Governments and health watchdogs are finally waking up – “The time for inaction has passed,” Martin Guespereau, director of the French Health and Security Agency (Afsset), said at a press conference last week. “Let’s not wait until the indications become pathologies before moving forward with limiting exposure,” he said.
AFP reported that Afsset reviewed more than 1,000 studies focusing on mobile phones, cordless phones, WiFi, microwave ovens and other gadgets that operate at frequencies between 9kHz and 300gHz. Most of the studies did not show any problems, however some of the studies did point to other health problems, including cell damage, reduced male fertility and a lower flow of blood to the brain.
Given the sometimes conflicting studies the agency recommended additional research to fully determine the potential health problems and in the meantime advised the public to exercise caution. “If environmental exposure can be reduced, it should be,” the agency said in a statement. It referred to a principle it called ALARA — “As Low As Reasonably Achievable.”.