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1 INTERPHONE edition 2008 EME UPDATE Mobile telecommunications health and safety news EDITORIAL LARGEST EVER RESEARCH RESULTS ON MOBILES AND CANCER EXPECTED SOON LATEST INTERPHONE RESULTS ARE REASSURING FOR MOBILE PHONE USERS Israeli INTERPHONE researchers release mixed results for mouth cancer no overall increased risk Overview of the individual INTERPHONE studies SENSATIONALISING IN THE MEDIA WHAT S BEHIND THE HEADLINE? FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE INTERPHONE PROJECT AUSTRALIAN STUDY FINDS MOBILE PHONES UNLIKELY TO CAUSE CANCER Experts claim tumour study more anecdotal than scientific Mobile phone egg cooking experiment exposes the hoax

2 Editorial AMTA welcomes new research on mobile phone safety, but emphasises that individual studies need to be seen in the light of the total research effort into mobile phone safety... The publication of the combined INTERPHONE project analysis will mark another important step in the research effort on the health and safety of mobile telecommunications technology. The project is a multi-national series of studies investigating whether using mobile phones increases the risk of various cancers in the head and neck. The project comprises studies from 13 countries, including Australia. A recent update by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) says the overall results are expected to be published in the near future. The INTERPHONE project and its individual national studies will have examined more than 5000 cases of brain cancer, 1100 cases of inner ear tumours and 400 mouth cancers when complete making it by far the largest population-based study to date. As always, AMTA welcomes new research on mobile phone safety, but emphasises that individual studies need to be seen in the light of the total research effort into mobile phone safety.

3 Editorial Already there are more than 2500 research publications, including more than 600 studies specifically on mobile phones and base stations. It s important to remember that no single study can answer any scientific question, and this study, like all others, must be viewed not in isolation but against the drop of significant previous research. While the publication of some of the 13 national studies that make up the INTERPHONE project have caused some speculation about mobile phone use for more than 10 years, it is important to note this study was originally designed to look for cancers in people that had used a mobile for up to 10 years only because there were relatively AMTA takes all questions regarding the safety of mobile phones seriously and it has a strong commitment to supporting ongoing scientific research... few people who had cancer and had used a mobile phone for that long. Any results beyond 10 years need to be interpreted with caution because the number involved may be small and subject to the limitations of this type of study. They will however, give us an indication of future research needs. AMTA takes all questions regarding the safety of mobile phones seriously and it has a strong commitment to supporting ongoing scientific research such as the INTERPHONE project. This edition of EME Update includes a comprehensive overview of the INTERPHONE project to date, including detailed ground information and information on INTERPHONE s funding in preparation for the publication of the combined results. Chris Althaus Chief Executive Officer Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association

4 Largest ever research results on mobiles and cancer expected soon The largest ever study designed to investigate whether mobile phone use of up to 10 years increases the risk of cancer is expected to be published later this year. Co-ordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the project involved 13 countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the UK. IARC recently published an update on the project, which was started in 1998, and announced the research was nearly finished. The IARC update says a number of the individual country studies and some countries combined results have been published in medical journals. IARC says two of the national analyses (Lahkola et al, 2007 and Schoemaker et al, 2006) reported increased risks of brain cancer for a period of 10 years or more on the side of the head where the tumour developed and cautioned these results could be due to recall bias. This finding could either be causal or artifactual, related to differential recall between cases and controls, the update says. Patients diagnosed with a tumour tend to over report that they used their mobile phone on the same side of the head as the tumour was found on. This type of recall bias would be more likely to occur if a subject perceived that mobile phone use was associated with brain tumours and this has been widely speculated by the media. A number of methodological papers have been submitted or WHO headquarters in Geneva copyright: WHO/P. Virot published which will address the issues of study design, participation bias, recall error and exposure assessment that are essential in the interpretation of results from the study, the update reports. The research concentrated on tumours most likely to be related to mobile phone use such as head and neck cancers including: brain tumours (glioma and meningioma), tumours of the acoustic nerve (acoustic neuroma) and tumours of the salivary (parotid) gland situated at the base of each ear. continued page

