Health risks of mobile phones are focus of new government study: ‘Very concerned’

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is launching a study into whether cell phone radiation could harm the health of Americans.

“The FDA removed web pages with old findings about cell phone radiation, while HHS conducts a study on electromagnetic radiation and health research to identify gaps in knowledge, including new technologies, to ensure safety and effectiveness,” HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement to News Digital.

The study is part of a strategic report released last year by President Donald Trump’s MAHA Commission, Nixon added.

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The report urges officials to address exposure to electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from the widespread use of cell phones, Wi-Fi routers, cell towers, and wearable devices such as smart watches.

In 2018, the National Institutes of Health conducted a study that concluded there is “clear evidence” that high exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RFR) is associated with cancer in male rats.

“In our studies, rats and mice received RFR throughout the body. In contrast, people are exposed primarily in specific local tissues near where they hold the phone,” lead scientist John Bucher said at the time.

Bucher added: “The levels and durations of exposure in our studies were greater than those experienced by people.”

The study did not investigate RFR used for Wi-Fi or 5G networks.

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HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told USA TODAY on Friday that “electromagnetic radiation is a major health concern,” adding that he is “very concerned about it.”

A spokesperson for CTIA, the mobile carrier industry trade group, told News Digital that there is no credible evidence linking wireless devices to health problems.

“RF energy from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices, mobile phones and wireless infrastructure has not been shown to cause health problems, according to the consensus of the international scientific community and independent expert organizations around the world,” the spokesperson said.

The World Health Organization has noted on its website that research shows that “no adverse health effects have been causally linked to exposure to wireless technologies.”

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In the US, mobile phones must comply with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) radio frequency (RF) exposure limits.

The FCC uses a metric called specific absorption rate (SAR), which tracks how much RF energy the body absorbs. To be sold in the US, mobile phones and similar wireless devices must be tested and certified to ensure that they do not exceed 1.6 W/kg (watts per kilogram), averaging more than 1 gram of tissue.

The FCC states on its website that “there is currently no scientific evidence establishing a definitive link between the use of wireless devices and cancer or other diseases.”

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However, the agency shares ways Americans can reduce exposure, such as shortening the amount of time they spend in front of wireless devices, putting the phone on speaker, or using a headset “to reduce proximity to the head and therefore head exposure.”

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The FCC also recommends increasing the distance between wireless devices and your body and texting instead of talking when possible.

News Digital reached out to HHS and NIH for additional comment, as well as several major cell phone carriers.