basically went away, but according to at least one concerned source, it’s not because they were proven to be false. Rather, it’s because the documentation was swept under the rug. But no more.
In 2009, documentation about the association between cell phone use and tumors caused by radiation was placed under lock and key. A lawsuit filed in 2016 to get access to that documentation has shown… well, some gray area.
California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has issued a warning against the hazards of cellphone radiation.
Here’s the conundrum: according to the document in question, there are no legal regulations for what is considered safe or unsafe when it comes to proximity and amount of exposure. But at the same time, the Federal Communications Commission also requires mobile device manufacturers to ensure that their products meet safe use standards. Unfortunately, as the powerhouse behind this issue has discovered, the fault seems to be in the regulatory agencies who also overlooked the matter, thinking it had been put to bed.
Without further information, there’s no final say-so on whether or not prolonged proximity to the radiation emitted from a mobile device is harmful or not, or whether it is connected to the growth of tumors. All that is certain is that the FCC and manufacturers think you should keep your distance, although they won’t definitively say why.
You might have thought this old theory was debunked some time ago, but the truth is, the jury is still out on the hazards of prolonged proximity to your cell phone. When mobile devices first became a common item–meaning back in the days of high-powered executives carrying the luxury items, not the current trend of kids in elementary school having them–there were concerns that the antenna caused tumors. This was specifically linked to the increase in brain tumors located behind the ear, as in, where a typical user would point the antenna.
Those fears basically went away, but according to at least one concerned source, it’s not because they were proven to be false. Rather, it’s because the documentation was swept under the rug. But no more.
In 2009, documentation about the association between cell phone use and tumors caused by radiation was placed under lock and key. A lawsuit filed in 2016 to get access to that documentation has shown… well, some gray area.
California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has issued a warning against the hazards of cellphone radiation.
Here’s the conundrum: according to the document in question, there are no legal regulations for what is considered safe or unsafe when it comes to proximity and amount of exposure. But at the same time, the Federal Communications Commission also requires mobile device manufacturers to ensure that their products meet safe use standards. Unfortunately, as the powerhouse behind this issue has discovered, the fault seems to be in the regulatory agencies who also overlooked the matter, thinking it had been put to bed.
Without further information, there’s no final say-so on whether or not prolonged proximity to the radiation emitted from a mobile device is harmful or not, or whether it is connected to the growth of tumors. All that is certain is that the FCC and manufacturers think you should keep your distance, although they won’t definitively say why.