5 Largest ever research results on mobiles and cancer expected soon Because these sorts of tumours are very rare, for example brain cancer occurs in about 1 in 100,000 people, the research needed to be conducted in 13 countries to find enough cases and control cases to conduct the research. This would also enable researchers to maximise statistical power and, in turn, increase the probability of detecting any possible health effect. Each of the 13 studies consisted of men and women aged 30 to 59, who have both brain cancer and used a mobile phone for a significant amount of time. The study population was restricted to this age range because this group would have the highest prevalence of mobile phone use over a five to ten year period. The INTERPHONE methodology report is available at: This study was designed to look for cancers only up to 10 years of use because there are relatively few people who have cancer and have used a mobile phone for that long. Brain cancer is a rare disease making it difficult to find significant numbers of cases in which the subject has brain cancer and used a mobile phone for longer than 10 years. Trained interviewers conducted personal interviews with all subjects and gathered information about the use of handheld mobile phones, medical history, level of education, and family history of cancer. The study includes approximately, 2,600 cases of glioma, 2,300 cases of meningioma, 1,100 cases of acoustic neuroma, 400 cases of parotid gland tumours, and 7,500 controls will have been included in the research, making it the largest population-based study to date. Once the study is published IARC will use the results, and the results of all the other numerous studies into mobile phones and health to conduct a risk assessment. IARC s assessment is currently scheduled for Further information on the INTERPHONE project can be found on IARC s website at:

6 Latest INTERPHONE study reassuring for mobile phone users Mobile phone users have no greater risk of developing brain tumours and the amount of radiation absorbed by the brain during a call is a fraction of the safety limit, according to the recently released results of the Japanese INTERPHONE study. Scientists at Tokyo Women s Medical University questioned more than 1,000 people, comparing phone use in 322 brain cancer patients with 683 healthy people, finding no link between cancer and the length of time they had owned a mobile phone or the amount they used it. Lead author Professor Naohito Yamaguchi said his study is of special importance because it is the first to consider the effects of radiation levels in different parts of the brain. Using our newly developed and more accurate techniques, we found no association between mobile phone use and cancer, providing more evidence to suggest they don t cause brain cancer, Professor Yamaguchi said. The full study, published in the February edition of the British Journal of Cancer, can be found at: The researchers found the amount of radiofrequency energy absorbed inside the brain during a mobile phone call was well below the international safety limits. Maximal SAR [Specific Absorption Rate] inside the tumour was estimated to be lower than 0.1 W kg in all eligible cases, far below the ICNIRP s [International Commission continued page

7 Latest INTERPHONE study reassuring for mobile phone users on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection] recommended value of 2 W kg for localised SAR (head and trunk) in the general population, the study states. No consistent increase was observed in the overall risk of glioma or meningioma among mobile phone users, nor increasing trend in risk in relation to cumulative length of use or cumulative call time, the researchers concluded. The media release issued for the study is available at: Estimation of the actual exposure level inside the tumour is essential, therefore, to avoid exposure misclassification, which bias risk estimates towards the null. concerning which ear they used for mobile phone calls, the researchers report. This is not the first results released by the Japanese INTERPHONE study group. A previous study of ear nerve cancer by the same group of researchers published in December 2006 found mobile phone use does not increase the risk of acoustic neuroma. The abstract of the Japanese INTERPHONE study on acoustic neuroma can be found at: The researchers state that this is the first epidemiological study to take into account the different exposure levels inside the intracranial space. Nevertheless, recall bias is a possibility and awareness of tumour location among the cases might have affected their recall The Japanese INTERPHONE study was fully funded by the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

