Science Confirms That Cell Phone Radiation Can Cause Cancer In Rats

Unsplash/Chad Madden

Up to this point in time, it’s been debatable whether cell phone use actually ups our cancer risk. Some people think it’s a load of conspiracy theory crap while others refuse to talk on their phones without plugging in headphones first. Well, science is finally weighing in here, and let’s just say things aren’t looking good for those of us with smartphone addictions.

A new pair of studies conducted by the US National Toxicology Program (NTP) discovered “clear evidence” that the non-ionizing radio-frequency (RF) radiation emitted from cell phones can lead to the growth of heart cancer in male rats and “some evidence” that the exposure can cause brain tumors in male rats as well. And while we can’t entirely extrapolate animal testing data into the human experience, the experts behind the research suggest that communicating warnings and preventative behaviors to people immediately is the right thing to do.

The first study, which was commissioned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a decade ago, tested 3,000 rats and mice of both sexes over the course of two years, making it the biggest investigation of radiation and cancer on rodents in history. The similar Italian study from the Ramazzini Institute tested 2,500 rats from the fetal stage until their deaths, observing the role that RF radiation played over the course of their lifetimes. Both studies found that cell phone radiation can cause cancer in rats.

Unsplash/Daria Nepriakhina

It’s now up to the FDA to make the next move as far as determining how exactly cell phones could impact human cancer risks, from interpreting these findings to designing future studies. Ronald Melnick, the senior toxicologist from the NTP who designed the studies, told Quartz that it’s unlikely any future study would be able to affirm that humans aren’t at risk when it comes to cell phone use.

In the meantime, you don’t have to wait for official rulings from the FDA to keep yourself out of harm’s way. Simple moves like not sleeping near your phone and using a headset or headphones for phone calls can help reduce potential RF radiation exposure. Better safe than sorry, right?