LG RD6230 User Manual page 91

Safety Guidelines
4. What are the results of the research done already?
The research done thus far has produced conflicting
results, and many studies have suffered from flaws in
their research methods.
investigating the effects of radiofrequency energy (RF)
exposures characteristic of wireless phones have
yielded conflicting results that often cannot be repeated
in other laboratories. A few animal studies, however, have
suggested that low levels of RF could accelerate the
development of cancer in laboratory animals. However,
many of the studies that showed increased tumor
development used animals that had been genetically
engineered or treated with cancer-causing chemicals so
as to be pre-disposed to develop ca ncer in the absence
of RF exposure. Other studies exposed the animals to RF
for up to 22 hours per day. These conditions are not
similar to the conditions under which people use wireless
phones, so we don't know with certainty what the results
of such studies mean for human health.
Three large epidemiology studies have been published
since December 2000. Between them, the studies
investigated any possible association between the use of
wireless phones and primary brain cancer, glioma,
meningioma, or acoustic neuroma, tumors of the brain or
salivary gland, leukemia, or other cancers. None of the
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RD6230
Animal experiments
studies demonstrated the existence of any harmful health
effects from wireless phone RF exposures. However,
none of the studies can answer questions about long-
term exposures, since the average period of phone use in
these studies was around three years.
5. What research is needed to decide whether RF
exposure from wireless phones poses a health risk?
A combination of laboratory studies and epidemiological
studies of people actually using wireless phones would
provide some of the data that are needed. Lifetime animal
exposure studies could be completed in a few years.
However, very large numbers of animals would be needed
to provide reliable proof of a cancer promoting effect if
one exists. Epidemiological studies can provide data that
is directly applicable to human populations, but 10 or more
years follow-up may be needed to provide answers about
some health effects, such as cancer. This is because the
interval between the time of exposure to a cancer-causing
agent and the time tumors develop — if they do — may be
many, many years. The interpretation of epidemiological
studies is hampered by difficulties in measuring actual RF
exposure during day-to-day use of wireless phones. Many
factors affect this measurement, such as the angle at
which the phone is held, or which model of phone is used.