The debate about mobile phone safety was reignited yet again recently when a panel of the World Heath Organization (WHO) declared that it was “possible” the phones could cause cancer.
This is the first time a major health organization has suggested such a link, and it was promptly disputed by many scientists, who have been saying for years that there is scant evidence mobile phones cause cancer and that it is biologically implausible to think they could.
So what do we really know about mobile phones and health?
Here are some answers to common questions about the issue.
What is the source of the latest claim?
The panel, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, acts as an adviser to the World Health Organization, focusing on environmental and lifestyle factors that may contribute to cancer.
Since 1971 the agency’s “monographs” program has evaluated more than 900 such factors, assigning each of them to one of five classification groups.
It has found that 107 are carcinogenic to humans, including asbestos, estrogen and tobacco, and 59 are “probably carcinogenic,” including the human papillomavirus and night-shift work.
In addition, 266 agents — including certain industrial chemicals, coffee and now mobile phones — are “possibly” carcinogenic.
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