Human health fact sheet

Dangerous elements within a mobile phone:

Mercury

Lead

Cadmium

Brominated flame retardants

Bromine

Zinc

Brain:

Serious Bromine poisoning can lead to systematic poisoning such as brain or

kidney damage due to low blood pressure.

Breathing Bromine in can cause direct damage to the central nervous system

Research shows that thyroid hormone development is key for the brain in the

early stages of life. Brominated Flame Retardants can disrupt that leading to

hyperactivity, learning and memory issues

Lead has been linked with brain damage by a senior author of the journal of

Environmental Health perspectives

Research shows that lead exposure in children has been linked to learning

disabilities, antisocial behaviour and growth and hearing problems. Memory

and concentration issues are common in adults too

Headaches and dizziness are common symptoms of lead exposure

Long term exposure to Mercury can cause memory problems, seizures and

can even lead to death

Skin:

Mercury poisoning can cause pinkness of the cheeks, fingertips and toes

Skin may become itchy, painful, swollen or some may experience burning

sensations if exposed to Mercury

Heart:

Mercury poising can cause tachycardia – where a person’s heart will beater

much faster than usual

Mercury poisoning has been linked to hypertension – extremely high blood

pressure

Eyes:

Exposure to Mercury over a long period of time can lead to blindness or

double vision.

Lungs:

Some forms of Bromine are known to cause cancer in organs such as the

lungs, kidneys and liver

Acute exposure to Bromine can cause trouble breathing and dizziness, this

can lead to long term lung problems

Cadmium is a known human Carcinogen and exposure to the toxin can

increase the risk of death from lung cancer

Acute exposure to Cadmium can result in inflammation of the lungs, chest

pain and it can lead to respiratory tract – this can be fatal

Lead is a suspected carcinogen – some researchers believe it is connected to

cancer in various organs

Limbs and bones:

Long term exposure to Mercury can affect a person’s ability to walk and can

cause uncontrollable tremors

Lead poisoning in adults can result in pain in the muscles and joints

Cadmium has been connected to the weakening and softening of bones,

resulting in joint pain and an increased risk of fracturing.

Stomach:

Those who have been exposed to Lead may experience some digestion

problems

Acute symptoms of Lead poising can include vomiting, nausea and abdominal

pain

Reproductive organs:

Studies show that people who have worked with Lead have a much higher

rate of miscarriage.

Long-term exposure to Lead can result in abnormal sperm cells or a lower

sperm count

Prostate:

Early studies linked Cadmium to increased risk of death from prostate cancer,

but later studies failed to confirm this. It was decided that there was ‘limited

evidence’ that the toxin is linked to prostate and kidney cancer.

Kidneys:

Cadmium stops the kidneys from being able to remove acids from the blood –

this damage is permanent. High acidity in the blood can lead to conditions

such as arthritis and gout.

Research shows that Cadmium can reduce the size of kidneys by thirty per

cent.

Chlorine containing Brominated Flame Retardants are thought to be

carcinogens which affect the liver and kidneys

Genes:

There is solid research which shows Cadmium components can cause gene

mutations, DNA breaks and cell transformation.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_poisoning

http://www.lead.org.au/lanv3n3/lanv3n3-12.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071120111526.htm

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/metal.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_poisoning#Acute_poisoning

http://www.naturalhealth365.com/dangerous_chemicals/cell-phone.html

http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/twelfth/profiles/Cadmium.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadmium_poisoning#Clinical_effects

http://www.extremetech.com/electronics/137313-report-measures-toxicit-chemical-

levels-in-phones http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2213366/Chemical-

breakdown-What-really-goes-new-iPhone.html