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Pittsburgh Cancer Center Warns of Cell Phone Risks

Posted by timothy on from the stick-it-in-your-ear dept.

RevWaldo contributes a link to an AP story carried by Google, according to which "The head of a prominent cancer research institute issued an unprecedented warning to his faculty and staff Wednesday: Limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer. The warning from Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, is contrary to numerous studies that don't find a link between cancer and cell phone use, and a public lack of worry by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration." RevWaldo continues: "One possible solution offered? 'Use a wireless headset.' No risk of EM exposure from one of them, no sirree!"

4 of 555 comments (clear)

  1. Wireless headsets work by XanC · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that a cell phone transmitter (having to reach from the phone to the tower) is on the order of one watt, while your Bluetooth headset (having to reach only a few feet) is on the order of one milliwatt.

    Which would you rather have up to your head?

    1. Re:Wireless headsets work by thule · · Score: 5, Interesting

      It has been previously reported that cell phones have RF leakage that travels right up the corded headset. So instead of the antenna being near the side-back of your head, it goes right into your ear.

      I am just trying to help the paranoid a bit! :)

  2. Re:Holy crap I RTFA... by PoliTech · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Also FTFA: "He even warns against using cell phones in public places like a bus because it exposes others to the phone's electromagnetic fields."

    And here I thought the medical community would go after fatties next ... nope.

    You're killing me with your Secondhand Cellular EMF! No calls allowed in a restaurant, or any other public place, and you must stand at least fifteen feet of any building entrance while getting your cellular fix ... outside!

    Your right to speak ends where polluting my electromagnetic sphere begins!

  3. Re:On the bright side... by MickLinux · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Actually, my brother had to get a microwave meter, and needed to test it out. As part of his tests, he looked at the microwave output during various conditions of usage (that is, good reception --> bad reception). What he said is that the cell phone does ramp up to dangerous levels when it has bad reception.

    Now consider that the skin of (say) a public city bus reflects the microwaves within the chamber, and you have a recipe for being toast.

    I don't have more detail than that, but in line with that... yes, I'd say that it is wise to avoid using cell phones.

    Even though the articles have been kept out of refereed medical journals, it's no secret.

    --
    Correct Horse Battery Staple: 72 bits of entropy. Enter "Correct H" into google. When it generates the phrase, that's