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Health Concerns With Mobile Technology

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a number of health concerns have been raised linking mobile technology to certain types of tumors and cancers. The majority of these concerns center around the radio frequency (RF) energy released by mobile devices.

  1. Mobile Technology

    • The use of mobile technology is described by the National Cancer Institute as beginning in Europe during the 1980s with the use of cell phones. In the U.S., cell phone use became widespread during the 1990s. Cell phone use rose in the U.S. from 110 million registered cell phone users in 2000 to 285 million registered cell phone users in 2009. Mobile technology has developed from the 1980s through to 2010 to include laptop computers, palmtop computers and mobile and smart phones, according to the U.K. government’s Business Link agency.

    RF Energy

    • The National Cancer Institute reports the majority of health concerns surrounding mobile technology is focused on the emission of RF energy or radio waves. RF energy can be divided into two types--ionizing and non-ionizing energy. The National Cancer Institute explains that RF energy is linked to the heating of human tissue and an increase in body temperature. Ionizing RF energy has been linked to changes in biological tissues, including DNA, causing health problems in the human body, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

    Non-Ionizing

    • Non-ionizing RF energy is released by cell phones, which is at a level too low to cause serious heating or altering of human tissues. The National Cancer Institute reports non-ionizing RF energy is released from the antenna used in mobile devices to connect to wireless networks. Health concerns revolve around the closeness of the antenna to the human body; for example, the antenna housed within the body of modern cell phones is usually held next to the head.

    Health Issues

    • A number of direct and indirect health issues are linked to mobile technology. According to the WHO, the indirect health issues that arise from the use of mobile technology include distractions causing car accidents and interference with medical equipment in hospitals. Health conditions reported by the WHO include brain tumors, salivary gland tumors, leukemia and lymphoma.

    Research

    • As the history of mobile technology is fairly young, a number of research studies have taken place with varying results regarding the link between technology and health issues. The WHO reports studies have looked at the effects of mobile technology on cell cultures, laboratory animals and humans. As of 2010, the National Cancer Institute reported that no consistent link could be found between mobile technology and an increased risk of health conditions, such as the two most common types of brain tumor.

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