8 Israeli INTERPHONE researchers release mixed results for mouth cancer -- no overall increased risk Regular use of a mobile phone does not increase the risk of developing a tumour of the salivary gland, according to Israeli research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in December last year. Scientists at the Tel Aviv University examined the lifestyles of 402 people with benign mouth tumours and 56 with malignant ones, comparing them to a group of 1266 healthy control subjects. The researchers found no overall increased risk of Parotid Gland Tumours (PGT) for regular phone users or for any of the other measures of exposure they investigated. No increased risk of PGT was seen for any of the exposure measures tested (regular use, time since start, duration of use, cumulative number Lead author Dr Siegal Sadetzki of the Chaim sheba Medical Centre of calls, and cumulative call time) for the total group, the malignant group, and the benign group, the research report states. However, when the researchers restricted their analysis of the data to conditions that may yield higher levels of exposure, such as heavy users or users in rural areas, the results showed an elevated risk. In conclusion, based on the largest group of benign PGT patients reported to date, a number of complementary analyses suggest a positive association between cellular phone use and PGTs, the report states. Despite widespread media reports focusing on this specific result, the authors stressed that this should be interpreted with caution. Results from a single epidemiologic study do not, however, form a strong-enough basis to assume causality, and additional investigations of this association, with longer latency periods and large numbers of heavy users, are needed to confirm our findings, the researchers explained. The full report is available at: The Israeli study forms one part of the multinational INTERPHONE project on mobile phone use and cancer. The study was designed to continued page

9 Israeli INTERPHONE researchers release mixed results for mouth cancer - no overall increased risk assess the impact of mobile phone use on parotid glands, the largest in the group of salivary glands located in front of the ear. The combined Sweden and Denmark INTERPHONE study on parotid glands is available at: The media release issued for the study can be viewed at: Previous studies that have analysed mobile phone use and parotid glands have provided no reason for concern. In fact, the most recent study, also part of the INTERPHONE project, found no association between mobile phone use and parotid gland tumours. The authors conclude that the data do not support the hypothesis that mobile phone use is related to an increased risk of parotid gland tumours, researchers from Sweden and Denmark reported. In Australia, the incidence rate of cancer in the parotid gland is extremely low. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, only 229 people were diagnosed in 2003 with cancer of the salivary glands, of which the parotid gland accounts as only one gland. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare s report - Cancer in Australia can be found at: AMTA CEO Chris Althaus emphasised that individual studies need to be seen in the light of the total research effort into mobile phone safety. Until we have the results of all of the other national studies, as well as the overall analysis of the data that will be undertaken by the International Agency for Research on Cancer later this year, a complete assessment cannot be made. No single study can answer any scientific question and this study, like all others, must be viewed not in isolation but against the drop of significant previous research, Mr Althaus said.

10 Overview of the individual INTERPHONE studies The INTERPHONE project consists of 13 studies which investigate tumours most likely to be related to mobile phone use. Brain tumours (glioma and meningioma); tumours of the acoustic nerve (acoustic neuroma); and tumours of the parotid gland (salivary gland) were investigated. Listed below are some of the key studies and conclusions that have been published to date as part of the total INTERPHONE project research effort. Brain Cancer studies Japanese INTERPHONE study February 2008 No consistent increase was observed in the overall risk of glioma or meningioma among mobile phone users, nor increasing trend in risk in relation to cumulative length of use or cumulative call time. This study can be found at: French INTERPHONE study September 2007 No significant increased risk for glioma, meningioma or neuroma was observed among cell phone users participating in Interphone. The statistical power of the study is limited, however. Our results, suggesting the possibility of an increased risk among the heaviest users, therefore need to be verified in the international INTERPHONE analyses. Norwegian INTERPHONE study April 2007 No increasing trend was observed for gliomas or acoustic neuromas by increasing duration of regular use, the time since first regular use or cumulative use of mobile phones. The results from the present study indicate that use of mobile phones is not associated with an increased risk of gliomas, meningiomas or acoustic neuromas. Northern European INTERPHONE study January 2007 We found no evidence of increased risk of glioma related to regular mobile phone use. No significant association was found across categories with duration of use, years since first use, cumulative number of calls or cumulative hours of use continued page

