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Alarm bells ring for mobile phone generation

DR MD HABIBE MILLAT and TAREQ SALAHUDDIN
Mobile phones have tremendously improved communication, and therefore lifestyles, in our country. Giving mobile phones to young children certainly gives the modern busy parents some peace of mind that their children can be contacted and located at any time. However, these improvements in lifestyle and benefits need to be weighed up against the negative results of research.
At present, it is fair to say that mobile phones were found after 25 years to increase the brain tumours. So the damage may already have been done before it is determined by research. In view of all this, it is suggested that mobile phones should be used as little as possible, especially for young children, after all they are our future.
The harmful effects of the use of mobile phone
It has been determined that longterm exposure to mobile phones can damage health, especially in the under developed skull tissue of very young children.
Radio waves from mobile phones harm body cells and damage DNA in laboratory conditions, according to a new study majority-funded by the European Union, researchers said.
The mobile phone industries assert that there is no conclusive evidence of harmful effects as a result of electromagnetic radiation.
The research project, which took four years and which was coordinated by the German research group Verum, studied the effect of radiation on human and animal cells in a laboratory. After being exposed to electromagnetic fields that are typical for mobile phones, the cells showed a significant increase in single and double-strand DNA breaks. The damage could not always be repaired by the cell. DNA carries the genetic material of an organism and its different cells.
"There was remaining damage
for future generation of cells," said project leader Franz Adlkofer.
This means the change had procreated. Mutated cells are seen as a possible cause of cancer.
The radiation used in the study was at levels between a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of between 0.3 and 2 watts per kilogram. Most phones emit radio signals at SAR levels of between 0.5 and 1 W/kg.
SAR is a measure of the rate of radio energy absorption in body tissue, and the SAR limit recommended by the International Commission of Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection is 2 W/kg.
The study also measured other harmful effects on cells.
Because of the lab set-up, the researchers said the study did not prove any health risks. But they added that "the genotoxic and phenotypic effects clearly require further studies ... on animals and human volunteers."
Adlkofer advised against the use of a mobile phone when an alternative fixed line phone was available, and recommended the use of a headset connected to a cellphone whenever possible. "We don't want to create a panic, but it is good to take precautions," he said.
Previous independent studies
into the health effects of mobile phone radiation have found -- it may have some effects on the human body, such as heating up body tissue and causing headaches and nausea.
Mobile phones may damage men's sperm, Hungarian scientists said in a study.
Carrying a mobile in hip pockets or a holster on the waist could cut sperm count by nearly 30 percent, according to the research.
"The prolonged use of cell phones may have a negative effect on (sperm production) and male fertility," Dr. Imre Fejes, of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Szeged said in a summary of the study.
Fejes and his team analysed sperm from 221 men and questioned them about their use of mobile phones. They found correlations between the use of the phones, even in a standby setting, and reduced sperm concentration and quality.
The World Health Organisation has said none of the recent reviews has concluded that exposure to radiofrequency waves from mobile phones or their base stations damages health, but stresses that more studies are needed.
It is a fact that there is a link
between long term use of mobile telephones and ear tumours. Professor Sir William Stewart, Chairman of Britain's National Radiological Protection Board, said evidence of the potentially harmful effects of mobile phone usage had become more persuasive over the past five years. One ten-year study undertaken in Sweden clearly showed that frequent mobile users are more prone to non-malignant tumours in the ear. Furthermore, another study undertaken in the Netherlands suggested negative changes in the cognitive functions of the brain.
A German study has hinted at an increase in cancer for those living near masts, while a project supported by the European Union has shown evidence of cell damage from fields typical of those of mobile phones. Even more alarming, in Italy, an eminent doctor, Dr. Roma Paolo has just announced that a 14 year old girl has been diagnosed with tendinitis of the thumb due directly to her frequent use of mobile phone texting.
Dr. Cullen said that recent evidence shown that long-term users of mobile phones may suffer from headache, extreme irritation, increased forgetfulness and decreased reflexes.
Precaution to use mobile phones
The risks of more harmful effects are higher on children and young people than on aged people. Considering the health risks, for children between the ages of 8 and 14, parents have to make their own responsible judgment about the possible risks and benefits for their children.
Patients who have permanent pacemaker (i.e. an artificial electronic device that is implanted in the chest to regulate heart rhythm) should always hold the mobile phone at least 6 inches from the pacemaker at all times, even if the phone is turned off. They should use and store the mobile phone on the side of the body opposite the location of the pacemaker.
Conclusion
It is still unclear to what extent it is safe for children to use mobile phones. Certainly hands-free kits reduce exposure to the head by about 50 per cent. Anything that does not involve placing the phone directly against the ear is likely to reduce risks. As the region closest to the phone is the brain and the potential for brain tumours and possibility of damage to the brain is greater, we should be careful about this.