Health & Safety

Risks
of Cell Towers
Neelsville Middle School

Theodora Scarato MSW

Director of Educa5onal Programs
and Resources
Environmental Health Trust

Myth
Cell towers are safe.
Fact
Cell towers can be hazardous.

Cell tower re
Rocky River High School , Ohio , February 2017

Cell Towers on School Grounds
Maintenance Crews in Trucks
Hazardous Materials on Site
TelecommunicaAons Equipment
Microwave RadiaAon Exposure

Daly Elementary School Cell Tower

Fact
Cell towers emit radiaAon.

ConAnuous full body .

 Government RadiaAon Levels

2 years outdated.
Based on twenty year old science.
Based on adult male
Military use of radar.
No systema5c research review by US government.

 RF radiaAon
Eects Sleep

Regel Set al. Pulsed radio-frequency electromagne5c elds: dose-dependent eects on sleep,
the sleep EEG and cogni5ve performance. J Sleep Res. 2007 Sep;16(3):253-8.
Showed a dose-response rela5onship between EMF eld intensity and its eects on brain
physiology as demonstrated by changes in the sleep EEG and in cogni5ve performance.

Schmid et al., Sleep EEG altera5ons: eects of dierent pulse-modulated radio frequency
electromagne5c elds. Sleep Res. 2012 Feb;21(1):50-8. Apr 12.
Consistent with previous ndings, our results provide further evidence that pulse-
modulated RF EMF alter brain physiology.

Bengt et al., The Eects of 884 MHz GSM Wireless Communica5on Signals on Self-reported
Symptom and Sleep (EEG)- An Experimental Provoca5on Study PIERS Online Vol. 3 No. 7 2007
pp: 1148-1150
A prolonged latency to reach the rst cycle of deep sleep (stage 3). The amount of stage 4
sleep was also decreased in exposed subjects. Subjects reported more headaches during
exposures vs. sham exposure.

 Seawind Project, EU Commission
Image of far eld simulaAon

The radia5on penetrates childrens thinner skulls, brains and

bodies more deeply than into adults.
Current research has increased the evidence showing
long term eects from radiofrequency exposure.
Canadian study 2017
French CERENAT Study 2014
Hardell 2017
 American Academy Of Pediatrics Recommends Reducing Exposure to RF RadiaAon

An Egyp5an study conrmed concerns that living nearby mobile phone base sta5ons
increased the risk for developing:
Headaches
Memory problems
Dizziness
Depression
Sleep problems
Short-term exposure to these elds in experimental studies have not always shown
nega5ve eects, but this does not rule out cumula5ve damage from these elds, so
larger studies over longer periods are needed to help understand who is at risk. In large
studies, an associa5on has been observed between symptoms and exposure to these
elds in the everyday environment.

-American Academy of Pediatrics Website on ElectromagneAc Fields

American Academy Of Pediatrics (AAP) RecommendaAons

2012: Urged support of Federal Legisla5on HR 6358 to develop
safety standards and inform the public.

2013: Urged FCC to reevaluate RF guidelines to ensure they protect

children and pregnant women and reect current use paherns in
tes5ng and regulatory limits.
2016: Reduce radiofrequency radia5on: Aier NTP study results
released AAP issued Ten Tips to reduce childrens radiofrequency
radia5on.
Read Press Release here
 India

2012 Exposure Limits at 1/10 of ICNIRP

2013: Supreme Court of India upheld the
High Court of the State of Rajasthan
decision to remove all cell towers from
the vicinity of schools, hospitals and
playgrounds because of radia5on
hazardous to life.
Zilla Parishad: removal of all cellphone
towers near schools
Municipal Corpora5on of Greater Mumbai,
no cell towers on playgrounds,
recrea5onal grounds, gardens and parks.

