June 1999

General Science Questions

1. Is non-ionising radiation (radiowaves) from cell phones similar to X-rays?
2. What is the difference between EMFs, RF, ELF and microwave radiation?
3. What is the difference between EMF emissions and radiation?
4. What are the safety standards for cell phone emissions?
5. If there are safety standards, what is the problem?
6. What is the view of the NRPB (National Radiological protection Board)?
7. In a nutshell, what is the scientific evidence that mobile phones cause biological effects?
8. Has the research appeared in peer revised journals/replicated?
9. What are the possible health implications of the research into bioeffects?
10. Is there any evidence that cell phones can cause cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, memory loss, etc.?
11. Why has more research not been done?
12. Is more research being done?
13. What is the government’s view of the concerns about mobile phone safety?
14. What kind of radiation do mobile phones produce/emit?
15. We are surrounded by EMFs, many of them naturally occurring – why should mobile phones be a problem?
16. Why do some people think that using mobile phone is dangerous?
17. How do all the studies on animals (flies, mice, rats, chick embryos, etc.) relate to human health?

Usage of phones

1. I have been a heavy user of mobile phones for years and I feel fine, why should I feel concerned? How do I know if there is a problem?
2. How long can I safely use my mobile phone for?
3. Does using an ear piece help? (How far away should I keep my handset from the head?)
4. Do cell phone shields work?
5. Is there any risk from keeping my phone on standby in my pocket?
6. I read in the paper that one study showed quicker reaction times after mobile phone use – isn’t this a beneficial effect?
7. Why haven’t more human laboratory studies been made?
8. What is EMF Bioprotection and how was it developed?
9. How does EMF Bioprotection work?
10. What evidence is there that it protects the user from EMF emissions?
11. Will the EMF Bioprotection field generated by the chip interfere with the normal functioning/range of my mobile phone?
12. How do I know that the EMFs produced by the Bioprotection batteries are safe?
13. Will the EMF Bioprotection chip in the batteries affect talk and standby time?
14. Are the EMF Bioprotection batteries bigger and heavier than my standard batteries?
15. Will the field generated by the Bioprotection battery interfere with other mobile phones or other electrical equipment?
16. What is the size of the field generated by the EMF Bioprotection technology unit? How much of the body is protected?
17. Will EMF Bioprotection stop my ear becoming warm when I use my phone?
18. Will EMF Bioprotection stop me getting the headaches that I get when I use my mobile?
19. Will EMF Bioprotection render my mobile completely safe?
20. Does this mean that I will not have to worry at all about the radiation or should I continue to use a shield/earpiece?
21. As the chip is in the battery how can it protect my head when the antenna/phone is nearer to me?
22. Is the EMF Bioprotection technology patented in Europe as well as the USA? How long is the technology patented for? What will happen when the patent runs out?

General Science

Q-1: Is non-ionising radiation (radiowaves) from cell phones similar to X-rays?

A: Non-ionizing radiation is different from X-rays in terms of the frequency and energy content per "unit" of radiation, the so-called photon-energy. Non-ionizing radiation contains much less photon-energy than X-rays and has a much lower frequency. X-rays have such high photon-energy that it can directly damage bio-molecules, non-ionising radiation does not have this capability. However, research has shown that non-ionising radiation can have indirect effects with biological consequences similar to those caused by X-rays.


Q-2: What is the difference between EMFs, RF, ELF and microwave radiation?

A: EMF is a general designation covering all types of electromagnetic fields; however, EMF is commonly used as a name for non-ionising electromagnetic fields. RF means "radiofrequency"; this is a term used mainly for frequencies in the kilohertz (thousands of hertz, or cycles per second) and low megahertz (millions of hertz) region, sometimes also for microwaves in the high megahertz and gigahertz region. ELF means "extremely low frequency", this is EMF with frequencies below 3000 hertz; the most common ELF is generated from 50 and 60 hertz power lines and electrical equipment.


Q-3: What is the difference between EMF emissions and radiation?

A: EMF emissions in general mean EMFs emitted from non-natural sources, such as power lines, hair dryers and mobile phones. Radiation usually means EMFs which are not of ELF type, i.e., radiofrequencies and microwaves.


Q-4: What are the safety standards for cell phone emissions?

A:Safety standards for cell phones vary from country to country. In Europe it is 2 watt per kilogram of brain tissue. The scientific basis for the standards is that they should make sure that brain tissue is not "significantly" heated by the radiation, since heating believed by some scientists to be the only potential health hazard associated with cell phone emissions.


