Recent GSMA Updates
GSMA: New FAQs Added to Our Site
Q. Are some people more sensitive to the radio waves used by mobile phones?
A. Some people report a variety of symptoms (such as headaches, burning sensations, tiredness, concentration difficulties and dizziness) that they attribute to exposure to radio signals from mobile phones or wireless networks (more....)
Q. Should a pregnant woman be worried about mobile phone use?
A. In 2008, a study was reported as showing that the children born to mothers who used mobile phones during pregnancy had more behavioural difficulties and hyperactivity. (more...)
Q. Can using a mobile phone cause allergic skin disorders?
A. The Nickel Institute states that nickel is an essential material for the operation of mobile phones, used for both functional purposes and aesthetic appearance. (more...)
Q. Why does the WHO say there is no risk from base stations when studies in its own database show increased risk of neurological diseases, impaired well-being and cancer?
The WHO's EMF research database contains both published and non-peer reviewed studies. It is not the quantity of experiments but the quality of the experimental method that is important (PDF). (more...)
Global: IARC Update on Results and Progress of INTERPHONE
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has released an INTERPHONE project update (pdf) stating that the study is nearing completion. The document includes a two page summary table on the results from the individual nations. In regards to data showing an increased risk for long term use, the update states these results could either be causal or artifactual, related to differential recall between cases and controls. The GSMA is a sponsor of the INTERPHONE project.
Related
GSMA papers
Other Items of Interest
Australia: ARPANSA’s EMR Literature Survey
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency has developed an EMR literature survey to provide monthly updates on published research related to electromagnetic fields and health.
Europe:Improved Energy performance of External Power Supplies
The European Commission is developing regulations aimed at improving the energy performance of external power supplies used in consumer electronics and office products, including mobile phones.
Europe: SCENIHR Opinion on Energy Saving Lamps
The Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks has adopted an opinion on the possible contribution of certain types of energy-saving lamps to the aggravation of symptoms of certain diseases.
Europe: Health risks from exposure to noise from personal music players
Listening to personal music players at a high volume over a sustained period can lead to permanent hearing damage, according to an opinion of the EU Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks.
Global: Mobile madness – The INTERPHONE study
A decade of coverage has left readers and viewers more confused than enlightened, with news reports of the INTERPHONE project alternating between alarming claims and soothing reassurances.
Global: Wrestling With E-Waste
Consumers are an ephemeral bunch. They throw electronics away with such abandon that 50 million tons ends up discarded every year around the world, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.
India: Minister says no ban on pregnant women in cell phone ads
Minister of state for communications and IT Jyotiraditya Scindia said the government could not issue any guidelines to avoid ads showing children and pregnant women as there was no concrete evidence to support the ban.
Netherlands: Prudent Precaution - Health Council of the Netherlands
In this report, the committee explains what it believes the precautionary principle entails, identifies the types of issue to which it can be constructively applied and sets out the relevant considerations.
New Zealand: National standards for telecommunications facilities
The national environmental standards govern the installation of telecommunications facilities and ensures these facilities comply with the existing New Zealand Standard for radiofrequency fields.
South Africa: Texts are latest weapon in South Africa's HIV battle
A million text messages a day will be sent as part of a new scheme to encourage South Africans to be tested for HIV. Project Masiluleke has been described as the largest use of mobile phone technology for health promotion
UK: Firms 'exploit fears' over mobile radiation risk, says report
Pendants and shields that claim to protect people from mobile phone radiation trade on people's fears and are a waste of money, says a report by Sense About Science.
USA: FDA updates its cell phone and health webpage
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated its cell phone and health factsheet on 14 October. The FDA states there is no link between health problems and cell phone use by any segment of the population including children.
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