Is Handset Radiation Bad? COSMOS Will Tell You in 30 Years

Is Handset Radiation Bad? COSMOS Will Tell You in 30 Years:



The Cohort Study on Mobile Communications, potentially the largest research effort to understand the effects of radiation from cellular phone use, is now underway in five European nations. COSMOS, as it’s called, hopes to enlist more than 250,000 volunteers over for up to 30 years in Britain, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark.

Although prior studies have examined the effects of radiation from handsets, none have tracked data for as long as the COSMOS study plans to. A 21-year effort studying radiation and cancer instances in Danish handset owners wrapped up in 2006 and found no ill effects, while short-term proactive studies have failed to find any from wireless phones either. Countries often limit the radiation levels of approved devices, however. Here in the U.S., the FCC allows for a specific absorption rate of 1.6 watts per kilogram. European nations follow the higher International Electrotechnical Commission guideline of 2 watts per kilogram.

By researching over a long period of time, COSMOS can help identify radiation risks as they manifest themselves, not after, such as with handset radiation studies in which cancer patients are asked about their cell phone usage. Success of the COSMOS study is highly dependent on a large number of volunteers, so its organizers are working directly with carriers to help solicit consumers.