Concerns have been raised about the safety of cell phone use because these devices emit radiofrequency (RF) waves, a type of energy. Many have worried that mobile phones may raise the risk of brain tumors or other malignancies in the head and neck, regions closest to the spots where cell phones are typically held when speaking or listening to a call.
According to a study headed by Australia’s Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department, ARPANSA, there is no connection between using a mobile phone and any of the cancers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) commissioned study was released on Tuesday and found no link whatsoever between mobile phone radio wave radiation and several diseases, including thyroid and mouth cancers, leukemia, and lymphoma.
In September 2024, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) conducted a cancer research to examine the relationship between mobile phone use and brain tumors, including other kinds of tumors, but it found no connection.
“The new study evaluated all available evidence on the association between mobile phones, mobile phone towers, and cancers,” said Ken Karipidis, assistant director of Health Impact Assessment at ARPANSA and the principal author of both studies.
He stated that the scientists for now could not draw full conclusions as there is still ongoing probe to find any connection between these radiations and brain cancer in particular, but they have seen no connection so far.
“This is because there is not as much evidence on the association between these cancers and exposure to radio waves from wireless technology,” Karipidis explained.
According to Rohan Mate, an ARPANSA scientist who worked on the project, the results will “help the public understand wireless technology and cancer.”
The World Health Organization is presently preparing an updated report on the health impacts of radio wave exposure. The report will be informed by ARPANSA’s research.
