There have been many reports about the potential side effects of mobile phone use on human health over the years, but they have largely been ignored by people.
However, when the popular ABC program "Catalyst" aired an episode featuring the claims of certain scientists about the cancer-causing properties of mobile devices, the issue drew the attention of other leading experts in Australia who quickly shot down these assumptions as not supported by scientific facts.
In the episode "Wi-Fried?," several authorities on radiation and international health were invited to share their thoughts on the possibility that Wi-Fi gadgets can cause adverse effects on the health of users.
One of the show's guests, epidemiologist and former U.S. presidential health adviser Dr. Devra Davis, said that while she initially thought that mobile phone use did not pose any harm, she started doubting the validity of this idea a few years ago. She has since become convinced that the devices can indeed cause cancer.
Davis said that she worked with some of her colleagues to publish an article about the potential of radiation generated by mobile phones to cause cancer in humans. They referenced a number of studies that suggest that teenagers who use mobile phones experience a four to eight times more likelihood to develop brain tumor 10 years later.
The report was conducted between 2000 and 2004, and was scheduled for release in 2005. The results were finally released five years later not because the science behind the study was unclear, but because of the politicking that came about between the members of the research team, according to Davis.
Despite stating that the results of the study were inconclusive, Davis said that the actual findings showed that those who use mobile phones the most had particularly high risk of developing brain cancer.
The views expressed by the show's guests angered several members of the scientific community in Australia. They argued that the assumptions of Davis and the others were not based on scientific facts.
Prof. Rodney Croft of University of Wollongong said that the opinions shown during the "Catalyst" episode reflected Dr. Davis and associates' fringe position on the matter. He pointed out that there is still no verified evidence that the relatively low radio-frequency emissions produced by mobile phones can cause harm to users.
Cancer biology expert Darren Saunders of the University of New South Wales said that he was disappointed at how the science program approached the matter.
"Scaremongering and pseudoscience have plenty of other outlets on TV, and there are so many amazing science stories to be told locally and internationally. There was very selective reporting of existing data and sensationalist headlines," Saunders said.
"Catalyst has missed an opportunity to use this topic as a way to demonstrate scientific or critical thinking."
The "Catalyst" episode also drew criticism from the public as well, choosing to express their disapproval through posts on social media.
"scientifically bankrupt… biased, and little short of misleading and deceptive.”
Ouch.https://t.co/rUQkt9SDAF#ABCCatalyst— Dr Darren Saunders (@whereisdaz) February 17, 2016
Coming up. Chemtrails - are they turning us into lizard-people? This reptile refuses to rule it out. #abccatalyst pic.twitter.com/c4Yti4Un2r — ABC Catalyst Not (@Catalyst_not) February 16, 2016
I'd throw all my wifi devices out the window, @ABCcatalyst, but I'm at greater risk of heart attack since I went off statins. #abccatalyst
— ABC News Intern (@ABCnewsIntern) February 16, 2016
Photo: Sam Churchill | Flickr
