Mast Sanity does not campaign against the use of mobile phones for the general adult population.

We do campaign against the use by Children and believe the Government should shout louder their official warning to parents that they should not allow their children to use any mobile phone accept in extreme emergency (YES THAT’S REALLY WHAT THEY SAY - but very quietly!)

We believe there is a huge lack of information for mobile phone users and also a huge publicity campaign to try and make users believe that there is no real evidence of negative health effects.

This page is dedicated to the provision of information for mobile phone users and for people who want to educate children in the negative effects of phones.

Its up to the individual whether they take the risk and how big the risk they wish to take is, however there is a clear lack of information of WHAT risk is there

Research.. many Users don't realise that very little research that mast campaigners depend on is specifically for masts.. Most concentrate on the phones and find problems.  Our ADDITIONAL issue is people in the vicinity of masts get it 24/7.

The following information is from an associated group who campaign against mobile phone use by children (download here in PDF Format ):-

Mobile Phones

Mobile phones have been steadily growing in popularity over the last few years and are now used by millions of people throughout the UK.

They are taken for granted as an everyday item and barely even considered beyond that.

What's Wrong With Mobile Phones?

Brain tumours, throat cancers and the early onset of dementia - similar to Alzheimer's disease - have been linked to mobile phone use - particularly in the long-term. This is the conclusion of multiple studies from around the world.

It isn't just brain tumours! People who use their mobile phones a lot often report some or all of the following symptoms, which can be brief, or which may last for some considerable time after the user has finished their call: burning skin, warmth in the head, warmth in the ear, tingling or lightness, fatigue, migraines, headaches, dizziness, concentration problems, forgetfulness and memory loss.

Some research has lead scientists to believe that the natural electrical activity in a child's brain may be affected, leading to psychiatric and behaviour problems, especially increased aggression, a poor attention span, impaired memory and learning.

The UK department of health's leaflet strongly recommends that children under 16 should use mobile phones in emergency situations only and should keep their call short. Sir William Stewart, who wrote the Government report on the safety of mobile phones, went on record to say that he would   not let his grandchildren use a mobile phone.

The parts of the body which are most vulnerable to microwave radiation are the brain, the eyes, the breasts and testicles. Other parts of the body which are sensitive are internal soft tissue organs such kidneys, liver, ovaries, etc. Your phone should be kept away from these parts of the body. In children, whose bodies are still developing, this advice is even more important - perhaps vital.

When your phone is on standby, it communicates (at full power) with the nearest base station (mast) regularly to ensure it has the best signal possible. I.e. it sends a short automatic message to the mast every now and again, transmitting microwave radiation for each of these messages - this is the case  all the time that your phone is on, even in stand by mode. This could be once every 30 minutes if you are stationary in a good signal area. If you are in a poor signal area, it may transmit as often as every 30 seconds as it attempts to get a better signal. If you are on the move, it will transmit frequently. This means that even when you are not using your mobile phone, as long as it is not actually switched off, you will still be receiving a regular dose of dangerous microwave radiation - for some, very frequently.

In 2008, Dr V G Khurana, an Australian brain surgeon, published research findings saying "It is anticipated that this danger has far broader public health ramifications than asbestos and smoking, and directly concerns all of us, particularly the younger generation, including very young children," and that "there is currently enough evidence...available to warrant Industry and Governments alike taking immediate steps to reduce exposure [to microwaves]...and to make consumers clearly aware of potential dangers and how to use this technology sensibly and safely."

Professor Kjell Mild, a Swedish biophysicist, who has produced a number of many leading mobile-phone health effects papers, now states: "The evidence for a connection between phone use and cancer is clear and convincing. The more you use [mobile or cordless] phones and the greater the number of years you have them, the greater the risk of brain tumours."