11 Overview of the individual INTERPHONE studies Finnish INTERPHONE study July 2006 Little indication was found for increased risks of analogue or digital phone use or temporal or occipital tumours. The totality of evidence does not indicate a substantially increased risk of intracranial tumours from mobile phone use for a period of at least 5 years. UK INTERPHONE study January 2006 Japan INTERPHONE study August 2006 These results suggest that there is no significant increase in the risk of acoustic neuroma in association with mobile phone use in Japan. German INTERPHONE study March 2006 No overall increased risk of glioma or meningioma was observed among these cellular phone users; however, for longterm cellular phone users, results need to be confirmed before firm conclusions can be drawn. Use of a mobile phone, either in the short or medium term, is not associated with an increased risk of glioma. Ear Nerve Cancer studies German INTERPHONE study July 2007 Increased risks were found for exposure to persistent noise, and for hay fever, but not for ionising radiation or regular mobile phone use. Northern European INTERPHONE study August 2005 The study suggests that there is no substantial risk of acoustic neuroma in the first decade after starting mobile phone use. However, an increase in risk after longer term use or after a longer lag period could not be ruled out. continued page

12 Overview of the individual INTERPHONE studies Swedish INTERPHONE study November 2004 Our findings do not indicate an increased risk of acoustic neuroma related to short-term mobile phone use after a short latency period. However, our data suggest an increased risk of acoustic neuroma associated with mobile phone use of at least 10 years duration. an association between cell phone use and risk of acoustic neuroma. Mouth Cancer studies Israeli INTERPHONE study December 2007 periods and large numbers of heavy users, are needed to confirm our findings. Swedish and Danish INTERPHONE study October 2006 Danish INTERPHONE study February 2004 The results of this prospective, population-based, nationwide study, which included a large number of long-term users of cellular telephones, do not support Based on the largest number of benign PGT patients reported to date, our results suggest an association between cellular phone use and PGTs. Results from a single epidemiologic study do not, however, form a strong enough basis to assume causality, and additional investigations of this association, with longer latency The risk estimate did not increase, regardless of type of phone and amount of use. The authors conclude that the data do not support the hypothesis that mobile phone use is related to an increased risk of parotid gland tumours.

13 Sensationalising in the media --What s behind the headline?... according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation s (ABC) consumer guidelines, the media often mislead their audience when reporting on science and medicine... Despite more than 2500 research projects finding no substantiated scientific evidence of health effects from mobile phones or base stations, alarming media headlines continue to cause concern among the public. Only recently, the BBC Complaints Unit issued a formal apology following the airing of a controversial report on the dangers of Wi-Fi. The BBC program Panorama claimed Wi-Fi creates three times as much radiation as mobile phone masts and that there was a potential danger to the public. The BBC Complaints Unit found the report was biased and gave a misleading impression of the state of scientific opinion on the issue. The BBC Complaints Unit s apology and ruling is available at: Hobart Mercury 26 May 2007 According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation s (ABC) consumer guidelines, the media often mislead their audience when reporting on science and medicine. View the ABC s Health and Wellbeing Consumer Guidelines at: continued page

14 Sensationalising in the media --What s behind the headline? The ABC s guidelines warn that journalists are not always as accurate as they could be, with strict deadlines, small budgets and fierce competition acting as barriers to the truth. Medical breakthrough stories make good copy. Every major newspaper and TV news or current affairs program has at least one health or medical reporter. And the need to find the colourful or dramatic angle to the story means that their significance is often overstated, ABC specialist science and health reporter Rae Fry said. Media Doctor, an Australian organisation aiming to improve the standards of medical journalism, believes the reporting of science and medicine in Australia is poor and is prone to exaggeration of Media Doctor s medical journalism rating table of all Australian media sources facts in order to create unnecessary sensationalism. According to Media Doctor s comprehensive analysis and rating of medical journalism, the average score for accurate media reports in the last four years is approximately 50 per cent, with some media outlets such as Channel Nine and Channel Seven scoring in the low thirties. Media Doctor s Media Comparison table is available at:

