New paper: When theory and observation collide: Can non-ionizing radiation cause cancer?
Press Release
TRENT SCHOOL OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Trent University
1600 West Bank Drive Peterborough, ON Canada K9L 0G2
The Missing Link:
Why your government isn’t protecting you from Wi–Fi and cell phone radiation when
research shows this radiation causes cancer.
The American scientific journal Environmental Pollution reports, in its next issue, that
government safety guidelines for microwave radiation emitted by mobile phones, Wi-Fi, smart
meters, and other common wireless devices, are fundamentally flawed and fail to protect the
public from this possible carcinogen.
Increasing scientific evidence shows wireless radiation causes cancer and infertility and other
health effects, but due to a flawed assumption in safety guidelines, governments in the United
States, Canada, and the UK are allowing their citizens to be overexposed to microwave
radiation from wireless technology.
Why?
Because governments relied on the wrong model when declaring these devices to be safe.
Ionizing radiation such as x-rays and gamma rays are known to cause cancer by detaching the
negative ion – the electron – at the heart of human cell structure. Non-ionizing radiation, such
as microwaves, do not detach electrons. Therefore when determining whether microwaveemitting
devices were safe to be sold to the public, governments formulated their consumer
safety guidelines with the understanding that microwave radiation does not directly or
immediately discharge electrons. Despite the growing number of scientific studies documenting
that microwave radiation causes cancer, governments have refused to update their guidelines.
One critical aspect of non-ionizing radiation has been overlooked.
Ionizing radiation increases free radicals in the body directly. Non-ionizing radiation increases
free radicals in the body indirectly, by interfering with repair mechanisms that neutralize free
radicals. Free radicals are carcinogenic. Therefore by interfering with the body’s ability to
repair free radical damage, microwave radiation is also carcinogenic.
Microwave radiation was used in the 1940s for military radar, and was widely adopted for
civilian residential use in the 1970s to cook food. Microwave ovens are shielded because
microwaves are known to cause heating. At that time, it was assumed that the only danger from
microwave exposure was tissue heating, known as the “thermal effect”. This led to thermal
guidelines for microwave radiation.
This paper shines a spotlight on the misguided genesis of government regulations that are
based on the thermal effect and documents free-radical damage induced by non-ionizing
radiation.
As usage of microwave–emitting devices increases and is marketed to younger consumers
without caution, we can expect a societal increase of certain types of cancers including
glioblastoma as well as infertility and other health effects associated with free-radical damage.
Indeed this is already happening.
Publication:
Havas, M. 2016. When theory and observation collide: Can non-ionizing radiation cause
cancer? Environmental Pollution, 219: 000-000. Online release November 28, 2016.
Contact information for the author:
Dr. Magda Havas, BSc. PhD.
Trent School of the Environment, Trent University,
Peterborough, ON, Canada, K9J 0G2,
email: mhavas@trentu.ca
phone: 1 705 748-1011 ext 7882
Paper abstract:
Abstract
This paper attempts to resolve the debate about whether non-ionizing radiation (NIR) can
cause cancer–a debate that has been ongoing for decades. The rationale, put forward
mostly by physicists and accepted by many health agencies, is that, “since NIR does not
have enough energy to dislodge electrons, it is unable to cause cancer.” This argument is
based on a flawed assumption and uses the model of ionizing radiation (IR) to explain
NIR, which is inappropriate. Evidence of free-radical damage has been repeatedly
documented among humans, animals, plants and microorganisms for both extremely low
frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields (EMF) and for radio frequency (RF) radiation,
neither of which is ionizing. While IR directly damages DNA, NIR interferes with the
oxidative repair mechanisms resulting in oxidative stress, damage to cellular components
including DNA, and damage to cellular processes leading to cancer. Furthermore, free radical
damage explains the increased cancer risks associated with mobile phone use,
occupational exposure to NIR (ELF EMF and RFR), and residential exposure to power
lines and RF transmitters including mobile phones, cell phone base stations, broadcast
antennas, and radar installations.
New paper: When theory and observation collide: Can non-ionizing radiation cause cancer?