Welcome to the EM Radiation Research Trust
November 2006
Welcome to the Trust's November 2006 Newsletter.
EMF DISCUSSION GROUP - Despite our January meeting with Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Health, being cordial rather than productive, we have made significant progress in being recognized by Sir William Stewart of the Health Protection Agency (HPA) as primary Agents for change through our lobbying for: • improved publicity on risks of mobile phone usage by children;
• more sensitive siting of masts away from schools etc;
• increased research on causes of Electrosensitivity;
• increased funding for independent research into apparent clusters of cancer/motor neuron disease in the UK ;
• better information of mast locations, outputs and directions;
• Lowering of the currently outrageously high limits of permitted EMF radiation set by ICNIRP under the auspices of the World Health Organization in 1998, though we believe these are currently under review.
The key issues and calls by the Trust were highlighted in an outstanding presentation by Eileen O'Connor to Sir William at the EMF discussion group meeting on 16 th October in London . The Presentation is also being put on the HPA website.
It is a tribute to Eileen O'Connor's ‘scouse' character and persistence that she is now recognized across the world as a key conduit of scientific progress on electromagnetic radiation/hypersensitivity.
The Trust's contribution to the Benevento resolution through Dr Gerard Hyland and Eileen – the Trust being the sole UK representatives – has helped greatly in importing to the HPA some of the excellent research from North and South America , Europe and Asia Pacific.
More recently, the Trust's contact with the Washington based Safe Wireless Initiative ( www.safewireless.org ) has led to Dr George Carlo's sharing with us and the HPA some of the major concerns in the USA about the future potential growth of cancers he perceives are caused by mobile phone use.
All this leads surely to the need for further independent research – not just industry funded but Government/EU backed to look in depth at cancer clusters, their causes and the likelihood that a significant number of people are adversely affected by EMF. Why oh why are funding levels for such initiatives so parsimonious and cheapskate given the huge monetary take in annual taxation at over £10 billion from the industry and the public? Just read the Carlo report……Available Here
WELSH ASSEMBLY
At least the Welsh Assembly moved in October 41-0 in favour of full planning scrutiny for all new masts in Wales , taking it down the Scottish line. Barrie Trower's presentation to the Assembly was a strong persuader to follow the precautionary approach to planning.
THE SITUATION IN GREECE
Masts now to be stopped within 500 metres of any school.
Sutton Coldfield's Dr John Walker with assistance from the Trust made a well received presentation on 9 th May to a conference organized by Athens University on the types of cancer cluster encountered in the UK in certain areas served by certain masts. Part of this presentation features in Eileen O'Connor's to the EMR Discussion Group .
Now first the Greek High Court on 17 th July has ordered the dismantling of 8 masts in the Athens area and 2 others on Islands following complaints about residents' health.
And on 10 th August 2006 their Minister for Education signed a bill prohibiting mobile telephone masts radar and high voltage lines to be within 500 meters of any school.
In other words
The Greeks have a word for it ‘ NO ' in certain sensitive areas.
For the Church of England church towers and masts equal money! According to the North Devon Gazette on 11 th October, The Church of England has appointed a female Co-coordinator to work with the mobile phone companies' representatives to promote the use of church towers for mobile phone masts. Quoting The Church of England's own article on mobile phones states confusingly “the ethos behind Christian Ecology links approach is that of care for one's neighbour and the precautionary principle” - seems to have the upper hand! .Planning Ministers silence yet the voices of Yvette Cooper, Planning Minister and Ruth Kelly, Minister for ‘Communities', still are silent. England is still ‘open season' for planning on masts.
We wrote to Yvette Cooper in May 2005 with our plan for mast registration and making the planning process equivalent to Scotland .
Trustee Dr Ian Gibson MP and Solicitor Alan Meyer both met with Yvette Cooper in June last year but the only outcome appears to be a rearranging of the Civil Servants involved on such planning issues to ensure that the status quo remains.
“Excessive use of mobiles may be causing dramatic drop in Sperm Count” - Daily Telegraph 24 th October ( Article Here ) Nic Fleming reported from New Orleans in the Daily Telegraph on 24 th October on the findings of Dr Ashok Agarwal of the Cleveland Clinic to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (23 rd October).
Dr Agarwal stated “there was a significant decrease in the most important measures of sperm health and that should definitely be reflected in a decrease in fertility. People use mobile phones without thinking twice what the consequences may be. The Leyde cells (which produce testosterone) in the tests have been shown to be susceptible to electromagnetic waves in previous research”.
A study in 2004 at the University of Szeged in Hungary found heavy users of mobiles had sperm counts 30% lower than non-users of mobiles.
In 2005 John Aitkens of Newcastle University NSW Australia published research suggesting radio wave radiation – similar to that of mobiles – caused DNA damage in the sperm of mice
• and what independent follow-up research is ongoing in the UK on this aspect of our futures? !
OTHER RESEARCH PAPERS
Egyptian recommendation residents near base station.
Neurobehavioral effects amongst inhabitants around mobile phone base stations. Neurotoxicology (2006) doi : 10.1016/i.neuro.2006.07.012.
