HHS Launches New Study on Cellphone Radiation Health Effects

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has initiated a new study to examine the health effects of cellphone radiation, while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has removed certain webpages that previously stated cellphones are not dangerous.

According to an HHS spokesperson, the FDA took down these webpages as the new research effort begins. The study was directed by recommendations from the president’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission strategy report, as stated by HHS.

Although the FDA removed some content, other FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) webpages continue to indicate that current scientific evidence does not show clear harm from cellphone radiation. The CDC has also stated that there is no scientific proof providing a definite answer about whether cellphone use causes cancer, and that additional research is necessary.

The National Cancer Institute has reported that available evidence suggests cellphone use does not cause brain or other types of cancer in humans. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), however, has classified radiofrequency radiation as a possible human carcinogen.

What the numbers show

• The National Toxicology Program (NTP) completed animal studies in 2018
• NTP studies found clear evidence of heart tumors in male rats exposed to high radiofrequency radiation
• The NTP research focused on 2G and 3G cellphone technologies

The National Toxicology Program (NTP), which is part of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), conducted animal studies that found clear evidence of heart tumors and some evidence of brain tumors in male rats exposed to high levels of radiofrequency radiation. These studies, completed in 2018, remain the most comprehensive animal assessments of health effects from radiofrequency radiation used in older cellphone technologies.

Some government agencies maintain that the evidence regarding potential health risks from cellphone radiation remains inconclusive. The CDC and FDA continue to publish information stating that more research is needed to determine any possible health effects.

The new study by HHS is intended to further investigate the possible health impacts of cellphone radiation, following the direction set by the MAHA Commission’s strategy report. The removal of previous FDA safety messaging coincides with the start of this research initiative.

Industry reaction

The Environmental Health Trust (EHT) welcomed the HHS decision to begin a new study on cellphone radiation and supported the FDA’s removal of webpages that had stated cellphones are not dangerous.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.