Thursday, June 2, 2011

Cellphones may cause cancer: WHO

Talking on the cellphone may possibly lead to a malignant form of brain cancer, the World Health Organization has said.
Cellphones may cause cancer
Radiation from cellphone handsets is “possibly carcinogenic to humans” and may cause glioma, a type of brain cancer, says the World Health Organisation's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from handsets is greater than that from phone towers and base stations, Robert Baan , the senior scientist in charge of the International Agency for Research on Cancer report on the subject, said on a conference call with reporters. The fields are "possibly" carcinogenic, the same category as diesel fuel, chloroform and working as a firefighter, according to the IARC, based in Lyon, France, which classifies cancer risks.

The cell phone-cancer link has been strongly debated for over a decade, but scientists had so far maintained that there is no indelible proof to nail electromagnetic radiation as the culprit.

The working group of 31 scientists from 14 countries met for seven days last month to study exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from mobile phones, radar, microwaves and radio, television and wireless signals. By classifying cancer risks, the IARC aims to provide scientific advice to government authorities

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