Daniel Foggo
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T-MOBILE, the mobile phone giant, has been accused of “burying” a scientific report it commissioned that concluded handsets and masts contribute to cancer and genetic damage.
The report argued that officially recommended limits on radiation exposure should be cut to 1/1000th of those in force. The suggestion has not been taken up by the company or by regulators.
Campaigners claimed T-Mobile’s handling of the report was part of a wider pattern of behaviour by the industry in its efforts to keep discussion of the health risks off the agenda.
The Ecolog Institute, which has been researching mobile phone technology since 1992, was paid by T-Mobile to evaluate evidence on its potential dangers.
But Dr Peter Neitzke, one of the authors of the report, has accused T-Mobile, which has about 17m British customers, of diluting the findings by commissioning other studies from which it knew “no critical results or recommendations were to be expected”.
Guidance from the Health Protection Agency states that, while there is no conclusive evidence phones or masts jeopardise health, the technology has been in existence for only a relatively short time. It recommends that caution should be exercised in siting masts and using phones a lot, particularly where children are affected.
The Ecolog study, drawn up in 2000 and updated three years later, has only been published in Germany and was unknown to British campaigners until it was recently leaked to the Human Ecological Social Economic project (HESE), which examines the effect of electromagnetic fields on health.
Andrea Klein, a member of HESE, said: “T-Mobile tried to dilute and bury it.”
Ecolog’s report, which analysed dozens of peer-reviewed studies, stated: “Given the results of the present epidemiological studies, it can be concluded that electromagnetic fields with frequencies in the mobile telecommunications range do play a role in the development of cancer.
“This is particularly notable for tumours of the central nervous system.”
Neitzke said that once T-Mobile realised the likely outcome of his study it commissioned further research.
The phone company said: “It was the aim of T-Mobile to engage four different institutes with the same questions to guarantee an independent and objective discussion. All the institutes and people involved are well known and respected experts.”
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Interesting study:
'Source of Funding and Results of Studies of Health Effects of Mobile Phone Use: Systematic Review of Experimental Studies'
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/9149/9149.pdf
Fien, Gent, Belgium
Only this morning, Wed 18, on LBC radio, Nick Ferrari was mocking, ridiculing and insulting as deluded, callers who were taking desperate steps to cope with the distressing reaction to electromagnetic fields and microwaves we call electro-sensitivity in our charity 1103018.
This issue is an idiot magnet, health risks from low-level 24/7 365 radiation are so well authenticated as to be 'overwhelming'. This is from the words of Dr Andrew Goldsworthy, honorary lecturer ay Imperial College London and a biologist, they know all about it . It is dogmatic physicists and telecoms companies who deny it exists who have career or commercial vested interests.
We have 400 registered sufferers with us. In Sweden it is an officially recognised disability with 280,000 ES sufferers affected to some extent. www.electrosensitivity.org.uk
Rod Read, Cambridge, UK
It still amazes me that the media have still not investigated the serious health concerns regarding this technology, and the government's collusion with the phone operators to cover up the serious risks to our health.
There are over 1000 independant peer reviewed studies proving a link between the radiation from this technology and ill health. Yet over 200,000 phone masts, bombarding local inhabitants with electro magnetic radiation, are sited everywhere. The ill health and cancer clusters are increasing alarmingly and still the media refuse to call the phone operaots and government to account, despite stories such as this one.
It would appear that the phone operators have everyone in their pockets!
J Elliott, Bristol, UK
What make me even angrier is that the government has just as much blood on its hands as T-Mobile and the rest of the mobile phone industry. There are hundreds of studies that show a direct links between Mobile phones and ill health including cancer and this government has not only turned a blind eye to them but legislated for the mobile phone industrys interests. Due to such legislation it is now unlawful for an objection to a mobile phone mast to site health risks as a reason. Why else would the Health Protection Agency be so cagey? The whole system is rotten to the core and we are ones who are being made to suffer with out any possible recourse.
Simon Densley, London,
There is already sufficient concern about the impact of mobile phones on human cell structures for health experts around the world to be calling for caution and more research. This story will hopefully make everyone more careful about restricting use of mobiles, particularly for children. If research evidencing health effects really has been buried by T-Moblie, then they will pay a heavy price in the future in terms of both public responses to a lack of ethics and - potentially - legal actions.
Sara Render, London,
The Ecolog Institute has published a report in 2006, called 'EMF Handbuch'. There is consistent evidence that EMF (Electro Magnetic Fields) disturb the central nervous system and more. The values are from 0,01 W/m2 (high frequency, like mobile phone systems) and from 200 nT (low frequency, like home electricity). So, with safety margins, safety values like 100 mikroWatt/m2 and 50 nanoTesla would be reasonable. The 'EMF Handbuch' can be found here: www.ecolog-institut.de (choose Aktuelles). It is based on a thorough research and knowledge of all the scientific literature in the field and has been paid by the German Lottery (and not by the industry, the state or dependent scientific institutes). Consistent evident means the disturbance of the nervous system and more have been found in several and reproducible ways. The small difference from 'scientifically proven' is, that there is no consensus about a working mechanism. So, actually there is reason and ground for action.
F. van Velden, The Hague, Netherlands
I understand that the insurance industry will not insure the mobile phone industry against its products giving people cancer. Who then is going to pay for the victims' compensation?
Simon Densley, London,
Dear Sir
It is interesting that this report was buried.
It begs the question whether the HPA has seen it and what they are doing about it?
A review of 220 peer reviewed and published studies coming to those conclusions is certainly of consequence when you think that it only took 6 studies to classify benzene as a possible human carcinegen.
I look forward to hearing more about this report and hope the press will not also 'bury' it
For the full T-Mobile Report by the Ecolog Institute:
http://www.hese-project.org/hese-uk/en/niemr/ecologsum.php
Sally, London,
Please ignore the e-letter on bees.
It was supposed to be sent elsewhere
Will send another which I hope you will consider publishing
Sally, london,
I have presented the ECOLOG report to the UK Health Protection Agency and EU officials.
It was T-Mobile who told us that their mast was not responsible for the cancer cluster in Wishaw as it was operating within the guidelines. The mast was 100m from my home; I wonder why I developed breast cancer at the age of 38? The cancer cluster was discovered in 2002, the ECOLOG report was two years old!
Best wishes
www.radiationresearch.org
Eileen O'Connor, Birmingham,
this recent disclosure seems to mirror the $28.5million WTR project overseen by Dr George Carlo between 1993-99 with similar health findings that were also ignored by the US industry
panayis zambellis, luton, uk