Cell sites and cancer: Is there a connection?
For my column today, I would like to give way to an important article written and researched by Dr. Meredith Garcia from UP-PGH. Lately, many village residents have expressed concern over the spread of cell sites near their homes. Can these cell sites cause cancer?
The widespread use of cellular phones has led to an increase in the number of cellular phone towers or cell sites being built in and around communities. Because of their antennas’ use of radiofrequency (RF) waves to facilitate wireless communications, there has been some concern regarding the cancer-causing potential of this RF energy.
The antennas of cell sites are usually placed at 50 to 200 feet above the ground to widen their network coverage. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), cell sites make use of RF waves, a type of non-ionizing radiation that is unlikely to cause cancer through damaging DNA or genetic material.
In fact, the amount of energy that these waves carry is even much lower than that of X-rays or ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun.
RF waves used by mobile phone technologies are much more like the RF waves emitted by radios or TV sets, and carry an amount of energy that is much lower than the levels that can cause heating up of body tissues.
Also, the height of cell sites produces a decreasing level of energy as the RF waves travel toward the ground, such that it is even 1,000 times lower than the safe range of RF waves (three kilohertz to 300 gigahertz) when it reaches the ground. However, there is no universally established minimum safe distance for practical purposes as each individual situation requires several mathematical computations involving physics.
According to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), RF energy exposures higher than the safe levels (500 watts per channel or 580 microwatts per square centimeter) are only likely to be encountered very close to and directly in front of cell site antennas. People living or working within the cell site are not at risk.
On one hand, studies linking the use of mobile phones to the development of cancer have failed to show a definite association based on the largest epidemiologic studies (i.e., Interphone study, Danish cohort study, Million Women study) and several smaller studies. However, due to some limitations of such observational studies, the US FDA still recommends limiting mobile phone exposure.
Considering that the exposure to RF waves from a cell site is approximately 100 times lower than that from actual mobile phone use, it is even less likely that cell sites can cause cancer.
According to the experts, the current scientific evidence is insufficient to conclude that proximity to cell sites can cause cancer. Existing reviews done by Moulder (2005) and Repacholi (2012) have failed to gather enough evidence from previous studies that people exposed to cell sites have an increased risk of cancer.
Currently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and several other cancer organizations do not consider cell site exposure to be carcinogenic. Furthermore, safety standards are being imposed by governments and regulatory agencies on mobile service providers to protect the welfare of citizens living near cell sites.
In summary, there is currently no evidence that cell sites can cause cancer.
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(References: American Cancer Society: “Cellular Phone Towers”; American Cancer Society: “Cellular Phones”; Cancer Research UK: “Mobile Phones, Wifi and Power Lines”; Health Canada Safety Code 6: “Limits of Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Energy in the Frequency Range from 3 kHz to 300 GHz”; Moulder JE et al. mobile phones, mobile phone base stations and cancer: a review; International Journal of Radiation Biology. 2005; 81(3):189-203; Radiological Council of Western Australia: “FAQ–Non Ionising (Radiofrequency) Radiation (Including Radiation from Mobile Phone Towers, Mobile Phones, TV Masts, etc.)”; Repacholi MH et al. Systematic Review of Wireless Phone Use and Brain Cancer and Other Head Tumors; Bioelectromagnetics 2012; 33:187-206; US Federal Communications Commission (FCC): “Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Fields: Guidelines For Cellular and PCS Sites”; World Health Organization (WHO) Fact Sheet 193: “Electromagnetic Fields and Public Health: Mobile Phones and their Base Stations.”)
