EMF Health-effects Research
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Overall mortality of cellular telephone customers. Rothman K, Loughlin J, Funch D, Dreyer N Epidemiology 7 (3) 303-305 1996 Motorola-funded An epidemiological study funded by WTR compared users of portable, handheld cellular telephones with users of mobile, mostly car-mounted or bag-type phones, and found nearly identical mortality rates, indicating that the presumed difference in RF radiation exposure did not appear to influence mortality. According to the authors "The findings do provide evidence that there is no large short-term effect on overall mortality." |
Additional Web NotesNote that the director of the WTR reported differently: "The rate of death from brain cancer among handheld phone users was higher than the rate of brain cancer death among those who used non-handheld phones that were away from their head." There are a number of problems here. The first is that no one expected to find short-term effects on overall mortality, only long-term. Secondly, it is being assumed that head-exposures from handphones will be higher than from car-phones. But the older car-mounted phones put out 3 Watts or more, and radiated at a very high level from the microphone leads within the vehicle (with focussing spots from car roofs), so this assumption is just not valid. This is research funded by the Cellular Telephone Industry Association's WTR (Wireless Technology Research) group under Dr George Carlo's direction. See Dr Carlo's letter to Motorola and the key CTIA executives after leaving WTR. |
