Corporate Responsibility

Health Guide

At Virgin Mobile, we are committed to giving you objective information about mobile phones and your health.

Here, we take a look at what the experts have to say on your frequently asked questions...

• Is there a possible health risk associated with mobile phones?
• Are mobile phones safe for children?
• What safety standards exist to make sure mobile phones are safe?
• What was the Stewart Report?
• Has this advice been updated?
• What else have the experts said?
• Is there anything I can do now if I still feel concerned?
• Are mobile phone base stations dangerous?
• Where can I find further information?

Is there a possible health risk associated with mobile phones?

Mobile phones are basically sophisticated two-way radios that receive and transmit radio waves to and from base stations - the masts you can sometimes see on top of buildings, or at the sides of roads.

Radio waves are known, in the jargon, as microwave radiation or electromagnetic energy (EME) or electromagnetic fields (EMF). Although this might sound worrying, EME occurs in natural light and other commonplace household objects such as light bulbs and televisions - and we are exposed to it all the time. EME is part of the natural world. However, some scientists suspect that over-exposure to radio waves, or EME/EMF, may be harmful. But as yet this has not been conclusively proved or disproved.

Are mobile phones safe for children?

Despite the overall conclusion that 'the balance of evidence does not suggest mobile phone technologies put the health of the general population of the UK at risk' [Foreword], the Stewart Report recommended a precautionary approach to the use of mobile phones by children. [Stewart Report - para 6.90]

Virgin Mobile is aware that many children have mobile phones to keep in touch with others, especially their parents when, for example, walking home from school. Indeed, the Stewart Report used this example to show that a mobile phone can promote a child's safety. [Stewart Report - para 6.89]

We therefore recommend 'responsible' use of mobile phones if they are to be used by children:

• Keep calls short (and outside the classroom!)
• Why not send an SMS instead?
• Make a note of your IMEI number so that your phone is no good to a thief

For further advice on keeping your mobile phone safe please visit the security section of our website.

What safety standards exist to make sure mobile phones are safe?

Your mobile phone is designed and manufactured not to exceed the limits for exposure to radio frequency (RF) recommended by international guidelines (ICNIRP). These limits are part of comprehensive guidelines and establish permitted levels of RF energy for the general population. They were adopted in the UK following a recommendation in the Stewart Report. The guidelines were developed by independent scientific organisations through periodic and thorough evaluation of scientific studies. The limits include a substantial safety margin designed to assure the safety of all persons, regardless of age and health.

The exposure standard for mobile phones employs a unit of measurement known as the Specific Absorption Rate, or SAR. The SAR limit stated in the international guidelines is 2.0 W/kg*. Tests for SAR are conducted using standard operating positions with the phone transmitting at its highest certified power level in all tested frequency bands. Although the SAR is determined at the highest certified power level, the actual SAR level of the phone while operating can be well below the maximum value. This is because the phone is designed to operate at multiple power levels so as to use only the power required to reach the network. In general, the closer you are to a base station, the lower the power output of the phone.

If you would like further information on SAR values please contact your mobile phone manufacturer, or visit the website of the Mobile Manufacturers Forum, the trade association representing the handset manufacturers.

To check the SAR value of your mobile phone, please look at the handset information section of our website . Virgin Mobile is delighted to publish the SAR values of all the handsets in our range for your convenience. While there may be differences between the SAR levels of various phones and at various positions, all the handsets in the Virgin Mobile range meet the relevant international guidelines for RF exposure. A lower SAR value does not mean that a phone is safer, as all Virgin Mobile phones operate well within the RF exposure guidelines.

The SAR limit for mobile phones used by the public is 2.0 watts/kilogram (W/kg) averaged over ten grams of body tissue. The guidelines incorporate a substantial margin of safety to give additional protection for the public and to account for any variations in measurements.

What was the Stewart Report?

It was commissioned in March 1999 by Tessa Jowell MP, who was then Minister for Public Health. She asked the NRPB (National Radiological Protection Board) to set up an independent expert working group to assess the possible health risks from mobile phones.

The group was chaired by Professor Sir William Stewart, FRS, FRSE; the Chairman of Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust, Dundee. His team conducted a rigorous assessment of existing research and published its findings in May 2000, offering advice and recommendations.

