PRESS RELEASE: For Immediate Release – Sept. 09, 2013
BC CENTRE FOR DISEASE CONTROL REPORT POINTS TO
DAMAGING HEALTH EFFECTS FROM WIRELESS DEVICES
Based upon recent findings, the BC CDC recommends that males keep cell phones away from the groin area and limit mobile phone use. The report confirms that there is consistent evidence that exposure to testes is associated with reduced sperm count, motility, concentration and altered cell structure.
In its report, “A Radiofrequency Toolkit for Environmental Health Practitioners.” released March 7, 2013, the BC CDC states that “the epidemiological studies of men assessed for infertility were consistent in demonstrating decreased sperm motility associated with increased use of mobile phones” and “biological effects on sperm motility related to RF Exposure”.
In the need to understand how harm is caused by exposure to microwave radio frequency radiation, the review panel noted that “oxidative stress seems one of the more plausible mechanisms of RF-induced sperm damage. Mechanisms by which oxidative stress is caused by increased ROS (/Reactive Oxygen Species) /and decreased antioxidant have been shown to exist in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.” http://www.bccdc.ca/NR/
It is clear that our health agencies are still in the process of understanding risks from wireless technologies; however, the findings of the BC CDC are consistent with those of many international experts who continue to warn that prolonged exposure to low levels of microwave radio frequency radiation from wireless devices, such as wi-fi, i-pads, cell and cordless phones and smart meters, can lead to serious health effects, especially for those most vulnerable in our society.
Citizens for Safe Technology Society applauds the BC Centre for Disease Control for this report, and continues to plead with our Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Perry Kendall, to take immediate action to first protect our children and youth with the immediate recommendation that schools and homes return to safe wired technologies.(letter from Una St. Clair is attached).
According to Sharon Noble, Director, Citizens for Safe Technology, in May, 2012, Dr. Kendall was presented with more than 150 studies on health effects due to RF exposure which he forwarded to the BCCDC to review. "Dr. Kendall said that should the BC CDC conclude there are risks to the public, he would use his authority under the public health act to make appropriate recommendations for the protection of our most vulnerable citizens. Yet months after the report's release he has failed to publish any recommendations or even comment on it. Neither has he revised the now outdated, misleading information on public health web sites. What is he waiting for?" Sharon Noble asks. "He knows that he has a duty to protect the health of all the citizens of BC. We are mystified as to why he is failing to respond to this important report."
This BC CDC report, in concert with the 2011 W.H.O. classification of radio frequency radiation as a possible cause of cancer, must now prompt our health agencies to act without delay by implementing the precautionary principle to reduce the significant health risk to the public in general, with special focus on protecting the health of our children and youth today and for future generations.
Citizens for Safe Technology Society
Website - http://
Letter to Dr. Kendall that is waiting for a reply
http://citizensforsafetechnology.org/BC-Centre-for-Disease-Control-Report-Points-to-Damaging-Health-Effects-from-Wireless-Devices,85,3386
This BC CDC report, in concert with the 2011 W.H.O.
classification of radiofrequency radiation as a
possible cause of cancer, must now prompt our health
agencies to act without delay by implementing the
precautionary principle to reduce the significant
health risk to the public in general, with special
focus on protecting the health of our children and
youth today and for future generations.
These
identified risks in your report include but are not
limited to shortened life span, cognitive and
behavioral changes, sperm damage, fertility damage,
DNA damage, cancer risk, neuronal damage, nervous
system damage, increased risk of Alzheimer’s and
Parkinson’s, and cell membrane leakage.
Radiofrequency
Toolkit Points
Page
75, Section 6B
“For
the same emitted power, children and fetuses
experience higher SAR.”
Page
62, Section 5
“Whole
body exposure at frequencies in the range of 80 to
180 MHZ and 1-4 GHZ to ICNIRP exposure levels may
expose children and small persons (shorter than
1.3m) to above acceptable ICNIRP SAR levels.”
Page
138, Section 6B
“Mortality
higher in RF-exposed groups than in control groups
at SAR 0.5W/kg.”
Page
144-145, Section 6B
“Ferreira
and colleagues exposed pregnant Wistar rats to 834
MHz RF signal for 8.5 hours from gestation to birth
at SAR values of 0.55 – 1.23 W/kg or sham. At birth,
the animals were sacrificed and an increased level
of micronucleus formation was seen in the bone
marrow of RF exposed versus sham—exposed animals.”
Page
260, Section 10
“The
investigators found a dose-dependent response for
all tested parameters including sperm motility and
vitality. Decreased motility and increased levels of
ROS were found in exposed specimens …..as a
dose-response effect was found, it would seem there
is biological and clinical relevance to their
findings.”
Page
144, Section 6B
“On
examination of brain tissue immediately after
exposure, an increase in both single- and
double-strand DNA breaks were seen in the animals
exposed to pulsed or continuous wave RF compared to
sham-exposed rats.”
Page
157, Section 6B
“Research
on effects on behaviour and cognition are mixed,
with several studies showing that RF exposure has an
adverse effect.”
Page
150, Section 6B
“Examination
revealed increased permeation of albumin from
capillaries into both white and grey brain matter in
RF –exposed rats by comparison with sham-exposed
animals, suggesting that exposure to pulsed RF
fields at around 900 MHz increases permeability of
the blood-brain barrier. They also observed an
increase in “dark neurons,” indicators of neuronal
damage in rat brains in animals exposed to RF
fields.”
