Headaches, difficulty in sleeping, or feelings of fatigue or lassitude? Nader Habib revisits the debate on the safety of mobile phones It seems that Egyptians cannot do without their mobile phones. They don't leave home without checking to see if they have them in their pockets or purses, and they crave the latest products the industry can provide. Some people even have more than one phone, while others have subscriptions to more than one company. But what about the health hazards we're told that mobile phones can cause? Is it true that they can cause cancer, reduce men's sperm count, induce fatigue, and even alter the composition of people's DNA? Many Western researchers have voiced their misgivings over the health implications of mobile phones, though thus far the companies that produce the devices have dismissed such claims. In a bid to find out more about the potential hazards of mobile phones, and the safety precautions that may need to be introduced, Al-Ahram recently organised a seminar to discuss the matter. As part of the event, the Al-Ahram Regional Press Institute invited representatives from Egypt's leading phone companies, together with environmental and health officials, to a gathering entitled "Mobile Networks: International Standards and Specifications". Phone companies Mobinil and Vodafone sent representatives to the event, and two top experts, Hisham Abdel-Rahman from the National Communications Authority (NCA), and Fatma Abu Shawk from the Environmental Affairs Authority, also came. During the meeting, Howeida Mustafa, an adviser to the Al-Ahram Press Institute, said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had set up an international project to investigate claims that electromagnetic radiation used by mobile phones could represent a human health hazard. WHO experts have conducted studies on the impacts of such radiation in an effort to determine the level of acceptable exposure, he said. "WHO findings are being released regularly to the public," Mustafa said, and "Egypt is complying with international regulations in this respect." For his part, Abdel-Rahman said that Egypt was eager to follow international standards on mobile phone transmission towers and base stations. Egyptian companies were following European regulations in both areas, he said, which were believed to be the safest worldwide. Abdel-Rahman also said that the NCA had instructed all mobile phone companies operating in Egypt to comply with international standards concerning the intensity of signals relayed by towers, and to avoid placing base stations near buildings such as hospitals, in order that mobile-phone signals do not interfere with medical and other equipment. Companies have also been instructed not to allow public access to the perimeters of mobile-phone towers, including the adjoining land and rooftops. Under these instructions, a non-metal fence has to be installed no fewer than six metres away from base towers. Mobile-phone transmission towers are not allowed within 20 metres of schools, in order to comply with WHO recommendations. However, Abdel-Rahman dismissed as groundless claims that transmission towers undermine the quality of water stored in rooftop tanks. In order to receive a licence for a tower, a phone company has to rent a rooftop or piece of land that suits its master plan for the area. It then has to file a request with the authorities to install a tower on the specified site, and this request can only be granted with the approval of the Environmental Affairs Agency. It is then up to the NCA to issue compliance certificates to the phone companies concerned regarding repeating stations and towers. According to Medhat El-Masiri, a professor of physics at Ain Shams University in Cairo, the WHO has been involved in the debate over the safety of mobile-phone transmissions for some time, and it has also been encouraging scientific research in the field. According to the evidence available, El-Masiri said, at the moment there is no evidence to suggest that exposure to electromagnetic waves from transmission towers or mobile phones can cause cancer or other health problems. Tests performed on animals also suggest that electromagnetic radiation at the levels caused by current mobile phone technology is safe to humans. Mobile phone technology was first introduced as far back as the 1970s, when the first communications network using electromagnetic radiation transmitted from various locations was invented. The first mobile telephone weighed some 5kg. Over the next two decades, the technical performance of the transmission towers rapidly improved, and the number of mobile phones in use increased exponentially as a result. In 1996, there were 104 brands of consumer mobile phones available, and the rate of production worldwide was some 50 sets per second. According to El-Masiri, people under the age of 30 are the most enthusiastic users of mobile phones and text-messaging services. The number of mobile phones now discarded in the US annually has reached some 155,000, he said. Yet, although there are no proven health hazards associated with mobile phone use, it is still best to use the technology with caution. "There are certain symptoms associated with the use of mobile phones, including sensitivity to electricity, which can reveal itself through headaches, loss of balance and difficulty in sleeping," El-Masiri said. Skin allergies caused by contact between the metal of the phones and human skin has also been reported in rare cases. Hearing can be affected by the excessive use of bluetooth headsets. Traffic accidents linked to drivers talking on mobile phones have also been on the rise. Children are at particular risk from the excessive use of electromagnetic- radiation-based technology. To reduce children's dependence on such technology, companies in the US have produced phones that only receive calls from parents and have no integrated games or cameras. Scientists have also developed equipment to detect heightened electromagnetic radiation in assembly areas, such as theatres and workplaces. According to Amani Salah of the Environmental Affairs Agency, also speaking at the Al-Ahram meeting, the Egyptian Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs and the Ministry of Communications have signed agreements with the mobile phone companies aimed at protecting the public from any health hazards linked to the technology. According to the agreements, phone companies operating in Egypt must comply with internationally accepted regulations for base stations and transmission towers, and the public can therefore rest assured that its health is not at risk.
