The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is worried about cell phones. Under the department, the Food and Drug Administration has removed webpages that asserted the devices are safe, according to the Wall Street Journal. And HHS, headed by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., reportedly plans to research the possible health effects of radiation emitted by cell phones.
The FDA removed online information that said scientists have not connected exposure to radiofrequency (RF) waves, emitted by cell phones, to health problems in users.
Some of the removed webpages contained “old conclusions,” an HHS spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal. The spokesperson also said that researching cell phone radiation would “identify gaps in knowledge.” The agency provided a similar statement to Scientific American, adding that the research was “directed by President Trump’s MAHA Commission.”
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
The administration has not provided any new evidence for the moves. So what does the science about cell phones say?
It’s a “complex subject,” says Kenneth Foster, a professor emeritus at the department of bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, who has studied the health risks of cell phones.
“People have been arguing about health effects of RF radiation from cell phones for decades,” he says.
For years, the official stance of federal health agencies such as the FDA was that there was no evidence of a causal link between cell phone use and cancer. That conclusion was also shared by the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates cell phones. Still, some scientists have raised alarms about cell phones and potential health risks, including cancer, although more quality research is needed to full understand what, if any, effect cell phones have on the body.
In 2011 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, has noted that radiofrequency waves are “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” but it hasn’t identified a causal link. (The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.) And a handful of studies in lab rats suggest that exposure to RF radiation may be linked with cancer. But it’s unclear whether those results would apply to humans, and studies in humans have been inconsistent and limited in scope and efficacy.
What is clear, however, is that cell phones do seem to have one obvious negative health effect—on our mental health, Foster says.
“[There] seems to be stronger evidence for cognitive effects from using cell phones and excessive use of screens, a different matter,” he says. “Also don’t text while driving!”