In late 2007 an international group of 14 scientists, researchers and public health policy professionals released a report - The BioInitiative Report - concerning microwave exposure and concluded that "The body of evidence at hand suggests that bio-effects and health impacts can and do occur at exquisitely low exposure levels: levels that can be thousands of times below public safety limits". Additionally the report concluded that it is the information carried by electromagnetic radiation (i.e. the microwaves rather than heat) that causes biological changes. This echoed the findings of the earlier Ecolog Report a counterpart of the better-known Stewart Report. In 2007 in Australia the Democrat Party, the 3^rd largest political party there, commissioned its own report which backed up the findings of the BioInitiative Report, as outlined above.

Europe's top environmental watchdog, the EEA, is similarly concerned - calling for immediate action to reduce exposure to radiation from Wi-Fi, mobile phones and their masts. It suggests that delay could lead to a health crisis similar to those caused by asbestos, smoking and lead in petrol.

Professor Jacqueline McGlade, the EEA's executive director, said: "Recent research and reviews on the long-term effects of radiations from mobile telecommunications suggest that it would be prudent for health authorities to recommend actions to reduce exposures, especially to vulnerable groups, such as children."

Ending in 2004 the EU backed REFLEX study (12 research teams in 7 countries) researched the effects of electromagnetic fields on human cells in vitro. This study also found evidence for single and double DNA strand breaks and other cell damage from microwave emissions which could lead to cancer.

Hardell, Carlberg and Mild in 2005 found that adults who started use of mobile or cordless phones before the age of 20 showed a 5 times increased risk of brain tumours compared with those who started later.

A Spanish study, by Dr Michael Klieeisen from the Neuro Diagnostic Research Institute in Spain used  an 11 year old and a 13 year old to test the effects of mobile phone use and found that a single call lasting just two minutes, can alter the natural electrical activity of a child's brain for up to an hour afterwards.

Some Scientists have also found that levels of nitric oxide and calcium ions in the body are upset by microwaves. Too much nitric oxide can lead to Multiple Sclerosis, diabetes and cancer, whilst too little can cause high blood pressure and damage your arteries.

Calcium ions are used by cells to communicate. If they leak out of cells they stimulate cancer cell growth. If too many get into cells the cells get damaged and your DNA gets broken up. This damages fertility.

We know that the Industry and Government say that this technology is all safe - they have a vested interest, of course. The Industry have spent billions of pounds on the technology and need to recoup it and profit from it too, and the Government, of course, have gained billions of pounds via licenses and are still gaining billions in taxation each year. Neither can afford to admit that the technology is harmful.

Since when should we listen and give so much weight to those with vested interests amounting to billions of pounds and more in their products? When else does this happen, that we listen most to those who make and gain from the product, instead of those independent of it? It is really nonsense.

If nothing else, please look into the facts for yourself - take care to look at the work of truly Independent scientists, a good place to start would be the website listed below and its references to Independent Research.

What Can I Do?

Children under 16 should never use a mobile phone except in an extreme emergency.

Use your Mobile phone only when necessary, and keep the call short.

Where possible, try to only use your mobile phone in areas with the best signal, as this can reduce the emissions by up to 500 times.

Indoors, use your mobile phone near the window and make sure it is between your body and the window.

Hold the mobile phone away from your body immediately after dialling, as the phone uses maximum power (i.e. maximum microwave radiation) until the call is connected. Hold your phone away from your body when you have finished dialling until the person answers. If you are texting, hold it away from you until the text is sent.

Where possible, do not hold the mobile phone next to your eyes, breasts, testicles, kidneys, liver or abdomen  - especially if pregnant - ideally, keep the phone away from your body (such as in a bag) when it is not in use. Do not carry your phone on your belt.

If you have to keep it next to your body, a location such as rear trouser pocket will help keep it away from major organs, and try to make sure the antenna is on the outer side.

Avoid using a mobile phone in a car or train traps the fields inside the metal frame of the vehicle, and should be avoided except in an emergency.

