Mobile phone radiation assessment

ANU scientists will use a sensitive new testing procedure to determine whether mobile phone radiation causes harm too subtle to be detected by conventional techniques.

A joint University of Sydney/ANU team has been awarded over $300,000 by the National Health and Medical Research Council for the study, which follows on from work by Associate Professor Paul Mitchell of the University of Sydney and Dr Wayne Smith of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (NCEPH).

Dr Ian Morgan of the Research School of Biological Sciences (RSBS) said that, "Even after extensive research it is not conclusive that mobile phones cause any major damage other than traffic accidents".

"However, there has been little research into more minor effects on the human body".

Dr Morgan said that,despite popular perception, mobile phones did not generate a significant direct heat, so the RSBS scientists would be looking for other, non-thermal effects.

The scientists believe that a region of the brain involved in processing auio and visual signals - the angular gyrus - is a prime candidate for damage because it is close to where mobile phones are held against the head.

Item provided courtesy of ANU Reporter.