According to the National Cancer Institute, many people are worried about their smartphones increasing their risk for cancer and other diseases. The reason is that smartphones emit radiation, and many think this could lead to cancer. As a result, there have been numerous studies on the effects of smartphone radiation on the body.
Researchers from UC Berkeley carried out a study to investigate the effects of cellphone radiation on the body. Researchers working on the study found that the radiation could leave people more prone to cancer. Their study, Cellular Phone Use and Risk of Tumors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
The researchers once conducted the study in 2009
Researchers looked into previous studies from New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, the U.K, Sweden, and the U.S on the topic.
Joel Moskowitz, a study author, doubted that radiation from a cellphone could lead to cancer. In his 2009 study titled Mobile Phone Use and Risk of Tumors: A Meta-Analysis published in the journal of Clinical Oncology, Moskowitz and his team found that heavy cell phone usage increased the risk for cancer.
After their new study on the topic in 2020, they reached the same conclusion. The new study evaluated 46 previous studies. Results showed that using smartphones for about 17 minutes each day for ten years increased cancer risk by 60%.
Researchers call for more warnings on the danger of smartphone use
Moskowitz now believes that cell phones could cause cancer. He points out that the U.S Food and Drug Administrations says that data on the topic is inconsistent and unreliable hence cannot be used to prove that cellphones cause cancer. However, he also notes that the mobile phone industry funds most studies that support the FDA’s stance.
Over 250 scientists who have looked into the topic have signed the International EMF Scientist Appeal. The appeal calls for exposure limits and increased health warnings on the use of cell phones.
Another study conducted in 2001 by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) considered cell phones as possibly carcinogenic. However, after this study, scientists think that they should have a more substantial classification.
