Environmental Health Trust (EHT), a nonprofit organization dedicated to identifying and controlling environmental health hazards, demanded that the U.S. Federal Communication Commission (FCC) stop its counter arguments about the risks of cell phone radiation and acknowledge its existence to cell phone users.
EHT also argued that FCC should also make it mandatory for cell phone manufacturers to post safety warnings about microwave radiation on new cell phones made and sold within U.S. and chart out new production standards that brings down the risks and levels of microwave radiation on communication devices.
EHT founder Devra Lee Davis emphasized that in terms of awareness of microwave radiation risks from cell phones, the U.S. is far behind other countries, including Switzerland, Israel, France and Germany. These nations require cell phone makers to publicize radiation rates directly on phones sold to their citizens, provide special labeling for low radiation phones, and restrict their use by children, who are more vulnerable to radiation.
EHT is requesting FCC to supervise the preparation of a new standard for making cell phones, based on the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle for exposure to diagnostic radiation.
EHT also expressed its disappointment over FCC’s reversal in its position on cell phone radiation. It was to be noted that on the Sept. 14, 2009 Senate hearing of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, Iowa Senator Tom Harkin had promised to investigate the matter.
EHT played its part by organizing an expert conference parallel with the senate hearing where speakers spoke about growing laboratory and human studies showing damage from cell phone radiation.
After that the FCC even went on to post new advices and guidelines to cell phone users to reduce the risk of radiation from cell phones. Some of the advices include: using an earpiece or headset; hearing through the phone’s speaker; preferring texting over talking and more.
In a press release, Ellie Marks, EHT's Director of Government & Public Affairs, said that the FCC, far from coming clean on the dangers posed by cell phone radiation, has engaged in an active cover-up in tandem with the cell phone industry. The advice to buy lower SAR phones that had been on the FCC website for more than a decade in some form or other – disappeared.
But a range of documents on the hazards of cell phone radiation are now available on the EHT website.
Nathesh is a contributing editor for HealthTechZone. To read more of Nathesh's articles, please visit his columnist page.Edited by
Janice McDuffee