One of the most important conclusions of the Stewart Report was that 'the balance of evidence does not suggest that emissions from mobile phones and base stations put the health of the UK population at risk.' [Foreword]

You can read The Stewart Report findings for yourself.

Has this advice been updated?

On 11 January 2005 Sir William Stewart published an update to his May 2000 report into mobile phones and health. The update stated that, in the absence of new scientific evidence, his original recommendation on limiting the use of mobile phones by children remains appropriate as a precautionary measure.

The update found that there is no definitive evidence at present that the use of mobile phones adversely affects the health of users. However it does acknowledge that uncertainties remain and advocates a continued precautionary approach to their use. Find out more

The Government has also published its own health advice and information. You can read their guide to Mobile Phones and Health.

What else have the experts said?

Since the publication of the Stewart Report in May 2000, there have been several other studies conducted internationally into the effects of mobile phone use on health:

Danish Institute of Cancer Epidemiology study

In December 2006 a study by the Danish Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Copenhagen found no evidence for an association between tumour risk and mobile phone use among either short-term or long-term users. The study of more than 420,000 mobile phone users in Denmark followed the users for up to 21 years and found that among long-term subscribers of 10 years or more, mobile phone use was not associated with increased risk of brain tumours, and that there was no trend with time since first subscription.

The study also found that mobile phone use was not associated with increased risk for acoustic neuromas (a tumour in the nerve between the brain and the ear); salivary gland tumours; eye tumours; or leukemia.

University of Leeds Study

In January 2006 a study by the Universities of Leeds, Nottingham, and Manchester and the Institute of Cancer Research, London, found that mobile phones are not associated with an increased risk of glioma, the most common type of brain tumour. The four year study found that those who had regularly used a mobile phone were not at a greater overall risk of glioma brain tumours.

The study did find a significantly increased risk for tumours which developed on the same side of the head as that on which the phone was reported to have been held, but this was mirrored by a decrease in risk on the opposite side of the head. The study's authors suggested that this scenario may have been due to people with glioma brain tumours linking mobile phone use to the same side of the head as the tumour, and therefore over reporting related phone use on that side.

Institute of Cancer Research study

In August 2005 a study by the Institute of Cancer Research in London found that using a mobile phone for up to ten years does not increase the risk of cancer. The study, which assessed the risk of acoustic neuroma (a benign tumour in the nerve between the brain and the ear), suggested that there was no substantial risk in the first decade after starting mobile phone use. The study also found no association of risk with the number of calls made or the length of time spent using a mobile phone. There was also no association shown with the use of either analogue or digital handsets.
However, as widespread mobile phone use is a relatively recent phenomenon, the scientists said that an increase in risk after longer term use or after a longer lag period could not be ruled out.

Reflex study

In December 2004 a European Union funded research study, called the Reflex study, found that radiowaves from mobile phones could permanently alter DNA in human and animal cells. After being exposed to electromagnetic fields, the cells showed a significant increase in DNA damage which could not always be repaired by the cell. Such mutations have been cited as possible causes of cancer.

The research did not go on to look at whether these cellular changes were linked to disease. The UK National Radiological Protection Board reportedly advised people not to be worried by the study’s findings. It is understood that the report failed to show any direct evidence of harm to human health from mobile phones. The scientists that published the study said more work was needed to see the actual effect of mobile phones on health.

Karolinska Institute study

In August 2004, scientists from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm reported on a study looking at the power levels of mobile phones used in different areas, which found that those used in rural areas are likely to use higher power levels to ensure a good signal. This is because mobile phones adapt their output to the conditions around them so in rural areas, where base stations are relatively sparse, the output power level is higher than in more densely populated parts.

University of Szeged study

In June 2004, scientists from the University of Szeged in Hungary presented research to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) suggesting that carrying a mobile phone may have an adverse effect on male fertility. The report’s findings were however questioned by other experts who suggested that further research needed to be carried out into any possible link between mobile phones and fertility.

Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation

In January 2004 the Government's Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation published a review of the evidence on the health effects of mobile phones, which has been published since the Stewart Report.