15 Sensationalising in the media --What s behind the headline? Recently, a group of researchers from the US looked closely at media reportage of medical developments and published their conclusions in the New England Journal of Medicine. They found much of the reporting to be potentially misleading: Of the 207 stories, 83 (40 percent) did not report benefits quantitatively. Of the 124 that did, 103 (83 percent) reported relative benefits only, 3 (2 percent) absolute benefits only, and 18 (15 percent) both absolute and relative benefits, the researchers concluded. The report is available at: The ABC provides the following tips to help you sort through the spin and see what is really behind the headlines: 1. Don t rely on just one source It s important to crosscheck your information. A good source will encourage this and provide hints about what you ll find there. 2. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is Be sceptical of phrases like scientific breakthrough, and claims of rapid recovery for serious or chronic conditions like cancer and arthritis. 3. Find out who owns or has written the research Ideally, it should include not just the name of the individual or organisation, but their qualifications and a description of how they evaluate the accuracy of information. Scientifically reviewed, evidence-based information is the most reliable. 4. Information should be balanced have the pros and cons been considered Nearly all science based research has risks and benefits. Both sides of the story need to be discussed to allow for an accurate evaluation. The ABC s complete list of tips is available at:

16 Funding arrangements for the INTERPHONE project Concerns have been raised about the source of funding for the INTERPHONE project, with claims the mobile phone industry s involvement in funding has influenced the outcome of the project. Despite these understandable concerns, the INTERPHONE project funds are entirely controlled and administered by the European non-profit, international nongovernmental cancer health organisation the International Union against Cancer (UICC). More information about the UICC is available at: It is important to note that the INTERPHONE project did receive some funds from the industry associations the Mobile Manufactures Forum (MMF) and the GSM Association (GSMA). More information about the funds provided by the MMF can be found at: More information about the funds provided by the GSMA can be found at: However, researchers received funds from the UICC under strict agreements that guaranteed INTERPHONE s complete scientific independence. Industry funding only complemented funds received continued page

17 Funding arrangements for the INTERPHONE project from national and local health research funding organisations. In Australia, funding was provided by the National Health and Medical Research Committee, as part of an ongoing Federal Government funding program which takes a levy from all mobile phone sales. More information about the NHMRC is available at: The UICC retained full responsibility for the scientific oversight and the use of the research funds, as well as the financial management of the funds. The INTERPHONE International Study Group as a whole was responsible for the progress of the study, the choice of analyses conducted, and the interpretation and publications of results. Industry did not have access to any data or results before publication. They may, however, have been notified about an upcoming study, together with representatives from other concerned organisations such as The Australian Government is committed to the ongoing support of health and medical research through the NHMRC consumers groups, a maximum of seven days before publication, so they can prepare to respond to the paper. AMTA supports the provision of accurate and reliable information Funding health and medical research in Australia Fact Sheet N H M R C The Australian Government is committed to the ongoing support of health and medical research in Australia, principally through the NHMRC. This was confirmed in the May 2006 Budget with the announcement of a $905 million increase in spending on health and medical research, including $500 million over four years for NHMRC grants, $170 million over nine years for prestigious Australia Fellowships to support Australia s best researchers, and $235 million to support medical research institutions (this latter funding is administered by the Department of Health and Ageing). Further, in its May 2007 Budget the Australian Government announced a further $5.6 million to establish a national system to streamline ethics reviews of multi-centre or cross-jurisdictional human research/clinical trials and $485.8 million to 14 medical research institutes and to the Australian Synchrotron facility (in Melbourne) to build a health and medical research infrastructure capacity. NHMRC funding for medical research grants will increase to over $700 million per annum by This is a five-fold increase over the levels of funding for research grants. Figure 1: Total NHMRC research expenditure $ MILLION Source: DOHA Annual Reports to , DHA PBD , Forward Estimates NHMRC MREA Model W O R K I N G T O B U I L D A H E A L T H Y A U S T R A L I A N H M R C NHMRC is Australia s peak body for supporting health and medical research; for developing health advice for the Australian community, health professionals and government; and for providing advice on ethical behaviour in health care and in the conduct of health and medical research. July 2007 Figure 2: NHMRC research funding investment from 1999 to W O R K I N G T O B U I L D A H E A L T H Y A U S T R A L I A continued over page Investment ($millions) by government, health authorities and industry to assist people to make informed choices in relation to mobile technology and health

