Male rats exposed to high wavelengths of cellphone radiation grew heart tumors, according to a new study from the National Toxicology Program.
The Study
The new study used 2G and 3G frequencies instead of frequencies used on 4G or 5G networks. Researchers exposed the whole bodies of male and female rats to high radiation for up to 10 hours per day for two years.
This might be alarming to people but experts say rats can handle more radiation than humans, even if the latter frequently uses their cell phones. Researchers shared that male and female rats exposed to cell phone radiation were set at much higher levels of radiations than humans would experience, so these new studies shouldn't even be compared to people using cell phones.
"The levels and duration of exposure to radiofrequency radiation were much greater than what people experience with even the highest level of cell phone use, and exposed the rodents' whole bodies," said NPT in a statement. "So, these findings should not be directly extrapolated to human cell phone usage."
The Findings
However, an interesting finding in the study revealed that male rats exposed to high radiation grew tumors in their hearts while the female rats did not get tumors. Researchers can't explain why male rats get heart tumors but some believe male rats developed these tumors because they were much bigger in size and likely exposed to more radiation than their female counterparts.
Another unusual finding is that both male and female rats exposed to cell phone radiation lived longer than rats that were not exposed to such.
What's the reason for exposing rats to cellphone radiation? There have been constant concerns if cell phone radiation can cause cancer to people. Researchers have been conducting various studies over the years and have found there's not enough evidence to show that use of cell phones poses a risk of cancer.
Different Measures To Reduce Radiation Exposure
Concerned about possibly getting cancer from cell phones? The Federal Communications Commission suggests people can take various measures to reduce radiation exposure such as using a speakerphone, earpiece, or headset to limit exposure to the head. The FCC also advises keeping smartphones away from the body in addition to texting rather than talking, and spending less time on cell phones.
The CTIA representing wireless providers such as AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and other networks said that past studies showed that cell phone radiation has no known health risks to people.
