Following the release of a second report within a month on mobile phone use and associated health risks, the CWU believe further and ongoing research is required in order to determine the true picture with regard to the health risks of regular mobile phone use, and especially concerning the risks of tumours developing amongst both short-term and long-term users of mobile phones.

Dave Joyce, the Union's National Health and Safety Officer wrote to branches (LTB806/07) detailing the study originally funded by the government and industry bodies commenting on the report and re-affirming the CWU position that further research is required; "The mobile industry accepts the need for ongoing research and the Union continues to support that position, monitoring research and keeping an open mind."

Following on from that a further report, based on a swedish study, has been released.

Following examination of the new report, Dave Joyce has advised Unionsafety that he has written to the MTHR Chairman, Professor Lawrie Challis asking for his comments and reaction to the "Hardell & Mild" Swedish Report and is awaiting a reply before publishing further information to Branches.

Commenting on the new Swedish study, Dave said, " This report which came to our attention after publication of the government funded Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR) programme report that concluded "mobile phones have not been found to be associated with any biological or adverse health effects" and the Essex University Report into base stations with similar conclusions."

Dave makes the important point: "However diverse the reports conclusions may appear, they do have similar conclusions in many respects, e.g. an indication of increased numbers of brain tumours among those exposed to long term mobile phone use secondly that more research is required."

He added, "The new Swedish study, headed by Professors Hardell and Mild (who also serves on the MTHR programme's management committee), pulled together the results of the 11 previous studies that have so far investigated the occurrence of tumours in people who have used phones for more than a decade, drawing on research in Sweden, Denmark Finland, Japan, Germany, the United States and Britain.

They found almost all had discovered an increased risk of malignant glioma brain cancers and acoustic neuroma tumours on the auditory nerve, which usually causes deafness. The scientists found that the results from present studies on use of mobile phones for more than 10 years give a consistent pattern of an increased risk for acoustic neuroma and glioma and that an increased risk for other types of brain tumours cannot be ruled out. However they stressed that brain cancers are rare and advised people to use mobile phone as little as possible and urged people to use hands-free equipment and make only short calls, reserving longer calls for land lines - this isn't new advise but underlies existing advice."

The National CWU position calls for further research and was outlined in LTBLTB806/07 " The mobile industry accepts the need for on-going research and the Union continues to support that position, monitoring research and keeping an open mind."

Source: CWU