Q-5: If there are safety standards, what is the problem?

A: The problem is that a substantial, growing body of scientific evidence has demonstrated that there are significant, potentially adverse biological effects associated with EMFs such as those emitted from cell phones, which are much lower in energy than the safety standards. Therefore, many scientists believe that the current safety standards are inadequate.


Q-6: What is the view of the NRPB (National Radiological protection Board)?

A: The official point of view of the NRPB is that it has not been proven that cell phone radiation is posing a health risk. They believe however that much more research is needed.


Q-7: In a nutshell, what is the scientific evidence that mobile phones cause biological effects?

A: There is a substantial body of scientific evidence showing that mobile phone radiation cause significant biological effects. Some of the latest studies:

• The Wireless Technology Research (WTR), a research body sponsored by the cell phone industry, has announced (May 1999) that a study performed at Integrated Laboratory Systems in Triangle Park, North Carolina, on human blood cells showed a tripling in chromosome damage caused by cell phone radiation. According to Dr. Carlo, the chairman of WTR, this is a strong link to cancer.
  
  
• An Australian study, headed by Dr. Repacholi, published in 1997, showed that mice exposed to cell phone radiation for 18 months for two times half an hour per day had a two times higher risk of developing cancer than unexposed mice.
  
  
• In 1997, Dr. Miguel Penafiel and his team of the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, found that cell phone radiation increased the activity of a cancer related enzyme called ornithine decarboxylase (ODC).
  
  
• Scientists at Aarhus University in Denmark have in 1997 shown that cell phone radiation accelerates proliferation rate of human cells.
  
  
• Dr. Henry Lai of University of Seattle, Washington, has consistently shown that microwaves change the function of the brain and the secretion of critical brain substances. One of the effects is that learning and short term memory are impaired. Another effect consistently found by Dr. Lai is DNA damage to rat brains caused by the radiation.
  
  
• Scientists at the Department of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK, have shown that transgenic nematodes, used to monitor toxic pollutants, become stressed by cell phone EMFs in the same way as they do by toxic chemicals.
  
  
• Cell phones also emit ELF fields from the circuitry of the phone body. There is a very substantial body of scientific evidence showing that ELF fields cause significant biological effects. All this evidence also applies to cell phones.

Q-8: Has the research appeared in peer revised journals/replicated?

A: Yes, the research has appeared in peer revised journals. Very few scientists are interested in doing replication under identical circumstances as the research conducted by other scientists. They prefer to vary the conditions and study slightly different markers. This is not necessarily a drawback, since with biological material it is very difficult to do an exact replication. The large amount of research at slightly varied conditions, and with different markers, make up a very substantial body of evidence.


Q-9: What are the possible health implications of the research into bioeffects?

A: The possible health implications relate to impaired brain function and behavioral disorders, symptoms like headaches and fatigue, and an increased risk of cancer, degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.


Q-10: Is there any evidence that cell phones can cause cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, memory loss, etc.?

A: Dr. Lennart Hardell, a Swedish cancer specialist, has recently announced the results of a yet unpublished study showing that right-handed cell phone users have a two-and-a-half times increased risk of brain cancer in the right-hand side of the head where they hold their phones. Left-handed cell phone users have the same risk elevation of a brain cancer in the left-hand side of the brain.

There is a substantial body of epidemiological studies reporting an association between ELF fields and cancer. This caused a 28 member scientific panel, convened by the US National Institute of Health Sciences (NIEHS), to conclude in July 1998 that "extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields should be regarded as possible carcinogens". As cell phones, in addition to the microwaves from the antenna, also emit ELF fields from the internal circuitry of the handset body, the research relating to ELF effects also applies to cell phones.

Regarding Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, epidemiological data are scarcer; there have been studies conducted by Dr. Sobel, UCLA, in Finland and Los Angeles, reporting a consistent and significant increase in the risk of Alzheimer’s for occupationally exposed individuals (ELF-type fields) such as seamstresses, power station operators, TV-repairmen, etc. In addition, laboratory studies on cell and tissue cultures report that EMFs induce effects similar to the biological mechanisms believed to be involved in the development of these diseases.

Many users of cell phones have claimed that they feel the radiation from the handsets makes them confused and more forgetful. There is substantial laboratory evidence from studies of animals supporting these claims. Maze experiments with rats have shown that the animals have difficulties locating food in the maze when they have been exposed to cell phone radiation. In addition, scientific studies have revealed that EMF exposures change the production of neurochemicals in the brain and central nervous system, indicating a potential induced change in brain function.


