Cell Phone Use and Health Risks : Assessments and State of Research

Mobile phone use in the United States has risen dramatically over the last 20 years, and Americans increasingly rely on mobile phones as their sole or primary means of telephone communication. The rapid adoption of mobile phones has occurred amidst controversy over whether the technology poses a risk to human health. Like other devices that transmit radio signals, mobile phones emit radio-frequency (RF) energy. At high power levels, RF energy can heat biological tissue and cause damage. Though mobile phones operate at power levels well below the level at which this thermal effect occurs, the question of whether long-term exposure to RF energy emitted from mobile phones can cause other types of adverse health effects, such as cancer, has been the subject of research and debate. This book examines what is known about the health effects of RF energy from mobile phones, with a focus on the FCC and FDA's regulatory responsibilities; and other scientific research.