Risk
evaluation of the health effects of mobile phone communication.
Results of a scientific dialogue
Results
The results of the dialogue pertain on the one hand
to procedural issues, and on the other hand to the results
of these procedures, i.e. the evaluations.
First, the procedures that MUT developed and enhanced
for the risk evaluation. This includes the initiation
of a risk dialogue as well as instruments for the characterization
of the evaluations of individual research studies.
The most important innovation is the aptly named "evidence
framework", that allows for a transparent summarization
of the experts' line of reasoning. As always, the summarization
of individual studies into an overall evaluation is
dependent upon their interpretation. Consequently, it
is not surprising that subjective assessment measures
are apparent since there exist no unambiguous rules
or evaluation-standards as to the approach and implementation
of how very different studies with at times contradictory
findings are to be summarized into an overall picture.
To address this shortcoming of the risk evaluation process,
MUT has developed the "evidence framework"
with which the most crucial arguments for as well as
against a risk suspicion, the conclusions of the experts,
and the remaining uncertainties can be better understood.
For several issues, clarifications of content could
be achieved through the dialogue process. In other areas,
contradictions and ambiguity remain, which signifies
a demand for future research. Consequently, according
to the assessment of the experts, the present research
studies provide no indication that high-frequency electromagnetic
fields of mobile phone communication cause cancer in
animal experiments or promote cancer growth. The studies
of the blood-brain-barrier also find no indications
of effects from electromagnetic fields by mobile phone
communication.
Furthermore, the experts concluded that the experimentally
determined effects of mobile phone communication on
the central nervous system do not pose a recognizable
health disadvantage. The same applies to the indications
of genetic damage. Since this does not result in damage
to the cells, it does not support the derivation of
a health endangerment, according to the opinion of the
experts.
For most impairments of well-being - the exception being
headaches - the experts view the weight-of-evidence
as so weak, that an evaluation is hardly feasible. However,
from the perspective of the experts, the few existing
research findings don't indicate a link to exposure
with HF EMF. Admittedly, the experts see an indication
of a link between headaches and mobile phone usage.
However, it remains uncertain whether this proves a
relationship between electromagnetic fields and headache,
or whether the cause could simply be telephone stress.
The issue of a special sensitivity (electromagnetic
hypersensitivity) of certain persons to the EMF of mobile
phone communication could not be conclusively clarified.
Admittedly, no findings that speak in favor of the existence
of such a special sensitivity could be found, but it
can also not be ruled out with certainty. For the same
reason, it cannot be evaluated whether effects may possibly
manifest themselves in sick or health-impaired individuals.
The findings regarding epidemiological cancer studies
are in part contradictory. Consequently, the experts
arrived at different evaluations: on the one hand they
evaluated that a cancer-promoting effect is likely not
to be expected, but on the other hand they evaluated
that there is a vague initial suspicion. The scientists
agreed, however, that after a few years of use of mobile
phones, an increased risk of tumors is not to be expected.
Altogether, in light of the six topic areas investigated,
support for the hypothesis that EMF of mobile phone
communication exhibits unhealthy effects was not strengthened.
Project
Report
Risk
evaluation of the health effects of mobile phone communication.
Results of a scientific dialogue
Expert
Opinions (in German only)
- Gminski,
Schlatterer, Fitzner, Simkó: Genotoxische
Effekte durch hochfrequente elektromagnetische Felder
- Dasenbrock,
Lerchl: Tierexperimentelle
Studien - Krebs
- Blettner,
Jöckel, Stang: Epidemiologie
Krebs
- Achermann,
Regel: Auswirkungen
von Mobilfunkfeldern auf das Zentralnervensystem im
Wach- und Schlafzustand
- Ullsperger:
Auswirkungen
von Mobilfunkfeldern auf das Zentralnervensystem im
Wach- und Schlafzustand
- Seitz,
Stinner, Eikmann: Befindlichkeitsstörungen
- Röösli:
Befindlichkeitsstörungen
- Hossmann,
Stögbauer: Blut-Hirn-Schranke
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