Q-11: Why has more research not been done?

A: There has been a severe lack of funds for research into the effects of EMFs.


Q-12: Is more research being done?

A: There is more research being done; however, a major part is industry funded and may therefore be biased.


Q-13: What is the government’s view of the concerns about mobile phone safety?

A: The government in the UK follows the advice of the NRPB, and their official view is that it has not been proven that cell phone radiation is posing a health risk.


Q-14: What kind of radiation do mobile phones produce/emit?

A: Mobile phones emit microwave radiation from the antenna and ELF from the circuitry of the handset.


Q-15: We are surrounded by EMFs, many of them naturally occurring – why should mobile phones be a problem?

A: The levels of microwave and ELF emitted from cell phones into the heads of users are millions of times above the levels of corresponding, naturally occurring background EMFs. Furthermore, the emissions from cell phones are totally different in their structure from natural background EMFs. Cell phones emit constant bursts of microwave and constant pulses of ELF; fields in nature have totally random properties.

In conclusion, cell phone EMF emissions are totally distinct in their properties as well as their intensity, as compared to natural background EMFs.


Q-16: Why do some people think that using mobile phone is dangerous?

A: Some users of mobile phones claim they have experienced symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, memory loss, etc. when using the phone. Numerous scientific studies support these claims, and a possible link between mobile phone emissions and adverse conditions such as cancer has been reported.


Q-17: How do all the studies on animals (flies, mice, rats, chick embryos, etc.) relate to human health?

A: Animals are widely used to study the effects of chemicals, drugs, additives, radiation, etc. Even though humans are different from animals, the basic biochemical processes taking place in animals are remarkably similar to the biochemical processes in humans.


Usage of phones

Q-1: I have been a heavy user of mobile phones for years and I feel fine, why should I feel concerned? How do I know if there is a problem?

A: Some people feel a specific or an unspecific symptom when they use a mobile phone, others don’t. It’s highly individual. It has been reported in scientific papers that EMFs such as those emitted from mobile phones may significantly increase the risk of conditions such as cancer. Individuals developing such conditions rarely feel anything before it’s too late. Therefore, even if you "feel nothing", it is no guarantee that you are safe.


Q-2: How long can I safely use my mobile phone for?

A: Nobody knows for certain. In a study conducted by Swedish scientists on 11,000 mobile phone users in Sweden and Norway, it was found that the inconveniences reported were induced by as little as two minutes of conversations per day.


Q-3: Does using an ear piece help? (How far away should I keep my handset from the head?)

A: Nobody knows for certain, since scientific studies have reported biological effects induced by radiation intensities thousands of times below the level emitted from mobile phones. This means that even the reduction in head exposure intensity obtained by using an ear piece may not bring the level of radiation below the threshold where biological effects occur. In general, any reduction in the intensity of radiation emitted into the head of the user is of course desirable; however, if the user is carrying the handset in his belt, he will be exposing important blood cell producing tissues in the pelvic bones, as well as his reproductive organs to radiation.


Q-4: Do cell phone shields work?

A: Shields have two major drawbacks. They may interfere with proper operation of the phone by shielding the connection between the phone and the base station. This may hamper the operation of the phone and cause the phone to increase its radiation output to compensate for the impaired connection, and it may decrease the range of the phone. Furthermore, even though the shields under ideal circumstances may reduce head exposures by more than 50 %, phone radiation may still be substantially higher than the threshold above which biological effects occur.


Q-5: Is there any risk from keeping my phone on standby in my pocket?

A: No. The phone is not radiating significant EMFs when it is in standby-mode.


Q-6: I read in the paper that one study showed quicker reaction times after mobile phone use – isn’t this a beneficial effect?

A: It is the same situation with drugs: in proper doses it is beneficial, in too large quantities it is adverse. The fact that mobile phone radiation can speed up reaction times may be a sign of stress and/or increased blood flow in the brain. This shows that the mobile phone radiation is indeed biologically active; if in some instances it is beneficial, in others it can be adverse.


Q-7: Why haven’t more human laboratory studies been made?

A: Laboratory studies on humans are difficult and costly to conduct. Therefore, the research has been focused on cell and humane animal laboratory studies and epidemiological studies on humans. However, some studies have been made on humans showing an increased blood pressure, changed EEG readings (brain waves) and changed EKG readings (heart beats) as a result of mobile phone radiation.


Q-8: What is EMF Bioprotection and how was it developed?

