A Report on Non-Ionizing Radiation

News & Comment

Italian RF–Animal Study:
“Consistent with” and “Reinforces” U.S. NTP Cancer Finding

Ramazzini’s Belpoggi Calls for IARC To Reassess RF–Cancer Risk

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Partial results of the Ramazzini Institute’s RF–animal study, which show a statistically significant increase in tumors in the hearts of male rats exposed to GSM radiation, were officially released today. They appear in Environmental Research, a peer-reviewed journal.

As we reported last month, the Ramazzini finding of Schwann cell tumors —called schwannomas— in the rat hearts is consistent with a similar finding by the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) in a $25 million RF project.

In an interview with Microwave News, Fiorella Belpoggi, the senior author of the new paper and the director of the Ramazzini Institute’s Research Center in Bologna, Italy, offered her views on the new results, the parallels with those of the NTP and the implications for IARC’s designation of the cancer risk of RF radiation.

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“More Than a Coincidence”

New Large Animal Study, Like NTP’s, Links RF to Schwannoma of the Heart

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Last updated March 6, 2018

It’s happened again.

A second large study has found tumors in the Schwann cells —schwannomas— in the hearts of male rats exposed to cell phone radiation.

The new finding comes from the Ramazzini Institute in Bologna, Italy.

The malignant schwannomas of the heart seen in the Italian study are the same as those described by the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) earlier this month as the basis for their concern that cell phone radiation, both GSM and CDMA, can lead to cancer.

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What Changed at NTP?

Same RF Cancer Data, Different Outlook

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Why was the NTP so ambivalent about its cell phone cancer findings at the press conference last Friday when two years ago the same scientific evidence prompted a public health warning?

Some of the pathology numbers got tweaked since they were first released in 2016, but the changes were minor. It’s the same data set —but with a very different interpretation. The NTP mindset somehow shifted from we need to release this important new health data now to this is “not a high-risk situation.”

Who or what moved the NTP managers to change their outlook? There’s no shortage of suspects and suspicions.

Continues

EMFs and Miscarriages:
The Evidence Mounts

At Least 7 Studies Now Show an Association
Kaiser’s De-Kun Li Answers His Critics

Monday, December 18, 2017

Magnetic fields at levels commonly found in homes, offices and the urban environment have once again been found to increase the risk of pregnancy loss. The latest study —from Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, CA— shows that power-frequency fields can triple the risk of miscarriages.

“This study provides fresh evidence, directly from a human population, that magnetic field exposure in daily life could have adverse health impacts,” De-Kun Li, the lead author of the Kaiser study, told Microwave News. These findings “should bring attention to this potentially important environmental hazard to pregnant women,” Li urges.

There are now at least seven studies linking miscarriages to prenatal exposure to electromagnetic fields, according to Li.

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The Anatomy of a Rumor

Karolinska’s Maria Feychting Cites Pathology Bias To Discredit NTP RF Cancer Study

Friday, December 1, 2017

Last updated December 2, 2017

”A few days ago, I received an urgent warning from a longtime contact in Sweden. An industry associate had told him that the U.S. National Toxicology Program’s study on cell phone cancer risks was screwed up and essentially “useless.”

I was tempted to disregard it as nothing more than a corporate delusion. But the original source was said to be Maria Feychting, a professor at the Karolinska Institute and the vice chair of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). She had cast doubt on the landmark $25 million NTP RF–animal study in a talk presented at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences —the institute that awards the Nobel prizes in physics and chemistry every year.

I decided I had to check out the rumor.

Continues

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Short Takes

Italian Court Orders Public Safety Campaign

January 16, 2019

In a victory for advocates of precaution, an Italian court has ordered the government to launch a campaign to advise the public of the health risks from mobile and cordless phones.

The information campaign must begin by July 16.

The court in Rome reached its decision last November, but the announcement was only made yesterday. The decision is here.

Today, the government announced that it...

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ICNIRP Finds NTP & Ramazzini RF–Animal Studies Unconvincing

September 4, 2018

The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) has determined that the two recent animal studies pointing to a cancer risk from cell phone radiation are not convincing and should not be used to revise current exposure standards.

In a “note” published today, the 12-member group states that the studies by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and the...

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Martin Blank
(1935-2018)

June 15, 2018

Martin Blank died on June 13 at the age of 85.

A retired professor at Columbia University, Blank was a long-time EMF researcher, best known for his collaboration with Columbia’s Reba Goodman.

Writing in his 2014 book, Overpowered, Blank called himself an “unlikely activist” and urged people to practice precaution.

His...

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Cell Phone Use Is “Not a High-Risk Situation”

February 2, 2018

Last updated February 10, 2018

Here are four key takeaways from the NTP press conference held this afternoon, soon after the release of its two cell phone reports:

1. NTP’s bottom line on cell phone use: “This is not a high-risk situation.”

2. RF radiation has biological effects at levels previously believed to be innocuous —they may be good or bad.

3. NTP will continue to do RF health studies. A new exposure facility is being...

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NTP: Draft RF Cancer Reports Released

January 29, 2018

Last updated February 2, 2018

The NTP has released two reports on the cancer risks from cell phone radiation (GSM and CDMA) on rats and mice. They are available here.

The NTP press release, “High Exposure to RF Radiation Linked to Tumor Activity in Male Rats” is here.

January 29, 12018

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) has announced that the draft reports...

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SARs for Apple Watch 3 Released

September 22, 2017

Apple has released the RF exposure numbers —SARs, or specific absorption rates— for its new Series 3 Watches. These are the first wristwatches that can connect to cellular networks without being tethered to an iPhone.

