By Casey Jacobson, Editor
Sophomore Hayley Contorno is conscious of the waves of radiation that emanate from her cell phone—so much so that she keeps the phone away from her body whenever possible.
Instead of sleeping with her phone under her pillow or next to her head, Contorno keeps it away from her body. Anywhere except near her skin, where the radiation could potentially seep through.
The issue has been on Contorno’s mind ever since her aunt, Penny Kukovec, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010.
Kukovec kept her phone near her bra strap for several years and got the devastating news that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The diagnosed area was her upper breast, precisely where she would keep her phone. The price to pay was a complete breast removal.
The suspicion that Kukovec’s cell phone radiation may have caused her cancer has changed Contorno’s behavior with her phone.
“When I have my cell phone on me, I will keep it in my back pocket if I have to, but I try to bring a bag to put it in,” Contorno said.
What You Need to Know
This summer, the World Health Organization stated that the electromagnetic field emitted by cell phones has now been placed on the “possibly carcinogenic to humans” list, along with cigarettes.
It’s particularly concerning because cell phones are very widespread. According to the National Cancer Institute, there are 6.8 billion people on this planet, and about five billion use cell phones.
In this generation, teens and adults are dependent on their phones, which go everywhere with them and are often kept near the body. Phones are tucked into shirts, held up to ears, and stuffed in pockets and even shoes.
Could something that simple be harmful? Maybe.
Cell phone use began in Europe in the 1980s, but did not come into widespread use in the United States until around the 1990s. Numerous large studies are being conducted on the effects of radio frequency energy on the human body.
RF energy refers to radio frequency energy, which is the radiation emitting from cell phones.
Since cell phones are now updating rapidly and smart phones emit higher levels of radiation, discovering if RF energy can affect the human body is a scientific priority.
Yet it’s hard for scientists to say they are harmful because cell phones are relatively new, and the long-term effects are not clear yet.
“I think scientists need a lot of research to prove that,” sophomore Erika Carlson said.
This is what scientists are beginning to do.
Where is the Radiation Coming From?
The NCI studies suggest the amount of RF energy produced by cell phones is too low to cause significant tissue heating or an increase in body temperature. However, more research is needed to determine what effects RF has on the body and whether it poses a health danger.
Majority of cell phone’s radiation is produced through the antenna. The intensity of the radiation depends on the level of the phone signal.
When a call is placed from a cell phone, a signal is sent from the antenna of the phone to the nearest base station antenna. The farther a cell phone is from the base station antenna, the higher the power level to keep the call in service. The farther the distance, the more power is needed.
“When I’m alone and talking on my cell, I try to put it on speaker phone so it’s not up to my head,” biology teacher Breanne Kahl said.
The amount of radiation can also depend on numerous factors such as the amount of cell phone traffic and calls at a given time, distance from the base, quality of the cell transmission, and size of the handset.
The Truth About Harm to the Brain
The NCI is concerned that the radiation produced by cell phones may affect the brain and other tissues. Cell phones are typically held to the head, therefore the head is the most exposed region. Radiation can cause cancerous and noncancerous brain tumors.
“I think it’s pretty weird to think that my cell phone can end up giving me brain cancer. It’s disturbing,” sophomore Kyle Disandro said.
Numerous studies and research are being recently conducted to investigate the relationship between brain tumors and cell phone radiation to see if users are at risk.
In NCI reports, researchers reported that, overall, cell phone users have no increased risk for two of the most common types of brain tumors (cancerous and non-cancerous). For the small portion of study participants who reported spending the most time on cell phone calls, there was some increased risk of cancerous tumors.
Yet this is not the conclusion for cell phone radiation concerns.
“It’s one of those things where you listen to the news and cell phones could be the best thing ever, and then the next day they are bad for you. Science changes everything,” Kahl said.
The interval between exposures to the clinical development of a tumor may be many years or decades. NCI scientists have been unable to monitor large numbers of cell phone users for the length of time it might take for a brain tumor to develop, since phones are relatively new technology.
“I think scientists have reached somewhat of a correlation about radiation, it could be possible and it could not be. It’s too new of technology,” Kahl said.
Studies of cell phone use and brain cancer lack verifiable data about the cumulative radiation exposure over time. The NCI also reports that these studies are vulnerable to errors in the reporting of radiation of study participants.
The use of “hands-free” technology and new generations of cell phones is increasing and may alter cell phone radiation.
The Big Picture
Cell phone use by teens is increasing rapidly, and they are more likely to experience a lot of exposure to radiation many years during their life. The NCI says that in addition, children may be at greater risk because their nervous systems are still developing at the time of exposure.
Instead of talking on the phone for long periods of time, texting is a better option. Suggestions by the NCI are to eliminate talking on cell phones longer than necessary. While texting, the phone is not held directly to the head, and the radiation could not get to the brain.
“Unless kids are going to get cancer of the thumb from texting, I think we are all going to be okay,” science teacher Jennifer O’Hara said.