Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) Fact Sheet and Position Statement on Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields

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1 Cancer Assciatin f Suth Africa (CANSA) Fact Sheet and Psitin Statement n Expsure t Radifrequency Electrmagnetic Fields Intrductin On 31 May 2011, The Internatinal Agency fr Research n Cancer (IARC) as part f The Wrld Health Organizatin (WHO) classified radifrequency electrmagnetic fields as pssibly carcingenic t humans (Grup 2B), based n an increased risk fr glima, a malignant type f brain cancer, assciated with wireless phne use. [Picture Credit: Electrmagnetic Fields] Over the last few years, there has been munting cncern abut the pssibility f adverse health effects resulting frm expsure t radifrequency electrmagnetic fields, such as thse emitted by wireless cmmunicatin devices. The number f mbile phne subscriptins is estimated at 5 billin glbally (IARC). Cell Phnes in Use in Suth Africa In 2011 the GSM African Mbile Observatry reprted that there were cell phnes in use in Suth Africa. This places Suth Africa in 28 th psitin in the wrld. (African Mbile Observatry; Wikipedia). The number f cell phnes in Suth Africa surpasses the number f peple living here. On the average, every ne f abut 51 millin Suth Africans (babies included) has 1.17 (r s) cell phnes. Thse are the averages; in real life, sme have several handsets, sme nne, thugh the latter grup is diminishing daily. Cell phne use in Suth Africa has increased enrmusly during ne decade, frm 17% f adults in 2000 t 76% in 2010, says the 2012 Glbal Entrepreneurship Mnitr. Suth Africa has ne f the largest telecmmunicatins markets n the cntinent. The main cellular prviders are Vdacm, MTN, Telkm Mbile, Cell C, and virtual netwrk peratr Virgin Mbile. Octber 2015 Page 1

2 Besides calling and talking t peple, Suth Africans use their cell phnes t send text messages, access scial media sites, chat with a grup f friends n ne f instant messaging services, and brwse the internet. A Wrld Wide Wrx Mbile Cnsumer in Suth Africa survey nted that cell phne usage in Suth Africa underwent a dramatic shift between 2012 and 2013, with spend n vice drpping frm 73% f mbile budget t 65% and spend n data increasing frm 12% t 16%. Due t high cst f persnal cmputers and pr cverage with fixed cmmunicatin lines, cell phnes have been tuted, in Suth Africa and elsewhere in the develping wrld, as a basic necessity. They are seen as the tl t bridge the digital divide between the rich and the pr and becme an enabler f ecnmic develpment. Mbile phnes are the dminant cmmunicatin technlgy amng lw-incme users and infrmal businesses; in 2012, abut three quarters f lw-incme Suth Africans, in rural and in urban areas, pssessed a cell phne. (Suth Africa Web). CANSA s Psitin CANSA subscribes t cell phne radiatin being classified as a Grup 2B carcingen until such time when cnsensus at IARC (Internatinal Agency fr Research n Cancer) is reached t change the classificatin. Furthermre, in uncertain situatins, CANSA advcates the Precautinary Principle which simply means being safe rather than srry until scientific clarity is achieved. The precautinary principle states that if an actin r plicy has a suspected risk f causing harm t the public r t the envirnment, in the absence f scientific cnsensus that the actin r plicy is nt harmful, the burden f prf that it is nt harmful falls n thse taking an actin (Wikipedia). CANSA stands fr minimal use f cell phnes as described belw. CANSA acknwledges the existence f several very recent scientific studies that indicate that frequent expsure t cell phne radiatin ver perids lnger than 10 years crrelate with an increased risk fr certain brain cancers like glimas and meningimas as well as multifcal breast cancer in yung wmen with prlnged cntact between their breasts and their cell phnes. Cnsequently, CANSA prpses that expsure t cell phne radiatin be kept t a minimum by: Limiting the number and duratin f calls Texting rather than making calls Switching the sides f the head when a call is lng ne shuld, hwever, avid lng cnversatins Making use f hands-free kits r speaker phne mde t keep the phne a distance frm the head Octber 2015 Page 2

