Mobile phones may cause cancer

A United Nations agency has concluded that using a mobile phone may cause brain cancer.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is a panel of experts operating under the auspices of the United Nations. It has found that radiofrequency electromagnetic fields are possibly carcinogenic and have observed that users of mobile phones have an increased risk of a malignant type of brain cancer known as glioma.

IARC director Christopher Wild said: “It is important that additional research be conducted into the long-term, heavy use of mobile phones. Pending the availability of such information, it is important to take pragmatic measures to reduce exposure such as hands-free devices or texting.”

Globally, there are about 5 billion subscriptions to mobile phones, and workers operating remotely are particularly likely to be heavy users of potentially harmful wireless technology.