Juhi Chawla Received the Indira
Award for Cell Tower
Gandhi
Awareness
 $25 Million NIH NaAonal Toxicology Program Study Finds
Increased Rare, Malignant Cancers in Rats Exposed to
Radiofrequency RadiaAon

2-Year Daily Exposure to Cell Phone Radiofrequency Radia5on CDMA and GSM
Mice studies at 1900 MHz, Rat studies at 900 MHz

14
Wyde et al 2016
 Cancers in NTP Rats Parallel Findings from Human
Epidemiological Studies
Increased Gliomas in Brain Increased Schwannomas

Images from Birnbaum NIEHS Presenta5on 2017

Increased incidence of brain gliomas reached GSM or CDMA modula5ons of RFR in male rats
sta5s5cal signicance in males with CDMA resulted in a sta5s5cally signicant, posi5ve

modula5on. trend in the incidence of schwannomas in
heart.
15
These ndings appear to support the Interna2onal Agency for Research on
Cancer (IARC) conclusions regarding the possible carcinogenic poten2al of
Radiofrequency Radia2n. -
Na5onal Toxicology Program, June2016 Presenta5on

 AddiAonal Findings in NTP Study
Not-yet reported cardiac abnormali5es ~4 5mes greater
Lower body weights at birth and throughout lacta5on.

Myth: No eects At low non thermal Levels

Fact: RF has biological eects at non thermal
levels


16

 Ramazzini InsAtute Cell Tower Study
Preliminary Findings: Low Birth Weight
Radiofrequency Radia5on Exposures 1000 x less than NTP
to mimic peoples exposure to cell tower Environmental Levels

*** Final analysis at end of 2017

Myth:
Cell Tower RadiaAon is like the Sun


Fact:
Cell tower radiaAon is man made -
polarized- radiaAon.
InformaAon carrying waves are not
sunlight.

Brazil Cell Tower Study 2011
10 year study. Higher cancer risk at 500 feet from
cellular antennas.

Distance from cellular antennas in meters

Prenatal 900 MHz EMF exposure decreased hippocampal
granular cell number in the dentate gyrus of newborn rats

Granular cell loss might be caused by an inhibition of granule cell

neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus during prenatal life as well as in the
postnatal.

Cont EMF

Odaci et al, 2009

Low-dose CumulaAve Synergies
Montgomery County MD Cell towers are more oien
placed on schools with higher minority/higher poverty
rates.

Red = Higher Poverty/Minority Areas

 United States
Los Angeles Public Schools: Cell Towers on Schools Banned

Maryland State Children and Evironmental Health protection

Advisory Council : Reduce radiofrequency in classrooms.
Looking at Cell Towers now.

Walnut California: Parents and Homeowners had the City

Council pass a Setback requirement.

California: Cell Towers are taken down near schools.

Montgomery Countywide group to stop small cells in yards.
FACT
Many medical organizaAons, expert groups and governments
recommend reducing radiofrequency exposure to children.
American Academy of Pediatrics
Vienna Medical Associa5on
Athens Medical Associa5on
American Academy of Environmental Medicine
EMF ScienAsts: Over 200 scienAc experts
The Russian Na5onal Commihee on Non-Ionizing Radia5on Protec5on
The French NaAonal Agency of Health,Food, Environment and Labour
The Council of Europe
Maryland State Children's Environmental Health and Protec5on Advisory Counci
Swiss Physicians AssociaAon of Doctors for Environmental ProtecAon
InternaAonal Society of Doctors for the Environment
Irish Doctors Environmental AssociaAon
New Jersey EducaAon AssociaAon
Over a dozen governments

The most important
human endeavor is
the striving for
morality in our
acAons.
-Albert Einstein
Slides For Discussion
 IEEE: Eects of Weak MagneAc Fields on Biological
Systems: RF elds can change radical concentraAons and
cancer cell growth rates

Weak magne5c elds change the rate of recombina5on for radical pairs that are
generated by the metabolic ac5vity in cells, which, in turn, change the
concentra5on of radicals such as O2 - and molecules such as H2O2.long-term
exposure to elevated magne5c elds can lead to elevated radical concentra5ons
and an associa5on with aging, cancers, and Alzheimers.

Frank Barnes and Ben Greenebaum, IEEE Power Electronics Magazine 2016

 Government Health Agencies Advise
Reducing Childrens Cell Phone RadiaAon Exposure

United Kingdom Russia Switzerland Finland Ireland Germany

Belgium Greece Israel Turkey Austria

Singapore France Denmark India Australia

 Microwave radiaAon impairs male reproducAon
Tes5s slides show signicantly increased i-NOS immunostaining in the spermatogonial cells

Shahin et al. 2014

Mice exposed to nonthermal Wi-Fi 2.45-GHz

2h/d x 30 d
ROS in liver, kidney, hypothalamus, and
tes5s
RNS, lipid peroxida5on
30
An5oxidant capacity, % viable sperm

 Industry Funded Studies
Find Few Eects

Huss 2007 Valen5ni 2011

Parallels: Industry Involvement , low levels do not harm years for regula5on.
 Maryland State Children's Environmental
Health and Protec9on Advisory Council,
19 Members (pediatricians & public health)

Purpose: To iden5fy environmental hazards that may aect children's health and
recommend solu5ons/guidelines to reduce and eliminate hazards.