3 Instructing children and teenagers t limit calls t emergencies nly as they are mre vulnerable t electr-magnetic radiatin because f the thickness f their skulls and their brains are still develping Nt sleeping with ne s cell phne clse t ne s bed r under ne s pillw Wmen nt t keep their cell phnes in their brassiere Men nt t carry their cell phnes in the pckets f their pants (clse t their testicles) IARC Classificatins Grup 1 The agent is carcingenic t humans. This categry is used when there is sufficient evidence f carcingenicity in humans. Exceptinally, an agent may be placed in this categry when evidence f carcingenicity in humans is less than sufficient but there is sufficient evidence f carcingenicity in experimental animals and strng evidence in expsed humans that the agent acts thrugh a relevant mechanism f carcingenicity. Grup 2 This categry includes agents fr which, at ne extreme, the degree f evidence f carcingenicity in humans is almst sufficient, as well as thse fr which, at the ther extreme, there are n human data but fr which there is evidence f carcingenicity in experimental animals. Agents are assigned t either Grup 2A (prbably carcingenic t humans) r Grup 2B (pssibly carcingenic t humans) n the basis f epidemilgical and experimental evidence f carcingenicity and mechanistic and ther relevant data. The terms prbably carcingenic and pssibly carcingenic have n quantitative significance and are used simply as descriptrs f different levels f evidence f human carcingenicity, with prbably carcingenic signifying a higher level f evidence than pssibly carcingenic. Grup 2A The agent is prbably carcingenic t humans. This categry is used when there is limited evidence f carcingenicity in humans and sufficient evidence f carcingenicity in experimental animals. In sme cases, an agent may be classified in this categry when there is inadequate evidence f carcingenicity in humans and sufficient evidence f carcingenicity in experimental animals and strng evidence that the carcingenesis is mediated by a mechanism that als perates in humans. Exceptinally, an agent may be classified in this categry slely n the basis f limited evidence f carcingenicity in humans. An agent may be assigned t this categry if it clearly belngs, based n mechanistic cnsideratins, t a class f agents fr which ne r mre members have been classified in Grup 1 r Grup 2A. Grup 2B The agent is pssibly carcingenic t humans. This categry is used fr agents fr which there is limited evidence f carcingenicity in humans and less than sufficient evidence f carcingenicity in experimental animals. It may als be used when there is inadequate evidence f carcingenicity in humans but there is sufficient evidence f carcingenicity in experimental animals. In sme instances, an agent fr which there is inadequate evidence f carcingenicity in humans and less than sufficient evidence f carcingenicity in experimental animals tgether with supprting evidence frm Octber 2015 Page 3

4 mechanistic and ther relevant data may be placed in this grup. An agent may be classified in this categry slely n the basis f strng evidence frm mechanistic and ther relevant data. Grup 3 The agent is nt classifiable as t its carcingenicity t humans. This categry is used mst cmmnly fr agents fr which the evidence f carcingenicity is inadequate in humans and inadequate r limited in experimental animals. Exceptinally, agents fr which the evidence f carcingenicity is inadequate in humans but sufficient in experimental animals may be placed in this categry when there is strng evidence that the mechanism f carcingenicity in experimental animals des nt perate in humans. Agents that d nt fall int any ther grup are als placed in this categry. An evaluatin in Grup 3 is nt a determinatin f nn-carcingenicity r verall safety. It ften means that further research is needed, especially when expsures are widespread r the cancer data are cnsistent with differing interpretatins. Grup 4 The agent is prbably nt carcingenic t humans. This categry is used fr agents fr which there is evidence suggesting lack f carcingenicity in humans and in experimental animals. In sme instances, agents fr which there is inadequate evidence f carcingenicity in humans but evidence suggesting lack f carcingenicity in experimental animals, cnsistently and strngly supprted by a brad range f mechanistic and ther relevant data, may be classified in this grup. (IARC Mngraphs). Medical Disclaimer This Fact Sheet is intended t prvide general infrmatin nly and, as such, shuld nt be cnsidered as a substitute fr advice, medically r therwise, cvering any specific situatin. Users shuld seek apprpriate advice befre taking r refraining frm taking any actin in reliance n any infrmatin cntained in this Fact Sheet. S far as permissible by law, the Cancer Assciatin f Suth Africa (CANSA) des nt accept any liability t any persn (r his/her dependants/estate/heirs) relating t the use f any infrmatin cntained in this Fact Sheet. Whilst CANSA has taken every precautin in cmpiling this Fact Sheet, neither it, nr any cntributr(s) t this Fact Sheet can be held respnsible fr any actin (r the lack theref) taken by any persn r rganisatin wherever they shall be based, as a result, direct r therwise, f infrmatin cntained in, r accessed thrugh, this Fact Sheet. Octber 2015 Page 4

5 Surces and References African Mbile Observatry Electrmagnetic Fields IARC IARC Mngraphs Suth Africa Web Wikipedia Octber 2015 Page 5