e360 digest

12 Apr 2012: Doctors’ Group Urges Caution
On Growing Use of Wireless Technology

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine is calling for increased study and expanded public education of the possible health effects of the growing use of cell phones and wireless technology. In a position paper on the issue, the academy said that effects of electromagnetic fields and radiofrequency

Are Cell Phones Safe?
The Verdict is Still Out

While some studies suggest frequent use of cell phones causes increased risk of brain and mouth cancers, others have found no such links. But since the technology is relatively new and brain cancers grow slowly, many experts now recommend steps to reduce exposure.
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fields “have not been adequately studied and are not fully understood regarding human health... In an era when all of society relies on the benefits of electronics, we must find ideas and technologies that do not disturb bodily function.” Among its recommendations, the academy called for “immediate caution” on installation of smart meters because of their potentially harmful radiofrequency exposure; research into the cumulative health effects of the “electrical environmental bombardment” of society; and the use of safer technologies, such as hard wiring or fiber optics where possible. The academy said that “multiple studies correlate RF (radiofrequency) exposure with diseases such as cancer, neurological disease, reproductive disorders, immune dysfunction, and electromagnetic hypersensitivity” — a claim that is contested by the cellphone industry and other medical experts. The academy, formed in 1965, has played a role in uncovering such health issues as Persian Gulf War Syndrome and the role of mold in causing systemic illness.

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