Friday, January 8, 2010
Several readers admonished me for my unqualified assertion in last week's
WN that "cell phone radiation does not cause cancer." They point out that
microwave photons may not eject photoelectrons but they do excite molecular
vibrations (heat). That's why your microwave oven has a safety interlock on
the door. So does the miniscule energy deposited by the cell phone cook
your brain? No! Rapid blood circulation keeps the brain temperature at
that of the blood, which is regulated by the hypothalamus at the base of
the brain. Thermoregulation is a high priority for the brain. Thats why
marathoners run hard for more than two hours, often hatless beneath a
midday summer sun, yet their rise in blood temperature is about that of a
mild fever.
State Rep. Andrea Boland (D) is pushing for the state to become the first
to require cell phone makers to put warnings on packaging like those on
cigarettes. The bill was filed in October but is on a fast track. Its
considered emergency legislation because there are 900,000 cell phones in
the state. Rep. Bolden's concern was based on a 2006 study in Sweden
showing a correlation between brain tumors and heavy cell phone use.
However, a Danish study that came out in December found that the rates of
brain cancer in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden had remained stable
from 1974 two 2003. Such studies are possible in Scandinavia where record-
keeping is an obsession. If the effect is real, the frequency of brain
cancers should have turned up sharply in 2000. An estimated 277 million
people use cell phones in the US. I doubt if such a label would reduce that
number significantly. Scientific truth becomes something to be negotiated.
A study by the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center found that cell
phone radiation protected the memories of mice genetically altered to get
Alzheimer's disease. The study was led by Prof. Gary Arendash who
previously found that coffee could protect against Alzheimer's. Hmm, I
cant remember if Ive had my Coffee. If exposure to microwaves is started
when the Alzheimer's mice are young adults, before signs of memory
impairment are apparent, their cognitive ability is protected. The mice had
been genetically altered to develop beta-amyloid plaques characteristic of
Alzheimers as they aged.
The Environmental Protection Agency sees the tougher standards as a way to
improve public health without getting into the insurance squabble. Business
sees it as bad timing with the economy struggling to revive. I would just
like to see the stars again.
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