The National Toxicology Program released preliminary findings on May 27, 2016 of its $25 million study that involved over 2500 rodents. http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/05/26/055699
Some key points about why this study is being labeled a landmark study:
- These are the largest, most complex studies ever conducted by the NTP.
- For the studies, rats and mice were exposed to frequencies and modulations currently used in cellular communications in the United States. The rodents were exposed for 10-minute on, 10-minute off increments, totaling just over 9 hours a day from before birth through 2 years of age.
- Dr. Ronald Melnick, PhD, former lead scientist on the NTP study of RFR; Retired Senior Scientist with NTP/NIEHS states “Based on this new information, regulatory agencies should make strong recommendations for consumers to take precautionary measures and avoid close contact with their cell phones, and especially avoid use of cell phones by children. Also, cell phone companies need to provide newer devices with much reduced emissions.”
- Dr. Melnick continues “This study should put an end to those who doubt the capacity of non-thermal levels of wireless radiation to cause biological effects including cancer. The study results clearly show that cell phone radiation can cause adverse health effects. The counter argument has no validity.” http://ehtrust.org/cell-phone-radiofrequency-radiation-study/
NTP found incidences of tumors in the brains and hearts of male rats, but not in female rats.
- It is not uncommon for gender differences to occur in environmental exposure studies by the NTP.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22585941
- Some of the rats had glioma—a tumor of the glial cells in the brain—or schwannoma of the heart. Both types of cancer are relatively rare, but are usually lethal.
- The complete results from all the rat and mice studies will be available for peer review and public comment by the end of 2017.
http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/results/areas/cellphones/index.html
Dr. Devra Davis, invited expert for the HESA 2015 Report on Safety Code 6, states “This research shows serious adverse effects without heating tissue. The study was carefully designed to ensure that the body temperature of the exposed rats increased less than 1ºC. Therefore, it substantiates the scientific understanding that heating is NOT the only mechanism by which this radiation could harm health.” http://ehtrust.org/cell-phone-radiofrequency-radiation-study/
In a Scientific American article, Dr. Christopher Portier, a retired head of the NTP who helped launch the study and still sometimes works for the federal government as a consultant scientist, states “Based on these findings, this is not just an associated finding—but that the relationship between radiation exposure and cancer is clear. “I would call it a causative study, absolutely. They controlled everything in the study. It’s [the cancer] because of the exposure.”” http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/major-cell-phone-radiation-study-reignites-cancer-questions/
A Consumer Reports article discusses why this study is so important. It not only supports other studies from Sweden and France that showed a link between cell phone use and cancer in humans, it was specifically designed to simulate the exposures of cell phone users, and all of the important parameters were tightly controlled and carefully monitored. The study involved more than 2,500 rodents, exposed to the same type of radiation found in cell phones, at the same frequencies, for nine hours every day, for two years. http://www.consumerreports.org/cell-phones/government-to-announce-results-of-study-on-cell-phones-and-cancer-today/
As in many major scientific studies, there are opinions and counter opinions about its relevance. An analysis, prepared by Joel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D., Director, Center for Family & Community Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley responds to arguments intended to dismiss this important research. Dr. Moslowitz’s analysis can be found here. http://www.saferemr.com/2016/05/national-toxicology-progam-finds-cell.html