by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the
Commission
(19 February
2003)
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Subject: Possible health threat posed by cellphones |
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Recent research by Swedish doctors on
laboratory animals at the University of Malmö suggests that the use of
cellphones may damage the brain, and that adolescents - among whom there has
been a spectacular increase in the use of these phones - are most likely to
be affected. The research shows that it is suspected that the radiation
emitted during the use of cellphones may cause the necrosis of neurons which
are the cells on which brain activity is based; this may lead to a reduction
in intellectual capacity and cause degenerative diseases of the brain. The
researchers have also found that an increase in the intensity of the
radiation increases the number of neurons destroyed in the brain. This particular piece of research
differs from most research on the safety of cellphones, since it examines the
effect on the human brain rather than the relation between the use of
cellphones and cancer. What measures does the Commission intend
to take to fully resolve this important question? Does it intend to promote
more extensive research and monitor the effect of the long-term use of
cellphones on the human brain? |