Another Scientist Raises the Alarm about Cell Phones and Cancer-

Yet another article has appeared about the link between cell phones and cancer. The director of the Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, issused a warning to his faculty and staff, recommending that they limit their cell phone use. Especially children.

He based his recommendation on some unpublished research, and he's using the precautionary principle to guide his thinking.

Dr. Ronald B. Herberman said, "Really at the heart of my concern is that we shouldn't wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry."

Well put.

His advice? Children should only use cell phones during an emergency because their brains are still developing. He also suggests that adults keep their heads away from cell phones and use the speakerphone function or a hands-free device.

That is direct, clear and counter to what most Americans are doing. I certainly don't use my cell phone a great deal, but I am concerned with my increased usage this summer, and what my exposure might be. And I am very concerned about the million of teenagers and children using cell phones everyday.

Click here to see more research, articles, recommendations and analysis about cell phones and cancer.

Cell Phones and Pregnancy-

I know I have been writing a lot about cell phones lately. Maybe it is because right now we don't have use of our landline and have to make all calls from our cell phones, away from our little one room cabin we are sleeping in. Usually, we're driving (I know, but what can we do?). So I've been thinking about them because right now we are using them a great deal. And of course I see everyone using them, all the time.

So when friend forwarded me this link to the Seventh Generation blog, and an article about using cell phones when pregnant, I clicked right to it (it's not what your thinking, mom). And was I surprised by what I read.

Turns out there was a massive study done in Denmark showing a connection between cell phone use of pregnant women and behavioral problems in children, as well as a stronger link when the children use the phones themselves. According to the post and study:

"The study, conducted at UCLA and Denmark’s University of Aarhus, and scheduled to be published in the July issue of the medical journal Epidemiology, found that pregnant women who used cell phones just two or three times a day were 54% more likely to give to give birth to children who would experience behavioral problems (emotional issues, hyperactivity, difficulties relating to peers, etc.) than women who didn’t use a cell phone during their pregnancy. Kids who also used cell phones themselves before age seven fared even worse and had an 80% greater chance of developing some kind of behavioral trouble."

Yikes! The article goes on the say that there are varying opinions (of course) from many scientists who do not believe in the link and problem. But who cares! Let's follow the precautionary principle, the approach I often advocate for on this blog, and the author of this post does as well. If there is the possibility of harm, why risk it?

Basically, until more is known I think it makes sense to: limit your use of a cell phone, especially if you are pregnant, and don't let your kids use them excessively, if at all.



photo on Flikr by Berk McGowan

How to Reduce Exposure to Radiation From Cell Phones-

A few weeks ago I wrote over at Eco Child's Play about cell phones and cancer. It's a matter of building concern and controversy, and studies are being completed currently. I also wrote here about finding out which cell phones emit the least radiation. I used this list as I picked out a new cell phone, and it was helpful. The LA Times wrote an overview of the situation, basically saying that there has been an increase in certain cancers with heavy users of cell phones, but as is the case in many of these situations, it's not definitive yet.

Why wait until it is? It seems like once again, the precautionary approach might be a good way to go, since we know how hard it is to prove anything to 100 percent certainty. And this problem has a few corporations and a couple billions of dollars at stake.

The LA times also released an informative list of ways to reduce your family's exposure while scientists, PR folk, and mega-corporations work it out. Sounds logical to me. Over at Eco-Child's Play there was also some debate about if hands free devices were safer. Here's what the author of this article had to say about that:

"Switch to a type of cellphone with a hands-free device that will place more distance between the antenna and the user. The antenna emits the radio-frequency waves. Placing a phone next to the head exposes the brain to this radiation -- although it's still not known if this low level of radiation is harmful."

I'm sure we'll all be hearing about this more in the future. For the meantime, these suggestions are a good place to start.

How much radiation does your cellphone give you?

Last week I wrote a post about cancer and cellphones over at Eco Child's Play. There is a large study about this that is anxiously awaited by consumers and the telecommunications industry that will soon be released.

Thanks to my ever reading mother, I found this link in the New York Times to a site that rates the amount of radiation each brand and type of cell phone emits.

This is timely, as we are going to need to update our plans and get new phones this week! So as a precaution, I will definitely be looking at the lower emitting models. I tried to figure out the radiation level of my current cell phone, but I couldn't find it because I don't know the long number and letter code of my specific model.

Hoepfully, you'll have better luck. Check out what your model gives off and stay tuned for more information about this important issue.

New MomsRising.org and Healthy Toys Mobile Phone Tool!

How cool is this? The folks at MomsRising.org and Healthytoys.org teamed up to create a mobile phone tool to help you select toys while shopping.

Here is how to do it, emailed to my inbox today. I hope it helps you find safe toys for your little ones.



"Dear MomsRising.org member,

Sadly, one of the big stories this holiday season has been an epidemic of "toxic toys" -- exposing children to everything from lead to the date rape drug GHB. We've been horrified, not only at what this says about our national priorities, but also as moms we're left asking: "What toys are safe to buy for my own kids??"

Today, we're thrilled to tell you about a new tool to help you tell which toys are safe for your kids this holiday season. Our friends at HealthyToys.org1 tested over 1250 toys for common chemicals and have just made the results searchable online. Because the time you really want to know which toys are toxic is when you're shopping, we've partnered with them to make their database searchable via your mobile phone. Here's how it works:

Text healthytoys [toy name] to 41411

And we'll reply instantly with whether the toy tested "high" "med" or "low" for potentially dangerous toxins. Try it! Text "Healthytoys Elmo flashlight" to 41411. You'll get a reply right back to your phone with the test results for the Elmo flashlight by Sesame Street. Neat, eh? Take it with you shopping and tell your friends!

And then sign this petition to tell Congress, "We demand safe, lead-free toys for children. Congress must strengthen the agencies responsible for protecting kids from toxic products and remove the bureaucrats who are standing in the way." We should be able to buy our kids toys off the shelf without having to worry whether they're filled with dangerous chemicals.

Glad we're in this together,

-- Kristin, Joan, Katie, Donna, Roz, Mary and the whole MomsRising.org Team

[1] HealthyToys.org is a project of the Ecology Center in partnership with the Washington Toxics Coalition and: California • Center for Environmental Health • Connecticut - Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut • Maine - Environmental Health Strategy Center • Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine • Massachusetts - Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow • Michigan - Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health • Minnesota - Healthy Legacy • New York - JustGreen Partnership • Oregon - Oregon Environmental Council • Washington - Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition • National - Center for Health, Environment and Justice

P.S. SMS text wiz? Try a more complex search:

Text "healthytoys [high/med/low] [toy name]" to 41411 -- to limit your search results to only those toys with a high, med, or low toxins rating -- e.g. "healthytoys low slinky" will only return the Slinky that got a "low toxins" test rating by HealthyToys.org.


Text "healthytoys [retailer]" to 41411 -- to search for toys sold by a particular retailer -- e.g. "healthytoys low costco" will return the toys sold at Costco that got a "low toxins" test rating by HealthyToys.org.


Text "healthytoys [search term]" to 41411 -- to search for toys with that term in their name, description, brand, or retailer. In other words, you can search not only for a toy name but also for Costco, or Leap Frog, or bracelet, or fuzzy, or rattle, or Spider-man, or Disney -- and any toys with those words anywhere in their listing will be returned.


Too many results? Try typing the name of the toy just as it is printed on the packaging -- e.g. "healthytoys Disney Royal Shoes Set".


Don't forget to tell your friends!
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1768/tellafriend.jsp?tell_a_friend_KEY=2231"