Environment and Human Health, Inc. (EHHI) released a new report calling for tougher standards in order to regulate cellular technologies. Special emphasize was given to use of cellphones by children and pregnant women.
By reviewing hundreds of studies that have examined the potential health threats associated with cellular device use, EHHI announced there is a need for stricter standards in cellphone regulation.
Leading author of the report stated that scientific evidence is sufficiently robust showing that cellular devices pose significant health risks to children and pregnant women. The weight of the evidence supports stronger precautionary regulation by the federal government. The cellular industry should take immediate steps to reduce emission of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from phones and avoid marketing their products to children.
Another coauthor of the report stated that the human brain is especially susceptible to numerous environmental insults that can produce irreversible damage during critical periods of nervous system development between conception and full maturity. A number of peer-reviewed studies reported changes in the nervous systems of rats, mice and humans following exposure to cell phone radiation. These include diminished learning, diminished reaction time, decreased motor function, reduced memory accuracy, hyperactivity and diminished cognition.
EHHI is warning that Cell phones have enjoyed exceptional freedom from government oversight and control to protect against health and environmental hazards before cell phone devices are marketed. There are no enforceable standards to limit human exposure to cell phone radiation. While the U.S. does not require any regulations to restrict advertising or warnings against use of cellular devices by pregnant women or children, many other nations do.
Report mentions that most cellphone users are unaware that new phones include warnings about the need to hold devices on a safe distance from the body, approximately five-eighths to one inch. Intensity of exposure falls exponentially as distance between the phone and body increases so therefore users can limit their exposure dramatically by using speakerphones or headsets.
Also, cellphones can create feelings of psychological dependency. There have been common effects reported in the literature and include distraction, isolation, hyperactivity, inability to focus on complex and long term tasks, and a heightened sense of anxiety.
Another serious concern of EHHI report’s authors is recycling of cell phones. In 2012 almost 220 million of cellphones will be discarded in the U.S., with fewer than 10 percent of these being recycled. This waste is especially hazardous when burned because of the release of dioxins from some plastic polymers, and diverse metals that do not break down.
EHHI summarizes that the government must take greater responsibility for testing cellular technologies before they are marketed to assure their safety, their proper disposal and to educate the public about safe patterns of use.
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