18 Australian study finds mobile phones unlikely to cause cancer Australian research released in February has allayed some concern about suspected cancer-causing agents, such as deodorants, coffee, artificial sweeteners and mobile phones. Professor Bernard Stewart, of the University of NSW, reviewed over 60 possible carcinogens and developed a five-point system that identifies the risk of cancer from proven and likely, to inferred, unknown or unlikely. We now have a means of indicating which carcinogenic risks are comparable by reference to the type of evidence available. This risk assessment gives the lie to the attitude that everything causes cancer, Professor Stewart said. The media release for this study can be found at: The report suggests people correctly identify tobacco smoking as a major cause of cancer. However, a host of other situations using a mobile phone, air pollution, eating dioxincontaminated fish and using hair dyes are often given similar risk status. According to Professor Stewart s system of classification, hazards presented by mobile phones are listed as unknown. Professor Stuart comments that in regards to the classification of mobile phones, any risks associated with long term use remains to be established. The cancer risk assessment system reaffirms smoking, alcohol and exposure to sunlight as leading carcinogenic risk factors, but relieves concerns about drinking coffee, using mobile phones, deodorants, breast implants and water with added fluoride. The purpose of the study was to put into perspective the public s chance of getting the disease, and what causes it. Professor Stewart said the media focus on potential carcinogens can be confusing to the public. continued page

19 Australian study finds mobile phones unlikely to cause cancer The media are filled with reports about possible causes of cancer: most commonly, a new and unexpected exposure to a previously suspected carcinogen. It s one thing to know that arsenic is carcinogenic but quite another to distinguish between different methods of exposure. That s what this approach achieves, said Professor Stewart. Cancer Council Australia CEO Professor Ian Olver said it was vital the public had accurate information about carcinogens that posed a genuine concern and how best to reduce their risk of exposure. Being able to draw on an evidence base that evaluates carcinogenic risk based on different types of Cancer Council Australia CEO Professor Ian Olver exposure will be an invaluable resource to help organisations like the Cancer Council, Professor Olver said. We want to ensure the public has accurate information about where carcinogens pose a genuine concern and how people can best reduce their risk. Professor Stewart s research was published in Mutation Research Reviews to mark World Cancer Day on 4 February. The abstract for this study can be found at:

20 Experts claim tumour study more anecdotal than scientific The Australian federal government agency responsible for the safety standards regulating the mobile telecommunications industry, and the leading research body on radiofrequency fields, have both criticised an online report which claims mobile phones could pose a greater threat to human health than asbestos or smoking. Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) Non-ionising radiation branch director Dr Colin Roy said the research, authored by Canberra neurosurgeon Dr Vini Khurana, was at odds with findings from major international studies. Dr Roy said Dr Khurana s online report lacked credibility because it was not published in a peer reviewed scientific research journal. We take a weight of evidence approach and more weight is given to evidence from peer reviewed scientific studies, Dr Roy said. Certainly an online report doesn t fall within that. The report itself is much more anecdotal than scientific and I suppose I agree with what other people might say that his findings are certainly contrary to all the major reviews that have been done by national and international bodies. Also, the Australian Centre for RF Bioeffects Research (ACRBR) responded to Dr Khurana s claims, saying his research was selective and unbalanced. the review is inexpert and incomplete, containing a number of factual errors. In particular, Khurana fails to consider the relative scientific quality of different studies. This produces an unbalanced analysis of the literature, which is also selective in support of the author s claims. The ACRBR recommends a weight of evidence approach when reviewing the RF health effects Canberra neurosurgeon Dr Vini Khurana literature, giving priority to the results of published, peer-reviewed and replicated scientific research. Hence, the epidemiological evidence regarding a possible association between RF exposure and brain tumours has not indicated a causal relationship, the centre s response to the paper states. ACRBR s response to Dr Khurana s claims is available at: Dr Khurana s report was based on his own review of medical papers and the internet into the link between mobile phone use and the continued page

