Mobile phones 'possibly carcinogenic' say World Health Organisation experts

Mobile phones may increase the risk of developing brain cancer, an influential health organisation has said admitted for the first time.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organisation, has classified the radiation emitted by handsets as “possibly carcinogenic” although it did not find evidence of a clear link.

Its decision - putting mobiles in the same risk category as lead, the pesticide DDT and petrol exhausts - will put governments under pressure to update their advice to the public on the potential dangers of talking on mobiles for long periods of time.

Christopher Wild, the director of IARC, said that while more research is carried out “it is important to take pragmatic measures to reduce exposure such as hands-free devices or texting”.

It has long been known that the radiofrequency electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones are absorbed by the body, much of it by the head when the handset is held to the ear.

But research into the possible health consequences of frequent mobile use has proved inconclusive because the technology has only been widely used for a few years while it can take decades for tumours to develop.

Radiation Effects on Health

Radiation affects health in both the long and short term and the effects can range from mild to severe. The specific effects of radiation on health depend on the dose of radiation received, the time period over which the exposure occurred and the physiology of the individual involved. Scientists have learned much about radiation exposure from medical and laboratory workers and patients exposed to multiple radioactive procedures, individuals living or working in areas of high radioactivity and nuclear bomb survivors.
Acute Radiation Syndrome

Acute radiation syndrome, also known as radiation sickness or radiation poisoning, results from high doses of radiation over a short period of time, explains the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nuclear bombs and reactor accidents are likely to cause acute radiation syndrome, but radioactivity used in cancer treatment may also lead to a version of radiation poisoning. In radiation sickness, the person will first experience nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Some people also have skin damage and hair loss in the early stages. Soon afterward, other symptoms appear, including loss of appetite, fatigue, fever, seizures, infection, internal bleeding and coma. Some individuals die of acute radiation syndrome.
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Cancer

Many different types of cancer have been associated with doses of radiation over 50,000 millirems, according to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or NRC. These include leukemia, breast cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, laryngeal cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, esophageal cancer, ovarian cancer, multiple myeloma and stomach cancer. However, cancer takes many years to develop and the increase in risk caused by radiation is difficult to separate from other environmental contributors to cancer. Low doses of radiation, under 10,000 millirems, do not seem to affect cancer risk. For perspective, the NRC points out that areas of high natural radiation such as Denver, Colorado expose residents to about 1,000 millirems a year and the average person receives about 40 millirems a year from medical procedures such as x-rays.
Genetic Damage

Animal experiments done in laboratory settings have indicated that genetic damage occurs with radiation exposure, although human studies have been thus far inconclusive. According to the National Institutes of Health, the children and grandchildren of individuals who survived the nuclear detonations at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan during World War II have shown no lasting effects that were passed down through their genes. However, the Washington State Department of Health reports that men who were exposed to radiation over a long period of time during the existence of the Hanford nuclear power plant have children with higher rates of leukemia than other populations. Meanwhile, the link between radiation and childhood cancer remains controversial, and studies are ongoing among populations with high radiation exposure.
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References

* United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Fact Sheet on Biological Effects of Radiation
* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Radiation Health Effects and Treatments
* National Institutes of Health: What We Know About Radiation
* Washington State Department of Health: Genetic Effects and Birth Defects from Radiation Exposure


Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/189531-radiation-effects-on-health/#ixzz1RrKVwI3j

Harmful Effects of Radiation Pollution

As radioactive materials decay, they produce ionizing radiation, which can damage any living tissue in the human body, notes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Radioactive materials may be found in microwave ovens, medical X-ray machines and radon gas. However, the most dangerous source of radiation may be nuclear weapons, which can release isotopes that remain in the atmosphere for 100 years. Nuclear accidents can create environmental pollution, which is particularly devastating.
Contaminated Water

Nuclear accidents may produce fallout which can pollute water supplies for years after the incident, warns the World Health Organization (WHO). The 1986 explosion of a nuclear generator in Chernobyl (Ukraine) created a large radioactive cloud which polluted existing water supplies and produced contaminated rain in nearby countries.
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Contaminated Soil and Plants

Nuclear radiation can contaminate soil, leading to plants which contain radiation and pose a health threat to individuals. Researchers explored the Marshall Islands, an area widely known for nuclear bomb testing by the U.S. military in the 1950s and 1960s. They found that current soil samples and local foods, including coconut meat, contained radiation levels significant enough to pose a health risk to individuals.
Cancer

The Chernobyl explosion led to increased prevalence of cancer in young children in Belarus, the Russian Federation, and the Ukraine. According to the Greenpeace 2006 report, “Chernobyl Catastrophe Consequences on Human Health,” over 2 billion people have been exposed to the radioactive fallout, which will result in 250,000 cases of cancer, nearly half of them fatal.
Brain Damage

High exposure to radiation early on in gestation can have damaging effects on the brain, notes the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Infants between the eighth and 15th weeks of pregnancy who were exposed to the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II were discovered to have a greater incidence of brain damage, with side effects including lower IQs and, in some cases, severe mental retardation.
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References

* Environmental Protection Agency: Radiation and Health
* Journal of Health Physics: Radiation Doses for Marshall Islands Atolls Affected by U.S. Nuclear Testing
* World Health Organization: Water Sanitation and Health
* Greenpeace International: Greenpeace New Study Reveals Death Toll of Chernobyl Enormously Underestimated


Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/165743-harmful-effects-of-radiation-pollution/#ixzz1RrJpvGdp