Do Cell Phones Pose Health Risks?

Nobody knows for sure, but caution is recommended, according to a report released this week by the Pittsburgh Cancer Institute.
While the jury is still out, some recent studies have suggested a possible link between certain types of benign tumors and brain cancers which develop on the side the device is used. Most of the studies focused on people have used cell phones for at least 10 years.
The Pittsburgh report stated that electromagnetic fields generated by cell phones should be considered a potential health risk. “Studies in humans do not indicate that cell phones are safe, nor do they yet clearly show that they are dangerous. But growing evidence indicates that we should reduce exposures, while research continues on this important question.”
The electromagnetic fields produced by cell phones emit radiation that is likely to penetrate the brains of children more deeply than adults. Consequently, parents have been cautioned to let small children use cell phones only in the event of an emergency. It is recommended that adult cell phone users keep the phone as far away from their bodies as possible because the amplitude of the electromagnetic field is one fourth the strength at a distance of two inches and fifty times lower at three feet.
None of the studies cited in the Pittsburgh report suggested that we quit using cell phones altogether. Rather than ban the technology, researchers suggest that we learn to “harness it” in a way that minimizes health risks.