21 Experts claim tumour study more anecdotal than scientific development of malignant brain tumours. He concluded there was a significant and increasing body of evidence that linked mobile phone use and some brain tumours. Dr Khurana s research report is available for download from his own website: In its position paper on the subject, ARPANSA states there is no clear evidence in the existing scientific literature that the use of mobile telephones poses a long-term public health hazard. ARPANSA s fact sheet on mobile phones and health effects can be found at: Specifically on the topic of cancer and brain tumours, the agency states that there is no evidence of an association and notes that such cancers existed before the introduction of mobile telephones. There is essentially no evidence that microwave exposure from mobile telephones causes cancer, and no clear evidence that such exposure accelerates the growth of an already-existing cancer. More research on this issue has been recommended. ARPANSA s electromagnetic energy series fact sheets are available at: AMTA Chief Executive Chris Althaus said the industry relies on the expert judgment of public health authorities, such as ARPANSA and the World Health Organisation, for assessments of safety and health impacts of mobile phones. Mr Althaus said there was a large body of research into the health effects of radiofrequency emission available to health and regulatory bodies around the world, which is being continually reviewed. Comprehensive reviews of more than 2500 research publications, including more than 600 studies specifically on mobile phones and base stations, by governments and health authorities continue, without exception, to find there is no substantiated scientific evidence of health effects. Mr Althaus said independent experts had studied claims that the incidence of brain tumours had increased since the introduction of mobile phones and found those assertions to be incorrect. The suggestion that fatal illnesses such as cancer have increased since the introduction of mobile phone technologies is false. For example, a number of recent papers have found the widespread continued page

22 Experts claim tumour study more anecdotal than scientific introduction of mobile phones in the 1980s had no impact on the number of people diagnosed with brain tumours, he said. Sundeep Deorah of the department of epidemiology at Iowa University investigated brain cancer incidence in the US between 1973 and The study examined 38,453 cases of brain tumours and found no link between increased mobile phone use and brain cancer rates in the general population. The study concluded: Our results do not support the hypothesis relating cellular phone use and brain cancer at the population level If anything, the incidence of brain cancer declined during the period of cellular phone use. Of particular interest is the observation that the incidence rates are declining in the urban countries, which are expected to contain heavy users of cellular phones. The paper can be found at: ARPANSA s position on mobile phone use and health risks Also, Patricia McKinney, Professor of paediatric epidemiology at Leeds University and leading scientist in the UK INTERPHONE study, found: Overall, we found no raised risk of glioma (Brain cancer) associated with regular mobile phone use and no association with time since first use, lifetime years of use, cumulative hours of use, or number of calls. Mr Althaus said the literature review undertaken by the Canberra neurosurgeon and carried on his own website had not been published in a scientific journal or reviewed by any of his peers. While we recognize that this topic will continue to be subject to speculation and differing scientific opinions, weight must be given to the expert judgements of international authorities considering the results of published, peerreviewed and replicated scientific research, he said.

23 Mobile phone egg cooking experiment exposes the hoax Claims that mobile phones can cook an egg have been busted in a light hearted experiment conducted by the Australian Centre for Radiofrequency Bioeffects Research (ACRBR) during their Science Week held in October last year. A widely circulated internet myth claims an egg placed between two mobile phones on a continuous call will cook after 65 minutes of exposure. A version of the mobile phone egg cooking internet myth can be viewed at: At the conclusion of the 65 minute experiment, all eggs were found to be raw and in their original condition, disproving the internet myth that a mobile phone can cook an egg. Interestingly, Lindsay Martin, manager of the electromagnetic radiation department of ARPANSA, the government body responsible for setting the Australian safety standard, was on hand to crack one of the eggs. A video of the ACRBR experiment is available for viewing at: The ACRBR experiment tested three eggs in different ways. The first egg was placed between two 3G mobile phones on a continuous call, the second egg was placed at a point in front of a small base station antenna where the ARPANSA general public safety limit was measured for RF exposure, and the third egg was placed right to a base station antenna which was operating at ten times the maximum level of a mobile phone. Myth busting website Urban Legends has also exposed the hoax: