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Science and the truth in mobile telecommunication research | |
Germany | Created: 4 Oct 2008 |
Munich, September 10, 2008 - The German Mobile Telecommunication Research Programme (DMF) was carried out within the last six years and the costs of 17 million Euro have been borne equally by the Government and the telecommunication industry. Based on the results it was concluded that there is no reason to doubt the protective effect of the present safety limits against health risks from mobile phone radiation. The overwhelming echo in the media reaching far beyond Germany was in line with the significance of this statement. However, regarding its truthfulness it is in stark contradiction to the current status of international research, and it is not even covered by the results of the own research programme. The DMF can give no answer on the central issue of long-term effects of mobile phone radiation and on the special risk for children. In view of this limitation, the all clear signal is close to irresponsibility, and since the existence of athermic effects well below the valid safety limits has been entirely ignored, it is not far away from being unconscionable. To realize this in time thus preventing a wrong decision by the Federal Government would have been the task of an governmental advisory committee, the so-called German Radiation Protection Board (SSK) consisting exclusively of scientists. But we experience exactly the opposite: It is the SSK's recommendation that made the Government's all clear signal even possible. A major role in this advisory committee plays Prof. Alexander Lerchl from the private Jacobs University Bremen, whose scientific work enjoys special support from the telecommunication industry. For quite a while he objects the results from the international research indicating possible harmful effects of mobile phone radiation, and especially of the UMTS radiation. In the Rector of the Medical University Vienna (MUV) and the editors of the German weekly Der Spiegel he did apparently find partners who support his activities without any reservation. A few months ago the Rector of MUV claimed solely on the basis of suspicions and misleading information, which came among others from Alexander Lerchl, that two important studies on possible genotoxic effects of mobile phone radiation from the Division of Occupational Health in his university have been fabricated. By demanding from the authors and the editors of the scientific journals where the studies had been published the retraction of both, he followed the recommendation of his Council of Ethics in Science. But surprisingly it turned out that the composition of this Council did not even stick to ethical principles of the MUV in so far as its chairman was a representative of the Austrian telecommunication industry! After the disclosure of this scandal another meeting of the Council was fixed, this time with a neutral chairman. The minutes of this meeting which are treated as a secret document not foreseen for publication, but which we could view being co-author of the published studies, show convincingly that the allegations against the concerned research team are with a high probability unfounded. Remaining uncertainties could be easily clarified if this is actually wanted. But what does the Rector do? Regardless of the content of the minutes he repeats his allegations in public announcements. These accusations were considered important enough to be dealt with in major journals like Science, and Der Spiegel brought them out into the open in a sensational presentation. On his homepage the Rector of the MUV comments on science and truth in general and in particular in the field of mobile phone radiation research. Following his understanding, he considers it obviously justified to destroy scientific results obtained in many years of research as well as reputation of the involved researchers, based solely on his suspicion of wrong-doing, although none of his allegations is proven yet. A campaign like this, although not new in mobile phone radiation research, contradicts all demands on scientific and journalistic honesty. Even worse, the denial of possible risks to the health of people due to mobile phone radiation which are well documented decisively contradicts the mission of any medical university! At present, one can only speculate on the background of these activities which inevitably lead to the destruction of scientific data and aim at the manipulation of the public opinion. Doing so, one can try to find an explanation on the basis of available hints. The consequence of getting the Vienna research results out of the scientific literature would be that one important reason speaking against the irresponsible DMF statement and the claimed reliability of the current safety limits would at least be weakened, if not removed at all. And if the planned continuation of research on the same topics as followed in Vienna could be prevented for some years, the telecommunication industry would have no reason to complain. The VERUM Foundation which organized and coordinated the largely EU-funded REFLEX project (QLK4-CT- 1999-01574) running from 2000 to 2004, did in the meantime submit a grant application for a follow-up research project including 9 international partners. The REFLEX project with a considerable contribution by the Vienna team showed that mobile radiation can alter the structure and function of genes in isolated human cells. With the new project it is intended to find out if similar alterations in cells can be found also in humans, and especially in children and adolescents. Should that be the case, there would be a strong indication that mobile phone radiation is a health risk for man, although the extent of it would still lie in the dark. The follow-up project received an excellent evaluation by the reviewers of the EU Commission but still has not been funded yet. How far the events in Vienna did influence the Commission to hesitate can hardly be found out. But once more the question arises who will profit most from preventing this kind of research and with it the further clarification of possible health risks due to mobile phone radiation. Of course, not Alexander Lerchl from the private Jacobs University Bremen who enjoys the special support of the telecommunication industry and not the actors in Vienna and Hamburg who support him. It is the telecommunication industry that obviously makes use of willing straw men. That truthfulness and reliability in the science of mobile phone radiation research must not be hindered in this way, for that we have to take care now. |
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Source: Verum Foundation, Prof. Franz Adlkofer, 10 Sep 2008 |
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