Mobile phones and healthMobile phones and health

information.

The Stewart Report

RA’s Role

The electromagnetic spectrum and electromagnetic radiation

Radiocommunications

Electromagnetic Exposure Limits

Links

MENU

mscsg_da_15A

The “Stewart” ReportThe “Stewart” Report

“The balance of evidence indicates that there is no general risk to health of people living near base stations, on the basis that exposures are expected to be small fractions of guidelines”

IEGMP Report on Mobile Phones and Health, May 2000

MORE INFORMATION

The “Stewart” ReportThe “Stewart” Report�The Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones - also known as the Stewart Group because it was chaired by Sir William Stewart - was established at the request made by the Minister for Public Health Tessa Jowell in April 1999, to examine possible effects of mobile phones, base stations and transmitters on health.

�The remit of the Group was to consider current concerns about the possible health effects from the use of mobile phones, base stations and transmitters, to conduct a rigorous assessment of existing research and to give advice based on the present state of knowledge. The group was also asked to make recommendations on further work that should be carried out to improve the basis for sound advice.

�The group looked at recent research, took evidence from scientists, and listened to the views of the public at open meetings in the UK. Their report was published in May 2000.

�Their conclusion was that:

“The balance of evidence indicates that there is no general risk to health of people living near base stations, on the basis that exposures are expected to be small fractions of guidelines”

�Overall, the Stewart Group recommended a precautionary approach to the use of mobile phones and base stations until more research results become available. The Government is already putting the report’s recommendations into practice.

Want a copy of the Government’s response

Want a copy of the “Stewart” report

Return to Main Menu

The “Stewart” ReportThe “Stewart” ReportThe “Stewart” ReportThe “Stewart” Report�The Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones - also known as the Stewart Group because it was chaired by Sir William Stewart - was established at the request made by the Minister for Public Health Tessa Jowell in April 1999, to examine possible effects of mobile phones, base stations and transmitters on health.

�The remit of the Group was to consider current concerns about the possible health effects from the use of mobile phones, base stations and transmitters, to conduct a rigorous assessment of existing research and to give advice based on the present state of knowledge. The group was also asked to make recommendations on further work that should be carried out to improve the basis for sound advice.

�The group looked at recent research, took evidence from scientists, and listened to the views of the public at open meetings in the UK. Their report was published in May 2000.

�Their conclusion was that:

“The balance of evidence indicates that there is no general risk to health of people living near base stations, on the basis that exposures are expected to be small fractions of guidelines”

�Overall, the Stewart Group recommended a precautionary approach to the use of mobile phones and base stations until more research results become available. The Government is already putting the report’s recommendations into practice.

Want a copy of the Government’s response

Want a copy of the “Stewart” report

Return to Main Menu

The report can be found on the website for the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones at www.iegmp.org.uk/. Alternatively a copy can be

obtained directly from the Secretariat of the Expert Group. Their telephone number is 01235

822742, fax number 01235 822746, address IEGMP Secretariat, c/o Information Office,

National Radiological Protection Board, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon, OX11 0RQ.

The electromagnetic spectrum and electromagnetic radiationThe electromagnetic spectrum and electromagnetic radiation

The radio frequency (RF) signals used by mobile phone handsets and base stations generate electromagnetic fields (EMFs) which are part of the electromagnetic spectrum. EMFs contain electromagnetic energy (EME) which travels through air or space. People come into contact with EME on a daily basis – from TVs, computers, radios and domestic electronic equipment. The most common form of EME is light.

Diagram 1 below displays the electromagnetic spectrum.

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE ELECTROMAGNETICSPECTRUM AND ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION

Mobile phones are not radioactive and do not emit ionising radiation such as x-rays or gamma rays. Mobile phones are low power radio transmitters and there is no convincing scientific evidence that radio waves cause cancer.

The electromagnetic spectrum covers an enormous range of frequencies. RF is a form of non-ionising radiation. This means it is not capable of breaking chemical bonds in biological structures (such as humans) or removing electrons (ionisation). It is therefore very different from the ionising radiation produced by x-rays or nuclear energy.

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IONISING ANDNON-IONISING RADIATION

Mobile Phones and electromagnetic radiation

Mobile Phones and electromagnetic radiation

Ionising and Non-Ionising Radiation.

The parts of the electromagnetic spectrum are characterised by their frequency(or wavelength), and different electromagnetic frequencies producefundamentally different types of biological effects. We usually talk of ionisingradiation such as X-rays are due to the breakage of chemical bonds in thegenetic material of cells (the DNA). At lower frequencies, such as thosecharacteristic of visible light, radio-frequency radiation, and microwaves, theenergy of the photon is very much below that needed to abctromagneticsources as though they produce waves of energy. However, electromagneticenergy can also act like particles, particularly at high frequencies; and theenergy from these particles (photons) increases as the frequency increases.The particle nature of electromagnetic energy is important because the energyper particle (photon energy) is a major determinant of what biological effects aparticular frequency of electromagnetic energy will have.

At the very high frequencies characteristic of x-rays, electromagnetic particleshave sufficient energy to break chemical bonds. The breaking of bonds istermed ionisation, and this part of the electromagnetic spectrum is termedionising. The well known hazards corrupt chemical bonds, and this part of theelectromagnetic spectrum is termed non-ionising.

More about Ionising and Non-Ionising Radiation

More about Ionising and Non-Ionising Radiation

LINKS TO MORE INFO