The highest exposures, according to Apple, occur when the new watches are placed next to the head. The SAR measurements are based on a 10mm separation distance. The Model A1860 entails the highest exposure: 0.53 W/Kg averaged over 1g of tissue (0.52 W/Kg for the A1861).

The...

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Hot new papers & articles

“Two-Year Oncogenicity Evaluations of Cell Phone RF Radiation in Sprague-Dawley Rats and B6C3F1 Mice,” Toxicology Letters, Supplement 1, October 20, 2017. “Considering (a) the conflicting results of RF epidemiology studies and (b) the lack of generally accepted biophysical or molecular mechanisms through which RF could induce or promote neoplasia, data from animal bioassays will play a central role in ‘weight-of-the-evidence’ assessments of the possible health effects of RF exposure.” Abstract only. By IITRI’s David McCormick, who ran the exposures for the NTP–cell phone cancer study.
“Activation of Signaling Cascades by Weak ELF EMFs,” Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry, online October 16, 2017. Effects seen for exposures to ELF magnetic fields as low as 0.15μT [1.5mG]. Note caveat: These results “cannot be regarded as proof of involvement in cancer, including childhood leukemia.” From the Weizmann Institute in Israel. Open access.
“Mobile Phone Use and The Risk of Headache: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cross-Sectional Studies,” Scientific Reports, October 3, 2017. Chinese group finds statistically significant link. Back in 2001, Pierre Aubineau had a mechanism to explain how cell phone RF could cause headaches. But an industry-friendly colleague silenced him.
“Evaluation of the Genotoxicity of Cell Phone RF Radiation in Male and Female Rats and Mice Following Subchronic Exposure.” NTP paper presented at Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society annual meeting, September 9-13, 2017. “[E]xposure to RFR has the potential to induce measurable DNA damage.” More here and here.
“Functional Brain MRI in Patients Complaining of Electrohypersensitivity After Long Term Exposure to EMFs,” Reviews on Environmental Health, posted July 5, 2017. “We believe that mold and mold toxin (mycotoxin) exposure can trigger EHS.” … “Many of our patients complaining of EHS have a history of head injury.”
“Molecular Basis of Ancestral Vertebrate Electroreception,” Nature, March 16, 2017. “These findings reveal a molecular basis of electroreception and demonstrate how discrete evolutionary changes in ion channel structure facilitate sensory adaptation.”
“WHO, RFR and Health —A Hard Nut To Crack (Review),” International Journal of Oncology, posted June 21, 2017. By Lennart Hardell. A review of WHO and ICNIRP’s roles in the ongoing evaluation of RF and health. Includes details of a March meeting with WHO’s Maria Neira, who denied there are any conflicts of interest at work. Open access.
“Interactions Between Occupational Exposure to ELF Magnetic Fields and Chemicals for Brain Tumour Risk in the INTEROCC Study,” Occupational & Environmental Medicine, posted June 9, 2017. “There was no clear evidence for interactions between occupational ELF and chemical exposures in relation to glioma or meningioma risk observed.” For more on INTEROCC, go here.
“Occupational Exposure to ELF Magnetic Fields and Risk for Central Nervous System Disease: An Update of the Danish Cohort Study Among Utility Workers,” International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, online April 20, 2017. “We observed elevated risks of dementia, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy and lower risks of Parkinson disease in relation to exposure to ELF-MF in a large cohort of utility employees.”
“Case-Control Study on Occupational Exposure to ELF EMFs and Glioma Risk,” American Journal of Industrial Medicine, posted online April 10, 2017. “An increased risk in late stage (promotion/progression) of astrocytoma grade IV for occupational ELF-EMF exposure was found.” From Sweden (including Lennart Hardell). For background, see our “EMF Cancer Promotion: An Old Idea Makes a Strong Comeback.”

A Report on Non-Ionizing Radiation

News & Comment

Italian RF–Animal Study:
“Consistent with” and “Reinforces” U.S. NTP Cancer Finding

Ramazzini’s Belpoggi Calls for IARC To Reassess RF–Cancer Risk

“More Than a Coincidence”

New Large Animal Study, Like NTP’s, Links RF to Schwannoma of the Heart

What Changed at NTP?

Same RF Cancer Data, Different Outlook

EMFs and Miscarriages:
The Evidence Mounts

At Least 7 Studies Now Show an Association
Kaiser’s De-Kun Li Answers His Critics

The Anatomy of a Rumor

Karolinska’s Maria Feychting Cites Pathology Bias To Discredit NTP RF Cancer Study

Pages

Short Takes

Italian Court Orders Public Safety Campaign

ICNIRP Finds NTP & Ramazzini RF–Animal Studies Unconvincing

Martin Blank
(1935-2018)

Cell Phone Use Is “Not a High-Risk Situation”

NTP: Draft RF Cancer Reports Released

SARs for Apple Watch 3 Released

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A Report on Non-Ionizing Radiation

News & Comment

Ramazzini’s Belpoggi Calls for IARC To Reassess RF–Cancer Risk

New Large Animal Study, Like NTP’s, Links RF to Schwannoma of the Heart

Same RF Cancer Data, Different Outlook

At Least 7 Studies Now Show an AssociationKaiser’s De-Kun Li Answers His Critics

Karolinska’s Maria Feychting Cites Pathology Bias To Discredit NTP RF Cancer Study

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Short Takes

Hot new papers & articles

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At Least 7 Studies Now Show an Association
Kaiser’s De-Kun Li Answers His Critics