Per la Salute <<<>>>> For your health

Health Alerts 1. Limit Exposure to Cell Phones: French Experts French health watchdogs recommend reducing exposure to mobile phones and other portable wireless devices pending the results of studies into possible health perils. "The time for inaction has passed," said Martin Guespereau, director of the French Health and Security Agency (Afsset). "Let's not wait until the indications become pathologies before moving forward with limiting exposure." Afsset reviewed more than 1,000 studies, focusing on mobile phones, Wifi emitters, microwave ovens, cordless home phones, and other gadgets that use radio frequencies of between 9 kilohertz (kHz) and 300 gigahertz (gHz). Most of the studies did not show any negative impacts. Some research, however, did point to possible health problems, including cell damage, reduced male fertility, and a lower blood flow to the brain. Emphasizing caution, Guespereau also pointed out that cell phones have been used for barely a decade, not long enough to study long-term impacts from constant exposure. "We cannot endorse the idea 'nothing has been proved, so nothing needs to be done'," Guespereau said. Exposure to children in particular should be limited, Afsset said. Recommendations included the use of "hands-free" kits for cell phones and switching off machines such as modems and Wifi emitters when possible. Copyright AFP