Council is considering the safety risks of cell towers now.

The Council recommends limi5ng exposures as much as feasibly prac5cal.

The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene should provide
sugges5ons to the public on ways to reduce exposure.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services to formally pe55on
the FCC to ensure the FCC exposure limit is protec5ve of childrens health and
that it relies on current science.
Cross-secAonal case control study on
geneAc damage in individuals living
near cell towers. (Ghandi 2014)
Gene5c damage parameters of DNA were
signicantly elevated.

The gene5c damage evident in the par5cipants of

this study needs to be addressed against future
disease-risk, which in addi5on to neurodegenera5ve
disorders, may lead to cancer.
 Breast
Cancers
From
Cell Phone in
Bra

Published Case Reports

No Gene5c Predisp

No Risk Factors
Unusual Tumors
Mul5focal
Directly at antennae
loca5on

36
900 MHz EMF induced Purkinje cell loss in the
cerebellum of adult female rats
Control Exposed

Conclusion: One month exposure /1 hour a day to Cell Phone radia5on decreased Purkinje
cell numbers in the female rat brain (cerebellum). Arrow heads show cell loss in the
Purkinje cell layer. Cresyl violet staining. Sonmez OF, Odaci E, Bas O, Kaplan S., 2010
Prenatal 900 MHz EMF exposure decreased hippocampal
granular cell number in the dentate gyrus of newborn rats

Granular cell loss might be caused by an inhibition of granule cell

neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus during prenatal life as well as in the
postnatal.

Cont EMF

Odaci et al, 2009

 Radiation Electromagnetic Spectrum

Microwaves:
Ovens Cellphones Emit
Cellphones (GSM-3G UMTS) Pulsed Microwave
Home Cordless phones (non-ionizing)
Wi-Fi (WLAN) radiation

copyright@ www.ehtrust.org permission

Source: Wikipedia (2008) granted only for limited use with
attribution to Environmental Health
Trust copy to info@ehtrust.org
Do not take without permission
DEMO
7/10/17 39
Low-dose CumulaAve Synergies
Since 1997 Secondary Insurers do not
cover health damages from wireless
Lloyds of London underwriters deny
coverage for health damages from wireless
devices

Swiss Re 2014 rates electromagnetic fields as

one of the 6 top risks businesses face today,
above things like Mad Cow Disease.

Risk from dangers linked to EMF can be classified

as an emergent risk-- the same category once
occupied by asbestos

General Insurance Exclusions: Electromagnetic

fields directly or indirectly arising out of, resulting from or
contributed to by electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic
radiation, electromagnetism, radio waves or noise.
Children Absorb Greater Microwave
RadiaAon in ProporAon to Adults

6 year old model 34 year old model

(Fernandez personal communica5on 2016)

1g-psSAR (0 dB = 2mW/g, 50 dB scale

900 MHz. The delivered power to the cell phone 250 mW.
Microwave Radia9on into the 6 Year Old Child
From Virtual Reality Simula9ons

40dB color Scale.

Smartphone
placed in front of
the eyes as it
would be placed
using the
cardboard virtual
reality holder.

2015 EHT/University of Porto Alegre

SAR in 6 Year Old from 2.45 GHz Wi-Fi
Tablet

Tablet at 150 mm (5.9 inches)

from eye lens

JULIANA BORGES FERREIRA, AND ALVARO AUGUSTO ALMEIDA DE SALLES (2015)

Fig. 7. Radia5on pahern normalized to 0.0132 W/g = 0 dB, with a 30 dB color scale, and SAR
averaged over 1g cube of 5ssue.
Specic Absorp2on Rate (SAR) in the head of Tablet user's
copyright@ www.ehtrust.org permission granted only for limited use with ahribu5on to
7/10/17 44
Environmental Health Trust copy to info@ehtrust.org
 Doctors Recommend Reducing Wireless Exposure to
Pregnant Women To Protect the Baby Brain

The BabySafe Project is signed by over 140 medical experts .

