Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A major trial backed by the US government has found a link between mobile phones and cancer.

The peer-reviewed study found rats exposed to the type of radio waves emitted by mobile phones were more likely to develop tumours in their brains and hearts.

British scientists stressed that extensive research on humans has found no evidence mobile phones pose health risks – and said the new research is not strong enough to raise concerns.

The study found that rats exposed to the type of radio waves emitted by mobile phones were more likely to develop tumours in their brains and hearts

But the authors of the study, led by the US National Toxicology Program, said, “Given the widespread global usage of mobile communications among users of all ages, even a very small increase in the incidence of disease resulting from exposure to radiofrequency radiation could have broad implications for public health.”

The £17million trial involved exposing 2,500 rats to radio waves for nine hours a day, every day for two years.

The researchers found ‘low incidences’ of tumours in rats exposed to the radiation.

Ron Melnick, a former National Toxicology Program researcher who worked on early stages of the study before his retirement, told the Wall Street Journal, “Where people were saying there’s no risk, I think this ends that kind of statement.”

But Professor Kevin McConway, an expert in applied statistics at The Open University, said, “It’s good that the US National Toxicology Program is researching these issues.”

Other scientists stressed extensive research on humans has found no evidence mobile phones pose health risks. “But these partial findings don’t cause me any real concern about health risks from mobile phone use.