How science refutes myths about the harm of mobile phones
Popular myths about the dangers of mobile phones
and their scientific refutation
Daria Voronina, Rossiyskaya GazetaCell phones have long been a part of human life.
Every day we communicate by mobile phone with family and friends, send SMS, take photos, reply to e-mail, search for information on the Internet and read books. Such active use of the phone is alarming – isn't it harmful to the human body? Some cell phone users believe that it causes cancer, worsens overall health and can even cause a plane crash. Is this really the case?
Brain diseasesReports that mobile phones, namely low electromagnetic signals, negatively affect the human body, appeared back in the 90s of the last century.
When using cell phones, the head suffers the most, the use of the phone is allegedly similar to the effect of a microwave oven on food. It is believed that it is the use of mobile phones that provokes the development of malignant tumors. However, recently there have been the results of curious studies that turn these terrible facts into myths.
Thus, the International Journal of Epidemiology has published generalized data from 13 studies around the world. They were devoted to the development of two main types of brain cancer – glioma and meningioma.
2708 people with glioma, 2409 people with meningioma and 7658 people as a control group were involved in the analysis. After processing the information received, the researchers found that regular use of a mobile phone reduces the risk of glioma or meningioma by about 20 percent. After that, the results of the analysis were rechecked, as a result, the researchers came to the conclusion that there are still no links between the use of mobile phones and the occurrence of brain cancer.
The project of the Danish Institute of Cancer Epidemiology turned out to be more ambitious, in which over 400 thousand people were involved.
– The results of this massive study are very important because they analyzed data from the archives of mobile operators, and did not rely only on the words of the users themselves about how often they used their phones ten years ago, – says Trisha McKinney, professor at the Center for Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Leeds.
Scientists have found no evidence that phones increase the risk of developing brain cancer or leukemia.
But the results of the work of a group of scientists from the Florida Alzheimer's Research Center look really amazing. The fact is that American doctors have come to the conclusion that long-term exposure to electromagnetic signals improves memory, slows down the development of the disease and, perhaps, even completely heals a person from this terrible ailment. It turned out that electromagnetic waves of mobile phones purify the brain of mice from the deposition of harmful beta-amyloid protein, and also prevent protein growths in mice with early symptoms of the disease.
– I was surprised to get the result that the impact of mobile phones, which began at the beginning of adulthood, protects the memory of mice with the first symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, – quote the Doctor of Sciences, research professor at the Gary Arendash Center of the Internet Agency, – Even more surprising that electromagnetic waves generated by mobile really reversed the deterioration of memory in mice with Alzheimer's disease.
It remains for scientists to determine a set of electromagnetic radiation parameters, and then they will be able to apply it not only to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, but also to traumatic brain injuries, because they are considered the cause of the development of this disease.
The endocrine systemEven studies in 1998, when the mobile market was just beginning its development, showed that the level of hormones does not change due to the use of the device.
More precisely, during the conversation, the level of hormones increases, but at the same time remains normal, and after a while it completely returns to the initial indicators. Such results were provided by scientists in 1999.
In 2001, they decided to conduct a study on animals. But even here, experts have not found reliable changes in hormonal composition, which means that mobile phones do not harm the endocrine system.
Healthy sleepWell, if you leave your phone on the bedside table, and friends call you all night, then you really won't get enough sleep.
However, the phone conversations themselves during the day will not affect the quality of sleep at night. A huge number of studies have not been able to prove the opposite.
The most dangerous effect of the device on sleep was revealed by Dr. R. Huber. In 2000, investigating the time of falling asleep, the number of awakenings, the duration of sleep, he found that prolonged exposure to electromagnetic waves is similar to the effect obtained by consuming caffeine. Using a cell phone, a person gets the same charge as if he drank a cup of coffee or strong tea. In other words, if a person is a coffee lover, and even likes to chat on the phone, then it will be more difficult for him to fall asleep.
Using mobile phones on an airplaneCurrent aircraft are equipped with highly sensitive navigation radios and special antennas.
Every time the crew warns that it is not worth using the communication on the plane. However, the State Commission on Radio Frequencies has already allowed the use of the 1710-1785 MHz and 1805-1885 MHz bands for cellular micro-networks on airplanes, so as not to interfere with ground services.
Experts are sure that interference from mobile phones is really possible when they are registered at base stations during movements, calls or SMS. You can avoid this by activating the connection above 3 thousand meters above the ground. Up to this point, it can simultaneously communicate with many base stations, which will already be a problem. Therefore, during takeoff and landing, mobile phones need to be turned off, but it is already possible to use communication in the sky, since there are base stations on aircraft that receive signals from telecom operators of the appropriate ranges and standards.
By the way, the European Aviation Safety Agency EASA at the end of 2013 allowed the use of electronic means without restrictions, both during takeoff, during flight, and during landing.
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