A fresh investigation is under way into whether mobile phones can leave their users with headaches, dizziness and sickness, or whether the ailments are simply a figment of their imagination.
In the pre-Christmas rush to buy the latest picture phones, little thought will be given to the long-term health effects of the technology. But doctors say it is more essential than ever to know whether the devices can make you ill. A widespread belief that exposure to radiation from the phones can leave people with prolonged headaches, 'hot ears', nausea and dizziness is now to be put to the scientific test.
Researchers at King's College London have devised a trial under which volunteers will be asked to use a phone for 50 minutes. It will be placed inside a box that will be strapped to their heads, and set alternatively to 'off' and 'on', though volunteers will not know the setting.
Health research fellow James Rubin said: 'There seems to be a group of people who are particularly sensitive to mobiles, who often get a headache within 10 minutes of a call. Some say the headaches come on immediately. Others report that just being near a phone makes them feel ill.
'We need to know what is going on here, so we have to measure different reactions, such as blood hormone levels to look at any physiological changes that are happening.' Volunteers will be asked to log any symptoms of fatigue or headaches.
Rubin said: 'If people show no difference between when the phones are switched on or off, it could mean the symptoms are more psychological.'
Little work has been done to date to study the health impact of exposure to the electromagnetic radiation that is emitted by a phone. A study in Sweden of 17,000 people found that one in four reported at least one symptom related to mobile use. Phones also have a similar heating effect to microwave ovens, with a very slight warming effect of about 0.1C.
Ever since mobiles appeared, there have been fears that the electromagnetic radiation might affect brain cells, and increase the risk of developing various diseases such as cancer.
Lab tests on mice have shown that the radiation can have an adverse effect on their overall health, but it is not clear whether that can be applied to humans.
Three years ago, the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones concluded that, on the balance of evidence, there were no health risks associated with them, but said there might be biological effects occurring below the current levels of exposure to radiation. Under the chairmanship of Sir William Stewart, who now heads the Health Protection Agency, the group suggested that parents should adopt the 'precautionary approach' by allowing their children only to use them for essential calls.
Earlier this year, the mobile phone industry and the Government announced a £7.4 million research programme for 15 studies, including this inquiry, to look at the health hazards. With 96 per cent of 15- to 24-year-olds now owning a mobile, the uncertainties need to be answered.
Anyone interested in taking part in the study should email the team at g.rubin@ iop.kcl.ac.uk.
