Cellular Phone Task Force Report
Arthur Firstenberg
Thursday, July 22, 2004Since 1997, the Cellular Phone
Task Force acts as a clearinghouse for information on
the health effects, including injury and death, reported
world-wide as being caused by radio frequency radiation
from digital cellular phones base stations and other
wireless facilities. The taskforce advocates that the
regulations in place, including the strictest, such as
the Polish 2 V/m standard, are not adequate to protect
the human heart, nervous system and other biological
systems from electromagnetic injury. A summary of the
death statistics associated with the digital PCS (around
1.9GHz) systems installed in selected United States
cities is shown in the table below. Individuals living
with 100 metres of a wireless facility of any kind tend
to report symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, memory
loss, inability to concentrate, irritability, rise in
blood pressure, peculiar pressure behind the eyeballs,
joint pains moving around the body, hurt of feet sole,
high-pitched noises in their ears, itchy systemic rash
and even internal bleeding -- all symptoms of radiowave
sickness. Clinics report an immediate increase in
respiratory illness: bronchitis, flu, pneumonia and
asthma during the first weeks of PCS base station
start-up and hospitals become inundated.
It is argued that current regulations (60V/m or 1 mW/cm2
in Canada) are designed for the far field under uniform
conditions from single emitters, and do not take into
account the near field; complex field interactions from
multiple emitters -- they do not even come close to
protecting the public from even the serious thermal
effects. Depending on conditions or grounding, resonance
and reflection, real-life exposure to a single emitter
in the field can variety as much as 430X. In 1977, Om P.
Ghandi reported in Radio Science how the presence of
metal objects in the environment, or even inside the
body (dental fillings, surgical implants, etc.) can
locally increase exposure 100X. Arthur Firstenberg,
president of the Cellular Phone Taskforce has published
a book, Microwaving the planet which includes a current
literature review of over 200 sources (available from
the Secretariat). He also edits the publication, No
place to hide, available for $30 U.S., and $40 elsewhere
from: P O Box 100404, Brooklyn, New York 11210. (718)
434-4499. Another periodical pursuing this interest is
Electrical sensitivity news, published by Lucinda Grant,
Weldon Publishing, P O Box 4146, Prescott, Arizona
86302. $20 U.S. $35 foreign; (520) 778-4637; fax: (520)
495-3168.
A court challenge to the safety of wireless
communications against the Federal Communications
Commission will be heard In the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Second Circuit in New York City. The Cellular
Phone Taskforce, representing thousands of individuals
who suffer from electrical sensitivity alleges that
digital wireless facilities are causing illness,
disability and death and is suing to have the current
"safety rules" set aside, sections of the 1996
Telecommunications Act declared unconstitutional and
that a nationwide moratorium declared on new sources of
radiofrequency radiation. The Communication Workers of
America has joined 16 other citizens groups and 3 public
officials in the lawsuit
Increased weekly mortality, compared with
installation of PCS service selected United States
cities
City PCS service start date mortality increase
duration of increase San Diego Pacific Bell 11/96 15% 4
weeks Los Angeles Pacific Bell 7/97 27% 4 weeks New York
Omnipoint 11/96 10% 11 weeks Chicago Primeco 12/97 11%
10 weeks Boston Sprint partial service 10/97 5% Boston
Sprint full service 1/98 20% 9 weeks Portland Sprint
2/98 16% 12 weeks
esaminated deaths: 10.000
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