The telecom industry’s favorite topic is in the news again today. Government studies have discovered a link between high exposure to radiofrequency radiation–like that emitted by cell phones–and tumors in the hearts of male rats. That’s according to new draft reports of research conducted by U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP).
“These findings should not be directly extrapolated to human cell phone usage,” NTP senior scientist John Bucher said in a statement. “We note, however, that the tumors we saw in these studies are similar to tumors previously reported in some studies of frequent cell phone users.”
The report is serious enough to send the wireless industry’s trade group into damage control mode. The CTIA points out in a statement sent to Fast Company that the NTP issued partial results of its rat study in June 2016, and the Federal Communications Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, the World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society and other bodies have maintained their view that the existing research shows “no known health risk due to the RF energy emitted by cell phones.”
But the NTP says: “While current scientific evidence has not conclusively linked cell phones with any health problems, NTP and other scientific organizations recognize that additional data are needed.” The draft reports will undergo external peer review by an expert panel March 26-28, the NTP says. A 2016 study showed that about 95% of U.S. adults use cell phones.
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