'No evidence of health risks from mobile phone usage'

There is no scientific evidence to prove that emissions from mobile phones cause health related problems, including changes in brain activity, reaction times, and sleep patterns, studies by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and a French government expert group have showed.

"Studies to date provide no indication that environmental exposure to RF (radiofrequency) fields, such as from base stations, increases the risk of cancer or any other disease," the WHO said in an advisory.

"Scientists have reported other health effects of using mobile phones, including changes in brain activity, reaction times, and sleep patterns. These effects are minor and have no apparent health significance," it said.

In another related development, the French government agency ANSES (Agence Nationale De Securite Sanitaire - French Organisation for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety) said: "Biological effects corresponding to generally reversible changes in the inner functioning of the body can thus be observed, as is also found in the case of exposure to different stimuli of everyday life."

"However, the Agency's experts were unable to establish any causal link between the biological effects described in cell models, animals or humans, and any possible resulting health effects," the French agency said.

"Given this evidence, proposing new exposure limits for the general population on health grounds does not seem justified," it said.

Reacting on the reports, director general of Cellular Operators Association of India Rajan S. Mathews said it was in line with the operator association's stand.

"It is heartening that the recent WHO advisory continues to validate the COAI's consistent stand that there is no empirical evidence to indicate exposure to electromagnetic fields causes higher risk of cancer and other diseases," Mathews said.

"WHO as well as the French advisory clearly upholds the safety of the emission levels of the mobile phone industry. It also clearly demarcates the difference in impacts of mobile phones and base stations," he said.