If you are not imminently expecting a phone call, you can greatly reduce your exposure by having the mobile phone switched off when you carry it around instead of just on standby, as your phone contacts the nearest mast every time you move into a different mast's cell (coverage area), and also checks regularly even when you are stationary - This contact is always made at the phone's full power (i.e. maximum microwave radiation).

Your exposure can be greatly reduced by using an air-tube hands-free kit, if you can obtain one.

By far, the best solution is NOT TO USE A MOBILE PHONE. There are alternatives, even when you are out and about - you can usually ask to use a corded telephone (and offer to pay for the phone call, of course.)

References

[1] Ecolog Report - Mobile Telecommunications and Health - Review of the Current Scientific Research in view of Precautionary Health Protection, Ecolog-Institute April 2000 - sponsored by T-Mobil (Translated from German into English by Andrea Klein 2007) - http://www.hese-project.org/hese-uk/en/niemr/ecologsum.php

[2] The Bioinitiative Report - http://www.bioinitiative.org

[3]  Joining the Dots - Overview of Public Health Trends in Australia - http://www.mastsanity.org/index.php?option= com_content&task=view&id=169&Itemid=1

[4] ,[5] The Government's expert group on mobile phones recommendation, from the Department of Health Leaflet: Mobile phones and health

- Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones Report "The Stewart Report" http://www.iegmp.org.uk/

- Department of Health Leaflet: Mobile phones and health

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4123979

[6] EEA Press Report - http://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/radiation-risk-from-everyday-devices-assessed and http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10463870

[17] Dr V G Khurana's research findings http://www.brain-surgery.us/mobilephone.html 

[8] Mobile Phone - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone

[9] Powerwatch Mobile Phone Overview - http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/rf/phones.asp

[10] Wiring Up Telephone extensions - http://staywired.blogspot.com/2007/06/wiring-up-telephone-extensions.html

[11] -  Wiring Up telephone Extensions - http://diydata.com/projects/telephone_socket/telephone_sockets.php

[12]  Dr. Lennart. Hardell, et al., Further aspects on cellular and cordless telephones and brain tumours; International Journal of Oncology(2003) Volume 22; pages 399-407).   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12527940

[13] - Case-control study on cellular and cordless telephones and the risk for acoustic neuroma or meningioma in patients diagnosed 2000-2003. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15956809

[14] Dr Goldsworthy - The Biological Effects of Weak Electromagnetic Fields - http://www.hese-project.org/hese-uk/en/papers/goldsworthy_bio_weak_em_07.pdf

[15] Article re REFLEX study - http://www.nature.com/news/2004/041220/pf/041220-6_pf.html

Reflex full final report - http://www.itis.ethz.ch/downloads/REFLEX_Final%20Report_171104.pdf

[16] Powerwatch on reducing your exposure http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/action/reduce_phones.asp

[17] Damage Mechanisms - http://www.mastsanity.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=243&Itemid=90

Glossary

COM - Microwave Monitor/Meter - measures microwave fields from DECT etc.

EMF - Electromagnetic Field - The electromagnetic field is a physical field produced by electrically charged objects. It affects the behaviour of charged objects in the vicinity of the field. The field can be viewed as the combination of an electric field and a magnetic field.

HPA - UK Health Protection Agency - The Government Agency charged with protecting health.

Powerwatch - Knowledgeable group central to the Electromagnetic Field and Microwave Radiation health debate in the UK.

Precautionary Maximum - The Regional Government in Salzburg, Austria have set the acceptable limit for emissions in homes, under advice from Independent scientists, to just under 0.1 V/m - also referred to as "the suggested 0.1 V/m precautionary maximum".  Assuming a standard impedance of 377 Ohms in air, 6 V/m (60 times sPM) equates to a Power Density of approximately 0.95 mW/m2 , 2.5 V/m (25 times sPM) equates to 0.166 mW/m2 and 1 V/m (10 times sPM) equates to 0.026 mW/m2, 0.1V/m (1 sPM) equates to 0.0265 mW/m².