Epidemiological safety surveillance of cellular telephones in the US

Abstract

In 1994 a surveillance programme was initiated to monitor the effects of exposure to the human head from radiofrequency waves, such as those emitted from handheld cellular telephones. Cellular carriers contributed information about 1.5 million telephone account holders, their phones and two months of data on minutes used and number of calls. Cellular telephone manufacturers provided data that allowed classification of phones as analogue or digital and as handheld or mobile (car or bag) for 67% of the phones. Thus far 1,021,767 individuals have been identified who had at least one active cellular telephone account in 1994 and/or 1995 and who used either a handheld (41%) or a mobile (59%) phone during the study period, but not both. Seventy-four per cent of the cohort had used their cellular phone for greater than or equal to:2 years, and 30% for greater than or equal to 3 years