DANGERS OF HANDS FREE MOBILE PHONE KITS Which? The Independent Consumer Guide - 04-01-2000 "The Ring of Truth" The mobile phone hands-free kits we tested triple the radiation penetrating your skull. Should this ring alarm bells? Think again if you use a hands-free kit to protect yourself from mobile phone radiation - the two we tested increase the radiation levels inside your head compared with holding the phone by your ear. Shields that claim to block radiation also offer no protection. It's not surprising that people use these devices. With headlines like the ones below, it sounds reassuring to use a device that deeps the phone away from your head. But, in reality, the earpiece wire on the hands-free kits we tested acts as an aerial - and channels three times as much radiation to your head. Although we tested only two kits, our experts agree others could suffer from the same problem. We confronted Carphone Warehouse, which sells one of the kits we tested, with the evidence. Its factsheets tell consumers who are concerned about radiation to 'use an earpiece attachment so you are not using the phone directly next to your head.' But the response to our findings was pretty disingenuous: 'the sheets simply state the facts - it is a fact that earpieces remove the phone away from the user's head.' The factsheets don't, however, state the fact that this can lead to higher radiation levels. Carphone Warehouse says it is revising the factsheets to say it can't comment on the effectiveness of these products - and promises to include our findings. How Phones Affect You Do you need to worry about mobile phone radiation, or do headlines like these mislead people into panicking about a problem that doesn't exist? Most people know that ionizing radiation, like X-rays, can cause cancer. Mobile phones, however, emit radio waves - a type of non-ionising radiation that has different effects. Non-ionision radiation still causes problems, though. Exposure to high levels can cause your temperature to rise, which makes your heart work harder, and can lead to headaches, sickness, and dizziness. Mobile phones emit only low levels of these radio waves. But some people say that, even at levels too low to cause these heating effects, they can cause 'non-thermal' effects such as tumours, headaches, and memory loss. Jean Philips of powerwatch - an organization that gives advice on electromagnetic fields - is in no doubt: 'Anyone who uses a phone extensively runs a risk of adverse health effects. We estimate that 10 per cent of the population may be at risk of milder effects, such as headaches and loss of concentration.' What The Research Says Some scientists dispute non-thermal effects, saying they haven't been proved by laboratory experiments. And, if they exist, no one is sure what level of radio waves causes them. Typical of the often-reported research is a survey of people with brain tumours in Sweden. This found they were more likely to have the tumour on the side of their head on which they said they held their mobile phone. But the study didn't find a higher risk of cancer among mobile phone users generally, and scientists criticized it for relying on people's memory, and the small number of people asked. The Royal Society of Canada (RSC), a leading body of scientists, reviewed a large number of research studies last year, and a spokesman said it had found 'increasing evidence' that non-thermal effects exist. However, the RSC still says that it isn't yet clear whether radio waves at low intensities cause serious health problems. Many of the studies which show a link between mobile phones and cancer haven't been repeated - so the link could just be coincidence. We've looked at eight major reviews of all the scientific evidence, including the RSC's. They all conclude that, as the research stands at the moment, no one has proved there definitely isn't a link between exposure to radio waves and cancer of gene damage, but there is only a small likelihood that a link exists. Phone companies' views Unsurprisingly, this is the view of mobile phone companies. The Federation of the Electronics Industry (FEI) usually speaks for the mobile phone industry on radiation health risks. It says there is no 'consistent' evidence of any harmful side effects and that it 'will continue to support independent research in this area, and will share information in an open and honest way.' For those who are still worried, FEI says 'people are free to buy hands-free kits or shields, although we would advise them to beware of products that make false claims and that are not approved by handset manufacturers.' This statement is, perhaps, ironic, given the hands-free kits we tested are sold by the networks of major high-street retailers. Finding a definitive answer We should have a better idea of any ill effects en the future. The International Agency for Research into Cancer is investigating whether mobile phones increase the risk of cancer in adults. Another project in six European countries is looking into any cancer-causing effects on animals. And the World health Organisation is reviewing the evidence to come up with a universal standard for mobile phone emissions. For now, though, if you think there are grounds for concern, you're best off reducing your phone use. Limits On Phones' Radiation Output Even though the effects are disputed, there are still limits on the levels of radio waves that phones can emit. In the UK, the National Radiological Protection Body (NRPB) sets these. It says the research shows that radio waves from mobile phones don't have enough energy to damage genetic material like DNA, and therefore can't cause cancer. However, it accepts that heating effects could be a problem, and sets the limit so that radio waves from a mobile phone should not cause any temperature rise. In practice, UK phones emit only a fraction of this recommended level - older analogue phones put our about a third of the limit and newer digital phones just a tenth, although this varies between models. However, the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) recommends a lower limit than NRPB's. If the ICNIRP limit was used, current digital phones would emit about half the recommended maximum - but some older analogue phones would exceed it.