Nokia irradiates test animals

Is mobile phone use detrimental for the public's health or not? Do people get cancer or other disorders by long-term use of mobile telephony?

The researchers are still not sure, and so in the coming years many studies will be organised. The research's aim is at electromagnetic fields and the possible consequences on people. Unfortunately it is animals that are the victims of this research. Thus the World Health Organisation lists 433 research studies on its website that have been based on animal testing. The victims are thousands of mice and rats which are exposed to high volts of electromagnetic fields. Hamsters and monkeys are also used in this study.

GSM market leader Nokia keeps track of the developments, and supports these studies financially. Nokia financed the "European 5th Framework Program" involving existing research groups from 13 countries. In this study, test animals were irradiated with radiowaves. On the Nokia website several researches are listed which the GSM company supports.

In Belgium, Vito (the Flemish institution for technological research) have set up a study. In the Netherlands, it is the Uuniversity of Maastricht which releases magnetic fields on animals. After 433 studies the question has not been answered still. Should there ever be a conclusive decision that GSM use is indeed detrimental to human health, how many people would then be prepared to put down their phones?