Increased OxidaAve Stress Ader Radiofrequency
RadiaAon Exposure
2015 Analysis of Peer-Reviewed Science
Among 100 currently available peer-
reviewed studies dealing with RFR and
oxida5ve eects:

93% did induced oxida5ve stress

7% RFR did not induce oxida5ve
stress

Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine
Yakymenko et al., 2015
 Greatest exposure occurs to fetal head/spinal cord
Normalized SAR when 7 and 9 month fetus exposed to a dipole antenna in front of abdomen

(courtesy Andreas Christ, ITIS, 2013)

47
 Children Receive Higher Doses of Cell Phone Radia5on Than Adults
3 Year Old 6 Year Old 34 Year Old
HIGH

LOW Not to scale. Fernandez,, de Salles, Davis (2015)

Thinner skulls, Smaller heads (shorter distance to brain centers)
LOW
Dierent dielectric proper5es (higher liquid content)

Brains are less myelinated and s5ll developing.

 Children are More Vulnerable
34 Year Old Male 6 Year old

Anatomically based Model of

Porto Allegre Environmental
Health Trust (PAEHT)

Wireless radia5on penetrates into childrens brains and bodies more deeply than into adults- Up to
two 5mes in their brain and ten 5mes into the bone marrow of their skull. Their brain and immune
system is s5ll developing.
 Deeper PenetraAon of Cell Phone
Cell Phone Radia5on Penetrates The Brain
RadiaAon Into the Child Brain

Adult Male Six Year Old Child

 50 min on Cell Phone Signicantly Alters Glucose Metabolism
(Volkow et al 2011, JAMA)

Wi-Fi Radia5on
Penetrates
the Body The colors
represent the
intensity of the
eld into the
body.
Wi-Fi RadiaAon From A Laptop
Wi-Fi Radia5on Penetrates The Body
SimulaAon of Peak Exposures from 2.45 GHZ Wi-Fi Laptop
 Real versus Simulated Mobile Phone Exposures
in Experimental Studies
Real mobile phone emissions are constantly and unpredictably
varying and thus are very dierent from simulated emissions
which employ xed parameters and no variability.

This variability is an important parameter that makes real

emissions more bioacAve

Living organisms seem to have decreased defense against

environmental stressors of high variability
Dimitris J. Panagopoulos, Olle Johansson, and George L. Carlo, Biomed Research InternaAonal (2015)

World Wide PrecauAonary
AcAon
France: Phones sold with headsets. Wi-Fi Banned for
Kindergarten/Wi-Fi o when not in use. New na5onal law

Belgium: Banned cell phones for children.

Israel: Wi-Fi to be removed from all Haifa schools as of April 2016,

Health Ministry recommends lowering exposure at home and
school.

Italy and Spain: Several local governments voted to declare

precau5onary principle: protect children and use wires.

UK, Switzerland, Australia, Germany, Canada: Health agencies

recommend reduced cell phone exposures.

India: Exposure limits lowered to 1/10 of the ICNIRP level,

recommenda5ons to reduce cell phone exposure, SAR labeling on
phones, some govs ban towers near schools.
 In lifeAme cancer study EMF creates synergisAc eects
with ionizing radiaAon
650 Exposed /1,001 controls
Lifespan exposure from in
Prevalence of adenocarcinomas

Utero
50 Hz EMF (200 mG or 10 G)
One 5me dose 0.1Gy at 6 wk

Results = Increased
mammary adenocarcinomas
(both sexes)
incidence of heart malignant
schwannomas (males)
hematopoie5c neoplasias
[leukemia and lymphoma] in
males treated at 1,000T
plus 0.1 Gy.

Age at Detec5on in Female Rats

These results call for a reevaluation of the safety of non-ionizing radiation.
RelaAvely Greater AbsorpAon Into
Faster Growing Brain Tissues of
Children

Thinner skulls
Smaller heads (shorter distance to brain centers)
Dierent dielectric proper9es (higher liquid content)
Their brains are less myelinated and s9ll developing.

