The Environmental Health Trust Calls on the FCC to Update Outdated 17-Year-Old Standards for Cell Phones

Teton Village, WY -- (SBWire) -- 11/26/2013 --The Environmental Health Trust (EHT) calls for stronger radiation protection from cell phones that are consistent with the American Academy of Pediatrics in a document delivered to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The document, Erroneous Comments Submitted to the FCC on Proposed Cellphone Radiation Standards and Testing is in response to the Federal Communications Commission's request for input regarding its radiofrequency radiation regulations adopted in 1996, individuals and organizations including the Environmental Health Trust, submitted thousands of documents, testimonials, research papers and scientific publications that are now available to the media and to the public. It is now available for viewing and download on the EHT site. EHT is calling for the public to pay close attention to the both the executive summary and the conclusion.

The group cite numerous errors in the executive summary that were made by the CTIA – The Wireless Association is an industry trade group that represents the international wireless telecommunications industry. They include:

- Children’s Exposure: Contrary to CTIA’s assertions that the current standard adequately protects children, pregnant women and other vulnerable groups, the exposure limits recommended in the past three decades have consistently singled out children’s exposure as requiring special consideration and attention.

- “Harmonization”: The CTIA states the need to increase exposure under the rubric of international “harmonization” of the standard which would result in as much as a 3-fold increase in the maximum allowed absorption of microwave radiation.

- Fifty-Fold Safety Factor: The CTIA assertion that the current standard relies on a fifty-fold safety factor is incorrect. It is only 2.5 times higher than a potential irreversible effect

- Certification Process: The CTIA’s assertion that there is only one FCC approved cellphone certification process is not true. There are two FCC approved processes: Computer Simulation and SAM . Computer Simulation is far superior to SAM. Tragically the computer simulation process has never been used to certify that wireless devices meet the exposure limits although the FDA helped to develop it and currently relies on it to evaluate and approve medical devices.

- Conflicts-Of-Interests: Documents that many of the organizations and individuals cited as authorities by the CTIA have direct ties to the telecommunications industry and are often funded by the industry.

- Brain Cancer Rates: We counter the CTIA assertion that brain cancer incidence rates are stable when in fact brain cancer incidence increased in 4 countries, and for 3 of these 4 countries glioblastoma has doubled, in the last decade or less.

-Exposure: Shows how “normal operation positions” of wireless devices can result in exposures of more than 2 orders of magnitude higher than the exposure limits and bone marrow in children’s skulls absorb 10-fold greater radiation than adult’s marrow.

- Adverse Health Effects: The CTIA selectively reviews the science, more often than not, incorrectly, while myriad studies published after the adoption of the current FCC exposure limits which show adverse health effects, particularly cancers contradicting CTIA’s assertions.

“The document exposes the truth about the severe health hazards of wireless devices use and the nefarious efforts of the industry to deny their existence,” says EHT’s Senior Science Fellow, Lloyd Morgan. “The exclusively used cellphone certification process should be immediately discarded in favor of the FCC approved, computer simulation process into order to protect children, fetuses, and pregnant women.”

According to EHT’s founder, Dr. Devra Davis, “When the FCC last issued cell phone standards gasoline cost a $1.25 a gallon and less than one in 10 American adults had a cell phone. The agency is out of step and out of touch with the latest science according to experts in Israel, France, India, Finland, and Australia. Children are not little adults and their brains and skulls can absorb twice as much radiation as adults.”

In the conclusions the authors urge the FCC to address the possible conflict of interest that exist in the CTIA and the FCC. According to the Morgan, “Thomas Wheeler, the new Chairman of the FCC, should recuse himself from all decisions regarding changes to the existing wireless device exposure regulations. He should recuse himself because he was the first President of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association and has been a lobbyist for the industry.

Although fifteen countries have issued precautionary health warnings about cell phone radiation and recommendations on how to reduce risks, the wireless industry in the U.S. has opposed precautionary warnings and wants to weaken radiation standards instead of strengthen them according to the testimonials from the various experts.

In all, there were 904 submissions to the FCC between June 24, 2012 and November 18, 2013 when the submission period ended.

For more tips and information, please visit http://www.ehtrust.org.

About Environmental Health Trust
Environmental Health Trust(EHT) educates individuals, health professionals and communities about controllable environmental health risks and policy changes needed to reduce those risks. A recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore and his team in 2007, EHT President and Founder, Dr. Devra Davis has authored a number of popular books, including WHEN SMOKE RAN LIKE WATER, a National Book Award Finalist, THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE WAR ON CANCER, and DISCONNECT: The Truth About Cell Phone Radiation, What The Industry Is Doing To Hide It, And How To Protect Your Family, which was awarded the Nautilus silver medal award for investigative reporting. The foundation’s website is the go-to place for clear, science-based information to prevent environmentally based disease and promote health, and will have portals for the general public, children, and health professionals. For more information or to get involved in the numerous special projects spearheaded by EHT, please visit http://www.ehtrust.org and find EHT on Facebook