Page
165, Section 6B
“The
results of the two studies, while quite “soft,”
suggest that more attention needs to be paid to very
long-term effects of RF-EMF. Although it is
impossible to suggest a biologic mechanism which
might explain the findings, results of both studies
described above suggest that lifelong exposure to RF
fields may shorten lifespan, perhaps in conjunction
with other factors, at least in animals.”
Page
257, Section 10
“Mean
sperm motility, viability and normal morphology
showed significant adverse effects in the mobile
phone user groups, both in men with normal and
abnormal sperm counts. A dose-response relationship
was found as the assessed semen parameters declined
with increasing mobile phone use, independent of the
quality of the original sample.”
Page
153 -154, Section 6B
“Analysis
of tissue from the several parts of the brain,
namely the prefrontal cortex, cerebellar cortex and
dendate gyrus at three and 10 days post-exposure
indicated elevated levels of GFAP, suggesting that
the RF exposure was having a physiological effect,
at least on astrocytic cells in the central nervous
system.”
Page
152, Section 6B
“Sirav
and Seyhan (2011) completed a similar study to their
earlier investigation, again in Wistar albino rats,
and once again found that the exposure to 900 or
1800 MHZ RF fields for 20 minutes promoted a
significant increase in albumin in the brains of
male rats by comparison with sham-exposed animals.”
Page
154, Section 6B
“Bas
et al (2009) exposed Wistar rats to continuously
modulated 900 MHz GSM signal (SAR 2.0 W/kg) or sham
for one hour per day for 28 days and found a
significant decrease in pyramidal cells in the brain
of the exposed rats by comparison with sham-exposed
animals. Pyramidal cells are thought to play an
important role in cognitive functioning.”
Page
250, Section 10
“Unlike
the mixed findings found in occupation health
studies of radar EMF exposures, the epidemiological
studies of men assessed for infertility ere
consistent in demonstrating decreased sperm
motility associated with increased use of mobile
phones. “
Page
259, Section 10
“Sperm
motility and viability were negatively affected by
exposure to RF.”
Page
275, Summary, Section 10
“The
balance of all evidence, animal and human, is
consistent with the assertion that exposure of the
testes to mobile phone RF may be associated with
decreased sperm count, motility, concentration and
altered morphology.”
Adverse
Effects identified, Mechanisms of Harm suggested
Page
272, Section 10
“Overall,
oxidative stress seems one of the more plausible
mechanisms of RF-induced sperm damage. It has been
found fairly consistently in human and animal
studies on sperm specifically and on other cells in
general. Mechanisms by which oxidative stress is
caused by increased ROS and decreased antioxidant
have been shown to exist in neurodegenerative
diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimers.”
Page
269-270, Section 10
“Non-enzyme
antioxidants, like melatonin, have also been
observed to decline after RF exposure 62-65 An
additive effect may occur, with alternation not only
of sperm cell enzymes but of whole body system
antioxidants. Melatonin in particular is known to
support antioxidant activity in sperm. 66 A number
of recent studies have provided experimental
evidence suggestive of an oxidative stress mechanism
for the effect of RF on sperm.”
Page
270, Section 10
“It
was determined that the ROS were sourced from the
sperms’ mitochondria. At a SAR of 2.8 W/kg, the
results became statistically significant for
mitochondrially produced ROS. They noted
specifically that rapid change occurred at low SAR
exposures which reached a plateau when about 30% of
sperm affected.”
Page
263, Section 10
“Most,
although not all studies attempting to control
temperature, convincingly ruled out a thermal
effect.”
Page
273, Section 10
“It
is known that RF can induce currents in a cell
membrane, and that this may alter the cation
(positive ion) distribution (and so charge) in the
normally negative membrane. Some evidence shows
pulsed RF can dislodge calcim ions (Ca++) from a
membrane, resulting in a weaker barrier and leakage,
although there is no direct evidence on sperm
membranes. However, studies do seem to point to
efflux of Ca++ as a factor in altered sperm
motility.”
Page
250, Section 10
“Apart
from the known thermal effects of RF, oxidative
stress due to increased Reactive Oxygen Species
(ROS) or decreased antioxidants is a plausible
explanation for non-thermal effects of RF on sperm
cells.”
Wireless
devices are currently mandated and therefore
proliferating at rapid speed throughout schools and
public spaces where children cannot avoid long term
chronic RF exposure.
Supporting
the use of IPads, tablets, laptops, smartphones and
other wireless devices by children in schools, which may
be held against the abdomen for periods of time, must be
quickly discouraged given strong evidence of fertility
damage at the very least.
Page
342, Section 13
“Although
not using the phone next to the head may reduce
exposure, it can result in increased exposure to
specific areas of the body.”
Page
340, Section 13
“The
most effective way to reduce total exposure to RF is
to avoid the use of RF-emitting devices, especially
devices that result in the highest personal
exposures such as mobile phones used at the head.”
Page
275, Section 10
“Given
that the balance of evidence is for some adverse
effect, even if that effect cannot yet be precisely
defined, it seems reasonable to proceed with
caution.”
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