This Egyptian study by the faculty of Medicine Mendufiya University, concluded that where inhabitants living nearby mobile phone stations are at risk for developing neuropsychiatric problems (headaches, memory changes, dizziness, tremors, depression and sleep disturbance) albeit that the power of the transmitters was significantly below the accepted ICNIRP level for the ordinary 1800 M112 Transmitter
So the University is recommending revision of guidelines for public exposure to output from mobile phone base station antennae and to look for early detection of biological effect amongst the residents living below and opposite the station.
There is also something similar being reported in Bristol – See Here
Thanks to Barrie Trower for comments. Alan Meyer advised the EMF Group of similar UK issues where residents are near masts.
Comparison of EMR absorption characteristics in the head of adults and children for 180 MH2 mobile phones – Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sol Brazil.
Alvaro de Salles and his colleagues using planar and antennae (these radiate more in the direction opposed to the head) showed that the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) for a 10 year old child was 80% higher than an adult.
De Salles and his colleagues are suggesting using computed tomographic images as a new and more accurate method of measuring the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) for children and what was Sir William Stewart's advice to young people on mobile phone usage - Precautions. This research has been raised to the HPA.
Similarly on 13 th August 2006 , De Salles and colleagues research paper published in Life Sciences (2006) doi : 10.1016/j Lfs.200608.18 advised that low non thermal EMF's from a cellular phone induced damage to the mechanism which promotes the formation of blood cells during the development of the foetus - possible genetic damage to the chromosomes.
They concluded that EMF could generate cell chromosome damage transplacentally through the mechanism was not understood.
MOBILES SAFE IN OUR HOSPITALS
Times 12 th October 2006 . Stewart Derbyshire, Senior Lecturer in Psychology University of Birmingham and Adam Burgess of The University of Kent write in the British Medical Journal of October 12 th that hospital restrictions on mobile phones should be lifted as they are based largely on ‘mythical safety grounds'.
Fine let the patients/doctors communicate - given the cost of patient lives and inherent difficulties in communicating intra hospital. But are there to be any proposed guidelines on usage?
The BMJ might just look at Carlo and abroad at what is happening before dispelling the ‘mythical safety grounds'. Indeed, the Department of Health's grim performance in failing to follow Stewart's advice since 2000 on publication of possible risks to children and adults from phones and base stations equates to its continued dilatoriness in providing an effective National Health Service despite loadsamoney! Bureaucracy rules OK?
ELECTROIMPERSENSITIVITY AND ESSEX UNIVERSITY STUDY
Trustee Brian Stein has written to the HPA about the Essex University Study due to report early next year - where his own hypersensitivity problems precluded his full participation in the rests.
We ask - are these results to be published without including data about those too severely challenged to finish the course? We have lobbied accordingly…..
Third Mobile Communication Seminar - Health Environment and Society – Brussels - 20/21 November 2006.
The Trust will be represented by the Chairman and Eileen O'Connor at this Conference where we expect to meet again with John Ryan Desanco, who is chairing the second day. Eileen O'Connor has also been in touch with Dr Emilie van Deventer acting ‘WHO' Co-coordinator for Radiation and Environmental Health.
We hope that our earlier contacts helped by Trustee Dr Caroline Lucas MEP and the communities focus on its consultation paper on Child Safety and Mobile Phone Services will move things forward in the EU.
STOP PRESS
Hardell Report:
Six case-control studies by the same team of Swedish epidemiologists consistently found an increased risk of brain tumors associated with cell phone and cordless phone use. Odds ratios ranged from 1.3 to 1.6, depending upon tumor type and phone technology, with confidence limits showing statistical significance. No consistent associations were found for salivary gland tumors, B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or testicular cancer. World Journal of Surgical Oncology.
DID THIS PHONE MAST GIVE ME CANCER? - Shooters Hill, Stoke-on-Trent - Families living within feet of a phone mast says it is to blame for 27 deaths and illnesses in their streets in the past 13 years.
Now residents are spending hundreds of pounds trying to protect themselves from radiation. Article Here URGENT ISSUE
You can help by making a donation or participating in the Auction. The Black Tie and Tiara Ball, Wishaw - 18 th November.
This Ball and Charity Auction organised by Eileen O'Connor and Jan Connor in Wishaw - and it is close to being sold out, will help our funding to enable us to continue to stimulate research and worldwide input to a rather staid British Scientific Community still rather transfixed by the Industry.
* Update * - Since the Newsletter was created the Ball has now sold out – Donations would still be most welcome though :)
OUR MESSAGE
The Trust is not against the progress of safer mobile phone technology. It is against
- Complacency.
- Scientific insularity.
- Government inertia.
If the research we seek or our lobbying can help some people with electrosensitivity such as in the development of mechanisms to combat the condition or help alleviate some of the risks of cancer development including looking at measures to prevent radiation from power lines/masts, then we will have achieved something.
All the political chit chat about our environment could just do with some realistic monetary support for a decent research programme - its your future...
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