A: EMF Bioprotection‰ is a technology designed to eliminate the biological effects of EMF exposure. Without biological effects there can be no health effects. The EMF Bioprotection technology has been developed as a result of a large research effort initiated and initially funded by the United States Army. The research has been conducted at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. by Professor T. Litovitz, a recognised authority in the field.


Q-9: How does EMF Bioprotection work?

A: EMF Bioprotection mimics naturally occurring EMF by superimposing on the potentially hazardous EMF another EMF which is similar to the random fields (electromagnetic noise) found in nature. The superimposed noise field restores the natural electromagnetic environment around the biological cells and prevents changes to the biochemistry of the cells by EMF. The noise field is emitted from a microchip built into the batteries of mobile phones. The noise field eliminates the biological effects induced by microwave radiation from the antenna and by the ELF fields emitted from the circuitry of the handset.


Q-10: What evidence is there that it protects the user from EMF emissions?

A: The EMF Bioprotection technology has been successfully tested at five different universities independently on numerous biological systems and markers. In all tests the EMF Bioprotection technology completely eliminated EMF-induced biological effects. The five universities are: Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, Columbia University in New York, University of Western Ontario in Canada, Aarhus University in Denmark, and University of Washington, Seattle.


Q-11: Will the EMF Bioprotection field generated by the chip interfere with the normal functioning/range of my mobile phone?

A:The EMF Bioprotection field will not interfere at all with the operation or range of the mobile phone. The noise field emitted is at a frequency completely different from the operating frequency of the phone.


Q-12: How do I know that the EMFs produced by the Bioprotection batteries are safe?

A: This has been thoroughly tested. There are no known adverse effects of the EMF Bioprotection noise field. This is logical, as it mimics the fields found in nature.


Q-13: Will the EMF Bioprotection chip in the batteries affect talk and standby time?

A: The generation of the noise field only requires a tiny fraction of about 0.5% of the power in the batteries so talk and standby time are virtually unaffected.


Q-14: Are the EMF Bioprotection batteries bigger and heavier than my standard batteries?

A: Compared to a battery of similar capacity, the EMF Bioprotection batteries are a similar size and weight.


Q-15: Will the field generated by the Bioprotection battery interfere with other mobile phones or other electrical equipment?

A: No. There is no electronic interference associated with the EMF Bioprotection field.


Q-16: What is the size of the field generated by the EMF Bioprotection technology unit? How much of the body is protected?

A:The EMF Bioprotection technology covers exposed body parts. When holding the phone to your ear, the head and upper body part is protected, when carrying the phone in the belt, the hip bone marrow, reproductive organs and other vital body parts in this region is protected.


Q-17: Will EMF Bioprotection stop my ear becoming warm when I use my phone?

A:The EMF Bioprotection technology will not eliminate tissue heating and any inconveniences associated with that. However, some of the "heating" sensation may be associated with the induction of stress proteins, a biological effect not necessarily associated with heating. The EMF Bioprotection takes away the biological effects which are not associated with heating, therefore the heating sensation associated with stress protein induction will be eliminated by the EMF Bioprotection.


Q-18: Will EMF Bioprotection stop me getting the headaches that I get when I use my mobile?

A: If your headache is caused by non-heating biological effects induced by mobile phone EMFs, the EMF Bioprotection will stop this headache. If actual heating or exhaustion from talking on the phone causes your headache, the EMF Bioprotection will not stop this.


Q-19: Will EMF Bioprotection render my mobile completely safe?

A: The EMF Bioprotection will render your mobile safe from non-heating biological effects. Regarding heating effects, there has not been demonstrated potential hazards associated with this.


Q-20: Does this mean that I will not have to worry at all about the radiation or should I continue to use a shield/earpiece?

A: With the EMF Bioprotection battery, you will not have to worry about biological effects which are not related to heating. If you are disturbed by actual heating, the EMF Bioprotection battery could be combined with a shield or an earpiece.


Q-21: As the chip is in the battery how can it protect my head when the antenna/phone is nearer to me?

A: The bioprotection field from the chip covers a region that includes the body parts of the user exposed to the bio-effecting radiation from the phone. Therefore, even with the chip in the battery, the EMF Bioprotection provides protection in the relevant body parts of the user.


Q-22: Is the EMF Bioprotection technology patented in Europe as well as the USA? How long is the technology patented for? What will happen when the patent runs out?

A: The patents covering the technology has been applied for in Europe as well as in the USA and selected countries in Asia. In the USA the patents have been issued. The patents are still pending in Europe. The patents cover a 17 year period. The technology will be protected by further patents before expiration of the first patents.