Motorola iDEN i205 User Manual page 105

calls. In fact, the risk actually decreased with
cumulative hours of mobile phone use. Most
cancer causing agents increase risk with increased
exposure. An ongoing study of brain cancers by
the National Cancer Institute is expected to bear
on the accuracy and repeatability of these
results.(1)
3 Researchers conducted a large battery of
laboratory tests to assess the effects of exposure
to mobile phone RF on genetic material. These
included tests for several kinds of abnormalities,
including mutations, chromosomal aberrations,
DNA strand breaks, and structural changes in the
genetic material of blood cells called lymphocytes.
None of the tests showed any effect of the RF
except for the micronucleus assay, which detects
structural effects on the genetic material. The cells
in this assay showed changes after exposure to
simulated cell phone radiation, but only after 24
hours of exposure. It is possible that exposing the
test cells to radiation for this long resulted in
heating. Since this assay is known to be sensitive
to heating, heat alone could have caused the
abnormalities to occur. The data already in the
literature on the response of the micronucleus
assay to RF are conflicting. Thus, follow-up
research is necessary.(2)
FDA is currently working with government,
industry, and academic groups to ensure the
proper follow-up to these industry-funded research
findings. Collaboration with the Cellular
Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA)
in particular is expected to lead to FDA providing
research recommendations and scientific oversight
of new CTIA-funded research based on such
recommendations.
Two other studies of interest have been reported
recently in the literature:
1 Two groups of 18 people were exposed to
simulated mobile phone signals under laboratory
conditions while they performed cognitive function
tests. There were no changes in the subjects'
ability to recall words, numbers, or pictures, or in
their spatial memory, but they were able to make
choices more quickly in one visual test when they
were exposed to simulated mobile phone signals.
This was the only change noted among more than
20 variables compared.(3)
2 In a study of 209 brain tumor cases and 425
matched controls, there was no increased risk of
brain tumors associated with mobile phone use.
When tumors did exist in certain locations,
however, they were more likely to be on the side of
the head where the mobile phone was used.
Because this occurred in only a small number of
cases, the increased likelihood was too small to be
statistically significant.(4)
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