WASHINGTON-In new research not yet published, a prominent Motorola Inc.-sponsored scientist has found genetic damage from mobile-phone frequency radiation that may support similar findings by Wireless Technology Research L.L.C.
After making the discovery last year, Dr. Joseph Roti Roti, a radiation biologist at Washington University in St. Louis, called WTR scientist Graham Hook in North Carolina to alert him of what he suspected was a trend.
Roti Roti and Hook, according to both men, also discussed the possibility of jointly publishing positive results of genetic damage caused by mobile phone RF emissions. After that conversation, Roti Roti repeated the experiment and got a negative result.
As such, Roti Roti now is downplaying his initial findings but not discarding them altogether.
“I wouldn’t say our results are in conflict with theirs [WTR’s],” said Roti Roti.
For years, Motorola has steadfastly maintained that none of its research has produced results suggesting a link between mobile phones and health problems.
“I felt his result was confirmatory of our data,” said Hook, when presented with Roti Roti’s initial findings. Hook declined to comment on Roti Roti’s negative findings in the repeat experiment, explaining that he has not seen the data.
The RF exposure system used by Roti Roti tested levels of specific absorption rates (SAR) of 1, 3 and 5 watts per kilogram. Roti Roti said he found statistically significant and marginally significant findings of micro nuclei formation at 5W/Kg.
Dr. George Carlo, who was hired in 1993 by the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association to head a six-year, $28 million WTR program, found genetic damage to human blood at 5W/Kg and 10W/Kg.
Carlo has angered the wireless industry by publicizing results he sees as indicative of a potential health problem.
“Roti Roti has nothing inconsistent with that we’ve found,” said Carlo.
Carlo is working with Baltimore lawyer Peter Angelos to conduct more research and to develop a surveillance system that can detect any pattern of health problems among the 85 million mobile phone subscribers in the United States.
Angelos has litigated successfully against asbestos and tobacco manufacturers, and is currently suing lead paint manufacturers because of health problems those products may have caused.
CTIA, for its part, is working with the Food and Drug Administration to repeat WTR experiments that had positive findings. CTIA is funding the research. While the FDA will recommend scientists for the work, CTIA will have to make the final decision on who conducts follow-up mobile phone cancer research.
Mobile phone health research also is being organized by the World Heath Organization, the European Commission and others.
For years, the wireless industry has insisted not only is there no link between cell phones and cancer (or other diseases) but that non-thermal bioeffects do not exist.
But some recent studies have found DNA and genetic damage from low-level mobile phone radiation.
Asked whether he believes a non-thermal effect exists, Roti Roti replied, “I think it’s possible. I haven’t found one yet.”
