FCC Calls for Cell Phone Safety Review

DENVER - It's supposed to be the first review of cell-phone safety standards in 15 years by the FCC, but some people say the planned review does not go far enough. Camilla Rees with the groupElectromagneticHealth.org says it's good news that the FCC is talking about conducting a cell phone safety review, but she says the review needs to be expanded because current cell phone safety standards don't address a number of potential human health risks.

"These standards currently only measure risks from the heating effect of a cell phone, and they don't even consider risks from the non-thermal effects and risks from the modulation of the signal, which can be very biologically disruptive."

An FCC representative calls it a routine review and says the agency believes the current emissions guidelines pose no risks to consumers. Rees says that statement leaves some people wondering if the agency has not prejudged the results of the review.

Devra Davis with the Environmental Health Trust says the FCC needs to expand the scope of its proposed review.

"It’s good news that the FCC is looking at the standards, but they need to expand their probe to ask about effects from cell phones that have nothing to do with heat — and may affect our brains and bodies for years to come."

The whole issue of electromagnetic health was the focus of a resolutionpassed last week by the U.S. Health Freedom Congress in Chicago. Davis says the action supports consumers' right to know about the potential risks from wireless products.

"We do not have enough information to assume that these devices are safe and we have a right to know what science tells us now, and we need to be monitoring and studying things rather than experimenting on people."

Advocates for electromagnetic safety say Congress needs to actively oversee the proposed FCC review process.