Subject: [NEXTEL-1] 3G Signals Make You Sick, But Smarter

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 02 Oct 2003 08:13:46 -0400

3G Signals Make You Sick, But Smarter
Contributed by mmasnick on Tues, Sept 30 2003

As the wireless industry is trying to convince people to upgrade to 3G systems,
the last thing they need is the widespread belief that the new phones lead to more
health problems. Having finally gotten past the point where most people believe
mobile phones cause cancer, a new report is coming out saying that 3G cellular
signals are causing headaches and nausea. Of course, they're saying that the
effect comes from the base station, and not the phone itself - which would suggest
that there should be a hell of a lot more headaches and nausea over vast patches
of territory where 3G is currently in place. The article also doesn't say whether
or not distance from the base station made a difference. At the same time, the
report isn't all bad, since it also claims that those in range of the 3G base
station found themselves to have better memory and faster response times. So, it
makes you sick, but makes you smarter? Tradeoffs... tradeoffs. With such odd
findings, I would imagine that many more tests need to be done, which are likely
to show that the results of this test mean absolutely nothing. Still, from a PR
standpoint, the various wireless carriers probably want to be prepared to respond
to questions and complaints (and probably lawsuits) from those who will suddenly
start blaming their headaches and nausea on the local 3G tower.

===================================================================================

3G Mobile Signals Can Cause Nausea, Headache
-Study
Tue Sep 30, 4:02 PM ET

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Radio signals for the next
generation of mobile phone services can cause headaches
and nausea, according to a study conducted by three Dutch ministries.
The study, the first of its kind, compared the
impact of radiation from base stations used
for the current mobile telephone network
with that of base stations for new third
generation (3G) networks for fast data
transfer, which will enable services such as
video conferencing on a mobile device.

A base station, which usually covers a "cell"
area of several square kilometers (miles),
transmits signals to mobile phones with an
electromagnetic field.

"If the test group was exposed to third generation base station signals there was
a significant impact ... They felt tingling sensations, got headaches and felt
nauseous," a spokeswoman for the Dutch Economics Ministry said.
There was no negative impact from signals for current mobile networks.

However, cognitive functions such as memory and response times were boosted by
both 3G signals and the current signals, the study found. It said people became
more alert when they were exposed to both.

Government ministers responsible for Economic Affairs, Health and
Telecommunications said follow-up research was needed to confirm the findings as
well as to look at any longer-term health effects and biological causes.

They will also discuss the study with the European Commission (news - web sites),
the spokeswoman said.
The double-blind laboratory tests -- meaning no one in the survey knew if a
3G-like base station was actually transmitting signals -- exposed test subjects to
expected levels of average radiation for 3G networks when they become commercial.
The GSM Association, a global organization of mobile telecommunications operators,
said it was studying the report and could not comment.

The study, conducted by the Dutch technological research institute TNO, was the
first to look for an impact of mobile telephones on well-being. It was also the
first study to find a statistically significant negative impact from 3G base
stations.
Previous research on a negative health impact of mobile phones, mostly
second-generation, has been inconclusive.
Existing research gives no scientific evidence that second-generation phones cause
brain tumors, while a long-term study by the International Agency on Research on
Cancer is not expected to yield results before 2004.

Previous research did find an impact on cognitive functions, which was also found
in the Dutch survey. But TNO noted that earlier studies always measured the impact
of cellphones held close to the head, causing high fields of radiation close to
the ear and warming of the brain.

TNO's study used lower a dose of radiation to mimic base station signals rather
than handsets.
Handsets emit stronger radiation when they are used, while base
stations transmit more constant levels of radio signals, exposing
everyone within range.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=571&ncid=751&e=2&u=/nm/20030930/hl_nm/health_mobile_damage_dc

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