Cancer, fertility, deafness… are phones really dangerous for health?
Edit of September 19, 2021 : Following the publication of this article on September 14, 2021, we were contacted in the comments and on Twitter by Dr. Marc Arazi, head of the Phonegate Alert association and opposing 5G. According to him, our article would be full of fake news and he urged us to correct it.
We invite you to first read our article below. Note that the latter has not been modified despite the pressures.
Dr Arazi mainly complains about our journalist’s sentence “ In general, we have not observed an increase in cases of brain cancer over the last thirty years“Because it does not correspond, according to him, to the figures of a study by Public Health France published in September 2019.
It happens that we make mistakes and when we are confronted with our mistakes, we correct them immediately. But here, we do not really agree with what Dr. Arazi is advancing, who gets carried away more beautifully over the exchanges on Twitter. When he talks about an increase in brain cancer, he is talking about a particular type, glioblastoma.
Indeed, the study shows that since 1990, the cases have multiplied by 4! A health scandal according to him. However, on page 321 of this study, Santé Publique France explains that: “ the significant change in the incidence of confirmed glioblastomas can be explained in part by the evolution of medical practices, with the improvement of access to imaging (CT scan then MRI) and the performance of biopsy and / or more frequent surgical excision“.
In short, if we have 4 times more cases, it is partly because MRI has become widespread and we manage to do biopsies in the brain more easily and with a sure diagnosis. If there are more glioblastomas, it may be that we did not know how to look well or that we did not look well. We are talking about a 30-year period here. In medicine, it’s an eternity.
It is also noted on page 315, that at the level of the distribution in cases of brain cancer, the share of glioblastoma is increasing. This may mean that this type of cancer is better identified. On the next page, the study explains that: “ the risk of developing this cancer between 0 and 74 years of age increases slightly in men and women depending on the birth cohort, dropping respectively for the cohorts born in 1920 and those born in 1950 from 0.1% to 0 , 5% in men and 0.1% to 0.3% in women. “
We are reassured and the assertion ” In general, we have not observed an increase in cases of brain cancer over the last thirty years Is therefore not “fake news” as Dr Arazi puts it.
The doctor then shows us a passage which points to the supposed incidence of electromagnetic fields. But in the same passage, the study also talks about the impact of pesticides and brain radiation therapy to explain the increase in this type of cancer.
Another detail that saddens us: who had a cell phone in 1990? Because the cases are already increasing between 90 and 95. In the 372-page study, the words smartphones or telephones are never mentioned.
The idea is not to say that smartphones are harmless to our health, but it is absurd to say the opposite based on this study alone, no offense to Doctor Arazi.
He threatens on Twitter: ” We’re going […] seize the competent authorities to ask you to rectify your article and we will see if you continue to hold this speech. “
It must be said that he is used to this kind of vociferations since he has already had Le Monde, 01Net or Dr Cymès in his sights. Maybe he thought he could more easily impress us. It missed.
The article published on September 14, 2021:
In July 2019, ANSES (National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety) published a study with the evocative title ” Mobile phones worn close to the body “. In this 128-page report, ANSES sheds light on it, but also highlights some areas of shadow and uncertainty that still exist.
Contents
Is it bad to keep your phone glued to your ear for too long?
The DAS (Specific absorption rate) is a measure to identify the amount of radio wave absorbed by a person using a radio device such as a telephone. In Europe, the exposure limit has been set at 2 W.kg. For all phones designed after 2016, this rule is respected. On the other hand, for older phones, some are not necessarily up to standard. In the most extreme cases, you can be exposed to 7 W.kg. If by any chance you kept the instructions for your phone, take a look. It will inform you of the minimum distance (if there is one) to put between your skin and your phone so as not to exceed these 2 W.kg. If your phone is up to standard, there is no known danger to date.
Read also: Cuts, concussions, electrocutions: smartphones are dangerous for health
What about the risks of brain cancer?
Published in 2010, the study “ Intercom Found a 40% increase in the risk of developing brain cancer for the 10% of people most exposed to their cell phone waves. But these figures have never been proven and therefore verified. In general, we have not observed an increase in cases of brain cancer over the last thirty years. The emission of waves by the telephones would be too weak. It may take a little longer to see an evolution but for the moment, nothing indicates that there is danger. When in doubt, the WHO has still classified cell phones as “potentially carcinogenic”. It is also this lack of perspective that suggests that it is better to keep young children away from these new tools, their brains just starting to form.
Is it better to use headphones when listening to music?
Headphones cannot be qualified as harmful to our health. However, while reasonable use is not dangerous, overuse of headphones can be. Overexposing yourself to sound without taking a break increases your risk of hearing problems. Logical since the earpiece fits into our ear and is thus closer to the eardrum. So it’s hard to say that it’s really “better” to use headphones. What we also know is that turning on the sound too loud and listening to them for a long time can be a source of concern. Our ears need rest. For the power of sound, the WHO recommends not to exceed 60% of the maximum volume. In reality, it is especially necessary to appeal to his common sense to define if the sound is too high.
Are AirPods worse for your health than wired headphones?
It is difficult to speak of danger since no study has proven that exposure to electromagnetic waves emitted by phones does not increase the risk of cancer. Because they work in Bluetooth, wireless headphones, like AirPods, emit more radio waves. In terms of health, wired headphones may be a better option, but the difference is not glaring enough to recommend a change at all costs. Note that in 2019, 250 doctors sent a petition to the United Nations to denounce the carcinogenic consequences of AirPods. Without sufficient evidence to make the new product falter.
Having your phone in your pocket lowers fertility in men
Here too, there is still a lack of evidence to answer with certainty. However, it is true that putting your phone back in your pocket when it is hot can increase the temperature of the testicles. In order to develop, spermatozoa need an environment where the temperature does not exceed 34 ° C. A hot phone can raise the temperature up to 37 ° C, we advise you to put it on a table instead after a long call.