This review found that the existing evidence does not support cancer causation from radiofrequency exposure, in particular from mobile phone use. This backs up the findings of the Stewart Report, which concluded that 'the balance of evidence does not suggest that emissions from mobile phones and base stations put the health of the UK population at risk.' [Foreword]

However, the Advisory Group acknowledged that as mobile phones have been in use for a relatively short time, continued research is needed as there is still a possibility that there could be health effects from exposure to radiofrequency transmissions below guideline levels. Read the findings of the review yourself.

French Environmental Health Safety Agency

In April 2003 the French Environmental Health Safety Agency (AFSSE) released a report prepared for the French Parliament and Government. The report did not find that there was any evidence of a health risk from the use of mobile phones and/or living near a base station, although it recommended adopting the precautionary principle.

Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority

The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA) published a report concluding that studies of the population in recent years do not suggest there is any link between the use of mobile phones or human proximity to base stations and health risks.

Lund University

In February 2003 scientists at Lund University in Sweden carried out a study on rats, looking at the effects of their exposure to mobile phone radiation. The study suggested that such exposure could destroy cells in areas of the brain important for memory, movement and learning and could conceivably lead to the early onset of illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease, although as yet there is no evidence of a similar effect in humans.

World Health Organisation

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is also in the process of carrying out research into possible health and environmental effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields.

In the meantime the WHO states that 'None of the recent reviews have concluded that exposure to the radio frequency (RF) fields from mobile phones or their base stations causes any adverse health consequences. However there are gaps in knowledge that have been identified for further research to better assess health risks. It will take about 3-4 years for the required RF research to be completed, evaluated and to publish the final results of any health risks.' [WHO Fact Sheet No. 193, revised June 2000]

Virgin Mobile is committed to keeping you up to date on the outcome of the above research projects and new developments as they arise.

Is there anything I can do now if I still feel concerned?

You may want to consider using a hands-free kit with your mobile phone. An independent government report published in July 2000 ('SAR tests on mobile phones used with and without personal hands-free kits') concluded that 'In their intended mode of use, personal hands free kits offer very substantial reductions in SAR compared to the normal use of a mobile phone against the ear.'

These test results were backed up by similar results from tests in Australia and New Zealand. In January 2005, this opinion was further supported by reports that a joint Government and industry funded research project had found that hands-free kits can help to reduce radiation from mobile phones by about half.

Are Mobile Base Stations Dangerous?

As explained above, mobile phones work by receiving and transmitting radio waves to and from base stations - the masts you sometimes see on top of buildings or at the side of the road.

Virgin Mobile uses T-Mobile's national network of base stations to carry radio signals to and from our mobile phones and scientific evidence suggests that these base stations do not present a health risk to members of the public, including those who live or work near to them. In fact, the field strength around the base of a T-Mobile base station is thousands of times less than the NRPB public safety guidelines.

Indeed, one of the Stewart Report's conclusions was that on the balance of evidence there is no general risk to the health of people living near to base stations. [Stewart Report - para 1.33]

The results of a Government study published in February 2003 found that emissions from mobile phone masts throughout the UK were well below international guidelines. The study showed that readings of emissions from base stations at school and hospital sites ranged from hundreds to millions of times below international guidelines.

This evidence backed up a report published by the NRPB in June 2000 which showed that in all tested cases, people's total exposure to radio waves near mobile phone base stations was a small fraction of national and international guidelines.

This is because mobile phone base stations operate at a small fraction of the power output of other masts such as TV and radio transmitters. In fact, the transmitter power level that mobile phone base stations operate at is around 100 watts - the same as a domestic light bulb.

You can read the Government's own leaflet on Mobile phone base stations and health.

Where can I find further information?

If you wish to pursue your own research, you might find the following contacts helpful:

The Stewart Report - www.iegmp.org.uk

Health Protection Agency - www.hpa.org.uk or telephone 01235 831 600

International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) - www.icnirp.de

World Health Organisation - www.who.int/peh-emf or telephone (abroad) 00 41 22791 3760

Mobile Operators Association - www.mobilemastinfo.com

Mobile Manufacturers Forum - www.mmfai.org

Department of Health - www.doh.gov.uk

T-Mobile (formerly One2One) - www.t-mobile.co.uk or telephone 0845 412 5000

For help and advice just call your Virgin Mobile team on 0845 6000 789