WASHINGTON-The Dutch government said a new study finds that radiation from GSM base stations of third-generation mobile-phone systems could be a potential health problem.
The research, in which individuals exposed to 3G base station transmissions reported headaches, nausea and other effects, was performed for three government ministries by the technological research institute, or TNO, in the Netherlands.
Dutch officials said the results have been sent to the House of Commons and will be brought to the attention of the European Commission.
At the same time, the Dutch government warned against reading too much into the experiment.
“The findings of this research are taken seriously by the three ministers, but cannot lead to definite political conclusions,” the Dutch economic ministry said in a press statement. “The set-up and the result of this research are as yet unique. Recurrence by another independent institute is necessary to confirm the findings of the research conducted by the TNO.”
The GSM community in Europe took the report in stride. “The GSM Association welcomes well designed studies that directly address matters relevant to public health. The authors of the present study report small statistically significant effects on the exposure to 3G signals but no effects from GSM signals. As the effects are small it is unclear whether they have any health significance,” it said.
The mobile-phone industry insists research to date has failed to link wireless technology to health maladies, though some studies have found genetic damage and other bioeffects from low-level, non-ionizing radiation. Governmental health bodies in the United States and overseas say there is not strong evidence that cell phones pose a health risk to 1.2 billion mobile phone users worldwide or that base stations endanger the general public. However, health officials caution that adverse health effects from cell phones and base stations cannot be ruled out, saying more research is needed.
“It [the Dutch study]was not published in a scientific journal. It has not gone through the peer-review process,” said Jo-Anne Basile, vice president of external and industry relations at the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association.
U.S. courts have upheld mobile-phone and base-station radiation guidelines adopted by the Federal Communications Commission, and the courts consistently have ruled against plaintiffs who claim injuries from radiation exposure. Nevertheless, more than a dozen health-related lawsuits against the wireless industry are still pending in the U.S.
Late last month, a federal appeals court in Richmond, Va., heard oral argument in an $800 million lawsuit filed by a Maryland neurologist who claims use of his cell phone caused his brain cancer. The same court-the 4th Circuit-is also considering an appeal decision earlier this year by U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake of Baltimore. Blake on March 5 dismissed five class action lawsuits against wireless firms for not informing consumers about alleged health risks of mobile phones and not supplying subscribers with headsets to reduce radiation from handsets.
Industry’s reply brief in the headset appeal was to be filed with the 4th Circuit last Friday.
In Baltimore, Blake is weighing motions to remand to state court nine pending brain cancer suits.
