Archive
6 postsHigh-Certainty RF Harms vs. 1996 Rules: Why Prudent Avoidance Is Now the Only Responsible Default
This RF Safe commentary argues that U.S. RF exposure protections remain anchored to “thermal-only” assumptions from the 1990s despite what it describes as newer WHO-commissioned systematic reviews elevating certain animal cancer endpoints and a male fertility endpoint to “high certainty.” It contrasts these claims with a WHO-commissioned review of human observational studies that reportedly found mobile-phone RF exposure is likely not associated with increased risk of several head/brain tumors, arguing that this is often overgeneralized in public messaging. The piece calls for “prudent avoidance,” updates to FCC rules, and highlights legal and policy constraints such as federal preemption under the Telecommunications Act and a 2021 D.C. Circuit decision criticizing the FCC’s rationale for retaining its RF limits without adequate explanation.
Adverse Effects of Electromagnetic Fields on The Central Nervous System: A Review
This review argues that EMF exposure is associated in the literature with several adverse central nervous system outcomes, including blood-brain barrier disruption, oxidative stress, neurotransmitter changes, cognitive effects, and neurodevelopmental impacts. It reports that evidence on EMFs and brain tumors is conflicting, while noting WHO’s classification of radiofrequency EMFs as possibly carcinogenic to humans. The authors highlight prenatal and childhood periods as potentially more vulnerable and call for more standardized long-term and mechanistic research to guide public health policy.
Brain Tumor and Mobile Phone Risk Among Young People: Analysis of Japanese People Using the MOBI-Kids International Case-Control Study
This Japanese case-control study within the MOBI-Kids framework examined mobile phone use and brain tumor risk among people aged 10–29 years in the Kanto region. Using logistic regression adjusted for age and sex, it reports no increased brain tumor risk associated with mobile phone use, including analyses considering weighted output power and technical characteristics. The authors highlight possible recall bias and limited power in sub-analyses and recommend ongoing research as wireless technologies change.
Trends in Malignant and Benign Brain Tumor Incidence and Mobile Phone Use in the U.S. (2000-2021): A SEER-Based Study
This SEER-based ecological study examined U.S. trends (2000–2021) in malignant and benign brain tumor incidence and compared them with national mobile phone subscription trends. Malignant brain tumor incidence in adolescents and adults declined slightly, while benign brain tumor incidence increased over time; temporal lobe tumors and benign acoustic neuromas showed little change. The authors interpret these patterns as not supporting an association between mobile phone use and increased brain cancer risk, while recommending continued surveillance given rising benign tumor incidence and potential latency.
Relationship between radiofrequency-electromagnetic radiation from cellular phones and brain tumor: meta-analyses using various proxies for RF-EMR exposure-outcome assessment
Moon et al. (2024) report a systematic review and meta-analysis on cellular phone RF-EMR and brain tumor risk. The abstract summary states elevated risks for three brain tumor types in analyses considering ipsilateral (same-side) phone use and reports increased risk with heavy and long-term use. The text also highlights disagreement with the 2024 WHO review and raises methodological concerns about WHO conclusions.
Cell phones and brain tumors: a review including the long-term epidemiologic data
This paper presents a meta-analysis of 11 peer-reviewed epidemiologic studies examining long-term (>=10 years) cell phone use with laterality analyses. It reports that long-term use is associated with an approximately doubled risk of an ipsilateral brain tumor. The abstract states statistical significance for glioma and acoustic neuroma, but not for meningioma.