• Mobile phones are not radioactive and do not emit ionising radiations such as x-rays or gamma rays. Mobile phones are low power radio transmitters and there is no convincing scientific evidence that radio waves cause cancer.

• We know that some of the energy in the radio waves emitted by mobile phones is absorbed in the head of the user. This is well established. The output power from a mobile phone is too low to cause adverse health effects due to heating.

• There is no convincing scientific evidence of a health risk to humans resulting from mobile phone use, and thus there would appear to be no demonstrable health benefit to be obtained by using devices to reduce exposure.

• The use of mobile phones next to the body is a new situation involving large numbers of people and there is a need for high quality research in this area.

• There are nearly 10 million users of mobile phones in the UK. Some people may develop brain cancer due to chance. Any relationship between the use of mobile phones and cancer could only be established through extensive epidemiological studies. Such studies are presently being planned.

NRPB Response Statement No. 9/98
25 November 1998

Last updated 3rd March 1999