Independent research

Independent research

Based on wide-ranging scientific studies, there is no convincing evidence of a health risk from using mobile phones or from mobile phone antennas. But mobile telephony is subject to rigorous ongoing research.

Reviews from expert panels such as the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (the Stewart Report, May 2000) and the Report by the Board of NRPB (January 2005) continue to call for further independent research into areas of uncertainty. We help to fund and support new and relevant research that meets the following criteria:

• Independent of industry
• Subject to peer review
• Good quality
• Expertly conducted
• Published in reputable journals.

Since the Stewart Report 2000, we have supported:

• The £7.4 million Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR) programme, equally funded by the UK Government and the mobile industry over a seven-year period.
  
• The next phase of the MTHR programme, reconfirming our commitment to  pledge £500,000 over the next five years.
  
• An approximately £10.0 million Home Office study into Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA), the technology used by Airwave, the secure network for emergency services. 
  
• The German government and joint industry research project (German Mobile Telecommunication Research Programme), by contributing approximately €1.9 million between 2002 and 2005. 
  
• The Research Association of Radio Application (www.fgf.de), through O2 Germany, contributing around €130,000 annually.
  
• A World Health Organization International EMF project to set priorities and establish a research database.
  
• The Oxford Radcliffe Hospital’s research into the speed of recovery following emergency calls on either a mobile or fixed line. This research will explore the role of telecommunications in health care. We part-funded the work alongside the GSM Association and other operators.

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Research results

The first wave of MTHR research, involving 29 independent projects, is nearly complete and we expect a report to be published during May 2007.

The German research programme includes 51 independent projects. The results of 20 of these have been published and most others will end during 2007 and 2008.

In 2006 several countries published results of studies carried out under the INTERPHONE Study - International Case-Controlled Studies of Cancer in Relation to Mobile Telephone Use. The INTERPHONE studies examine data on phone use and cancer rates in large populations. It is a multi-country study into the origin and spread of head and neck tumours, independently coordinated by the International Agency for Research into Cancer (IARC – part of the World Health Organization).

Individual countries that have reported to date have concluded ‘no increased risk’ of glioma and meningioma tumours for regular phone users with less than ten years’ use. They recommended more research into longer-term use. The studies also found no substantial risk of acoustic neuroma in the first decade of use, but the possibility of some effect after longer periods, remains open.

We expect a pooled report from all 13 countries involved in INTERPHONE in 2007 or 2008. Results will be collated by IARC to assess whether radio frequency exposure from mobile telephones is associated with cancer risk. Publication of this assessment is not expected before mid-2008.

In 2006 pooled research under INTERPHONE from Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and the UK concluded ‘although….results overall do not indicate an increased risk of glioma in relation to mobile phone use, the possible risk in the most heavily exposed part of the brain with long-term use needs to be explored further before firm conclusions can be drawn.’

The Irish Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources established a government expert group to review all relevant health research and advise on the potential health effects of electro-magnetic fields. The group included representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Dutch Health Council and the Irish Government, and was chaired by Dr Michael Repacholi, former co-ordinator for the Radiation and Environmental Health unit of WHO.

The research resulted in the strongest statement yet on the relationship between mobile technology and ill health. The Expert Group concluded that: ‘So far no adverse short or long-term health effects have been found from exposure to the radiofrequency (RF) signals produced by mobile phones and base station transmitters. RF signals have not been found to cause cancer.’

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Future research commitments

We support calls for epidemiological (disease) studies to assess whether there is a long-term health risk from the use of mobile phones.

A ‘cohort’ study across Europe has been proposed as part of a second phase of the MTHR programme. This is expected to involve 250,000 people in four European countries – including the UK, Finland, Sweden and Denmark – and to use ‘actual’ phone usage data and billing reports to track mobile phone use over time against the health of people who have agreed to participate.

O2 UK is committed to help fund the second phase of the UK MTHR programme with other UK mobile operators. During the year we budgeted to cover our commitment under phase one and the first instalment of phase-two funding, which will eventually total £500,000. 

However, after a freeze by the UK Government on Department of Health project funding (now lifted), we await a contractual completion for this next phase.

In 2006 O2 Germany supported a selected study with technical advice and information about our network coverage and roll-out. Die Schlafstudie (The Sleep Study) is an investigation of sleep quality for people living near mobile base stations by Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin. The research involves a selection of experimental locations and the recruitment of volunteers, and is due to complete in  2007.

O2 also remains committed to the Forschungsgemeinschaft in Germany.

New European Commission consultation

The European Commission’s Scientific Committee for Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) published an update on previous opinion in December 2006. Its evidence concluded that mobile phone use of less than 10 years does not pose any increased risk of brain tumour or acoustic neuroma. This also acknowledged that, for longer use, the data is sparse and further research is required.

This was the first time the European Commission has held a public consultation on mobile phones and health. Telefónica O2 Europe, through the GSM Association, was one of some 400 respondents. SCENIHR will publish its final report in 2007.

 

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