Findings that cell phone radiation causes cancer in rats do not apply to humans: Experts

A recent US study claiming that radio-frequency radiation emitted by cell phones causes cancer in rats does not apply to humans, according to experts.

There is "clear evidence" that male rats exposed to high levels of radio frequency radiation (RFR) like that used in cell phones developed cancerous heart tumours, the study had concluded.

The USD 30 million study by the US National Toxicology Program (NTP) that took 10 years to complete also showed "some evidence" of tumours in the brain and adrenal gland of exposed male rats.

Following the report, some NGOs and scientists propose that the WHO's Inter Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) must upgrade the present Group 2B (possible human carcinogen) classification of RF radiation to Group1 (human carcinogen).

But specialist agencies have asserted that the finding does not apply to humans.

The International Commission on Non Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), the panel whose recommendations are followed by majority of nations and agencies such as the WHO, published a note categorically stating the study does not provide any actionable input to change the currently existing safety guidelines for RFR.

It may be mentioned here that India's safety guidelines for RFR are only 10 per cent of the ICNIRP values.

The US Federal Communication's Commission, the standard setting body in this field follows the advice of the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health. FDA has strongly criticised the conclusions of the USNTP study and restated that the current safety guidelines are adequately safe and there is no need to revise them.

"For female rats, and male and female mice, the evidence was 'equivocal' as to whether cancers observed were associated with exposure to radio-frequency radiation," a statement from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences said.

"We believe that the link between radio frequency radiation and tumours in male rats is real, and the external experts agreed," senior NTP scientist John Bucher said.

However, he conceded that one could not compare the exposures used in the studies directly with the exposure that humans experience when using a cell phone.

On the limitations of the study, he said, "In our studies, rats and mice received radio frequency radiation across their whole bodies. By contrast, people are mostly exposed in specific local tissues close to where they hold the phone. In addition, the exposure levels and durations in our studies were greater than what people experience."
Will NTP study trigger a revision of IARC's classification of RFR?