FDA to participate in study on mobile phones

June 9, 2000
Web posted at: 4:12 a.m. EDT (0812 GMT)

In this story: No proof of harm, but risks possible FDA to oversee research Information on FDA Web site RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

ROCKVILLE, Maryland -- The Food and Drug Administration is launching a 3- to 5-year study on cell phones to determine if they pose a health danger, including whether they increase the risk of brain cancer or genetic mutations.

The study will be done in collaboration with a mobile phone industry group called the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), which will fund the research, the FDA announced on Thursday.

No proof of harm, but risks possible

Despite public concern that cell phones might cause cancer or other problems, there is no evidence yet that radiation from the hugely popular phones poses a significant health risk, FDA scientists said Thursday.

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However, there is also no proof that cell phones are risk- free, the FDA cautioned.

Just last month advisers to the British government recommended that children be discouraged from using cell phones for nonessential calls, because they could not rule out the possibility that scientists one day might discover long-term use is harmful. If harm ever is discovered, the British panel theorized children could be more vulnerable because their nervous systems are still developing.

There are a few studies that suggest the radio waves emitted by cell phone antennas might cause certain biological effects. With 80 million Americans using cell phones, and more buying them each day, uncovering even a small risk could be important to public health.

So the FDA, which oversees the safety of radiation-emitting consumer products, hopes the new research in collaboration with the CTIA will sort out the confusion.

"The vast majority of scientific evidence shows that there is no public health concern from people using wireless phones," said CTIA spokesman Jeff Nelson.

But, "there are some conflicting pieces of information" that require more research, said Harvey Rudolph, deputy director of FDA's Office of Science and Technology. "Everybody wants to find out if there are any problems."

FDA to oversee research

Under the agreement, CTIA will fund about $1 million in safety studies. But the FDA will gather a panel of international experts to choose what to study, pick independent scientists to do the work, and then oversee that the science is done properly.

All the results must undergo standard scientific review for publication in medical journals, so doctors and consumers can be confident in the findings -- and confident that if studies uncover any problem, it won't be hidden.

"It's clear industry is not controlling the research," Rudolph stressed. "The only thing they're doing is funding it."

First on the agenda: studies to see if cell phones' low-level radiation is capable of causing genetic toxicity -- a key to certain health problems -- and if so, at what levels. Not all cell phones emit the same amount of radio waves. Rudolph said those key studies will start "as quickly as possible," and results could be obtained in two years.

A few animal studies have suggested that cell phones' low-level radiation could accelerate cancer growth, and some research suggests it also causes subtle alterations in signals from brain cells.

But those studies all have scientific flaws, and Rudolph noted they're outnumbered by other studies suggesting cell phones are safe.

Until the issue's settled, what should consumers think? First, the one clear risk from cell phones is using them while driving, which increases the risk of a car crash, Rudolph stressed.

Some critics urge reserving cell phones for shorter calls or using earphones that keep the antenna away from the head. Says Rudolph: "These are prudent things that if you're concerned you can do."

Information on FDA Web site

The FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health published a "Consumer Update on Mobile Phones" on its Web site last October.

"Questions have been raised about hand-held mobile phones, the kind that have a built-in antenna that is positioned close the user's head during normal telephone conversation," the document says. "These types of mobile phones are of concern because of the short distance between the phone's antenna ... and the person's head."

The document also says that available information on the dangers of cell phones is not conclusive.

It is known, however, that high levels of radiofrequency energy can cause biological damage because of its heating effects. This is how microwave ovens work.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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