The average RF radia2on energy deposi2on for children

exposed to mobile phone RF is two 2mes higher in the brain
and 10 2mes higher in the bone marrow of the skull compared
with mobile phone use by adults.
- Interna5onal Agency for the Research on Cancer Monograph
on Radio Frequency Fields as a Class 2 B Carcinogen
Radiofrequency energy, unlike ionizing radiaAon, does not
cause DNA damage that can lead to cancer. Its only
consistently observed biological eect in humans is Assue
heaAng. In animal studies, it has not been found to cause
cancer or to enhance the cancer-causing eects of known
chemical carcinogens. [references studies published in 2006-2008]
NCI Factsheet

 Crown Castle
10k Annual Report 2016
If radio frequency emissions from wireless handsets or equipment on our
wireless infrastructure are demonstrated to cause nega5ve health eects,
poten5al future claims could adversely aect our opera5ons, costs or revenues.

The poten5al connec5on between radio frequency emissions and certain nega5ve
health eects, including some forms of cancer, has been the subject of substan5al
study by the scien5c community in recent years. We cannot guarantee that
claims rela5ng to radio frequency emissions will not arise in the future or that the
results of such studies will not be adverse to us.

If a connec5on between radio frequency emissions and possible nega5ve health
eects were established, our opera5ons, costs, or revenues may be materially
and adversely aected. We currently do not maintain any signicant insurance
with respect to these mahers.

Read more about legal liability issues

 5G, Sub Millimeter and Millimeter Waves
Interact with the sweat glands of the skin
Glands act as helical antennas
Frequencies also used as crowd control weapon by military

Israel Ins5tute for Advances Studies Conference 2017

 SynergisAc eects of electromagneAc
elds and chemicals
Medical applica5ons to treat cancer are relying on
interac5ons
(Kosto and Lau, 2015)
Substan5al credible scien5c evidence supports that RF
results in synergis5c eects-benecial and adverse.
RF changes biochemical markers of inamma5on
RF enhances carcinogenesis, cellular or gene5c muta5ons,
and teratogenicity.
Research needed on real world condi5ons: EMF + mul5ple
exposures
Technological Forecas5ng and Social Change (2015)

 United States
Los Angeles Public Schools: Cell Towers on Schools Banned

Maryland State Children and Evironmental Health protection

Advisory Council : Reduce radiofrequency in classrooms.
Looking at Cell Towers now.

Walnut California: Parents and Homeowners had the City

Council pass a Setback requirement.

California: Cell Towers are taken down near schools.

Montgomery Countywide group to stop small cells in yards.
Cell Phone In Pocket
This is scienAc imaging that shows the radiaAon from a cell phone in the pocket.

Cell Phones
and Wi-Fi
Devices Expose
Your Body to
Radia5on
 Microwave radiaAon impairs male reproducAon
Tes5s slides show signicantly increased i-NOS immunostaining in the spermatogonial cells

Shahin et al. 2014

Mice exposed to nonthermal Wi-Fi 2.45-GHz

2h/d x 30 d
ROS in liver, kidney, hypothalamus, and
tes5s
RNS, lipid peroxida5on
65
An5oxidant capacity, % viable sperm

 Industry Funded Studies
Find Few Eects

Huss 2007 Valen5ni 2011

 Maryland State Children's Environmental
Health and Protec9on Advisory Council,
19 Members (pediatricians & public health)

Purpose: To iden5fy environmental hazards that may aect children's health and
recommend solu5ons/guidelines to reduce and eliminate hazards.

Council is considering the safety risks of cell towers now.

The Council recommends limi5ng exposures as much as feasibly prac5cal.

The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene should provide
sugges5ons to the public on ways to reduce exposure.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services to formally pe55on
the FCC to ensure the FCC exposure limit is protec5ve of childrens health and
that it relies on current science.
Myth:
Cell Tower RadiaAon is like the Sun


Fact:
Cell tower radiaAon is man made -
polarized- radiaAon.
InformaAon carrying waves are not
sunlight.

 Cell Phone Calls and ADHD
Potentiation of Lead Toxicity in Korean Children

combined or cooperative
toxic action of RF and lead
on the developing brain.
Byun et al. 2013 PLoS

2,422 children - 27 schools - 10 Korean cities - 2 y follow up

ADHD symptoms associated with voice calls, only among
children with higher blood lead values (>2.35g/dL;
comparable to U.S. BLLs) Byun et al. 2013
Cross-secAonal case control study on
geneAc damage in individuals living
near cell towers. (Ghandi 2014)
Gene5c damage parameters of DNA were
signicantly elevated.

The gene5c damage evident in the par5cipants of

this study needs to be addressed against future
disease-risk, which in addi5on to neurodegenera5ve
disorders, may lead to cancer.