News for China

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Phone-addicted Movie-go'ers given a driving lesson!
China Created: 11 Jun 2014
Just half a second of distraction and you're up (a tree).

Watch this video (1½ min.):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHixeIr_6BM
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Volkswagen, Eyes on the Road campaign, 06 Jun 2014

Association between mobile phone use and semen quality: a systemic review and meta-analysis
China Created: 8 Apr 2014
Summary: Possible hazardous health effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiations emitted from mobile phone on the reproductive system have raised public concern in recent years.

This systemic review and meta-analysis was prepared following standard procedures of the Cochrane Collaboration and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement and checklist.

Relevant studies published up to May 2013 were identified from five major international and Chinese literature databases: Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, CNKI, the VIP database and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials in the Cochrane Library. Eighteen studies with 3947 men and 186 rats were included in the systemic review, of which 12 studies (four human studies, four in vitro studies and four animal studies) with 1533 men and 97 rats were used in the meta-analyses.

Systemic review showed that results of most of the human studies and in vitro laboratory studies indicated mobile phone use or radiofrequency exposure had negative effects on the various semen parameters studied.

However, meta-analysis indicated that mobile phone use had no adverse effects on semen parameters in human studies. In the in vitro studies, meta-analysis indicated that radiofrequency radiation had detrimental effect on sperm motility and viability in vitro [pooled mean difference (MDs) (95% CI): −4.11 (−8.08, −0.13), −3.82 (−7.00, −0.65) for sperm motility and viability respectively]. As for animal studies, radiofrequency exposure had harmful effects on sperm concentration and motility [pooled MDs (95% CI): −8.75 (−17.37, −0.12), −17.72 (−32.79, −2.65) for sperm concentration and motility respectively].

Evidence from current studies suggests potential harmful effects of mobile phone use on semen parameters.

A further multicentred and standardized study is needed to assess the risk of mobile phone use on the reproductive system.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Wiley Online Library / Andrology, Liu K. et al, 03 Apr 2014

Magnetic fields exposure and childhood leukemia risk: A meta-analysis based on 11,699 cases and 13,194 controls
China Created: 15 Jan 2014
Abstract: Objective: To observe the association between childhood leukemia and magnetic field exposure.

Methods:
The literature was searched by PubMed, ProQuest, Web of Science (SCI) and Medline databases during 1997–2013. Heterogeneity in several studies was weighted by I-squared value. Publication bias was tested by funnel plot and Egger's test. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI were used to evaluate the association strength. The statistical analyses in present study were carried out by STATA software package (version 12.0, College Station, TX).

Results:
A total of 11,699 cases and 13,194 controls in 9 studies were stratified by different exposure cut-off points. On condition of the reference <0.1&#956;T, statistical association between magnetic field intensity &#8805;0.4&#956;T and childhood leukemia was exhibited (for total leukemia: OR=1.57, 95% CI=1.03–2.40; for acute lymphocytic leukemia: OR=2.43, 95% CI=1.30–4.55). On condition of the reference level of <0.2&#956;T, the positive association between magnetic field intensity &#8805;0.2&#956;T and childhood leukemia was found (OR=1.31, 95% CI=1.06–1.61).

Conclusions:
The result in this meta-analysis indicated that magnetic field exposure level may be associated with childhood leukemia.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Leukemia Research, Liu et al, 02 Jan 2014

Man Allergic To WiFi Lost Job as IT Consultant
China Created: 17 Oct 2013
58-year-old Guy Hudson is one of a growing number of people who identify themselves as being 'electrosensitive', who is 'allergic' to low electromagnetic fields - the kind produced by mobile phones and WiFi - and exposure leads to a raft of physical symptoms.

58-year-old Guy Hudson is one of a growing number of people who identify themselves as being 'electrosensitive'.

This group is 'allergic' to low electromagnetic fields - the kind produced by mobile phones and WiFi - and exposure leads to a raft of physical symptoms.

Guy has suffered for the past eight years. It began with headaches but developed into 24/7 debilitating pain and he was forced to give up his work as an IT consultant.

He spent his time researching what could be wrong with him and discovered the condition 'electro-hypersensitivity' (EHS).

Realizing his headaches got worse when he used his phone, Guy began to read up on the subject.

But it was when he had WiFi installed - and his symptoms noticeably worsened - that he was convinced.

The idea of electrosensitivity was first studied in the 1970s, but in recent years there has been an upsurge in those claiming to suffer from it.

Despite this scientific tests have failed to back up their claims and many experts remain skeptical.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: CRI, Wang Wei, 08 Oct 2013

4G Cell Phone Radiation Affects Brain Activity in Cell Phone Users
China Created: 24 Sep 2013
New peer-reviewed research finds that 30 minutes' exposure to 4G (LTE) cellphone radiation affects brain activity on both sides of the brain.

Sep. 23, 2013 - BERKELEY, Calif. -- The first study on the short-term effects of Long Term Evolution (LTE), the fourth generation cell phone technology, has been published online in the peer-reviewed journal, Clinical Neurophysiology. (1)

In a controlled experiment, researchers exposed the right ear of 18 participants to LTE cellphone radiation for 30 minutes. The source of the radiation was 1 centimeter from the ear, and the absorbed amount of radiation in the brain was well within international (ICNIRP) cell phone legal limits. The researchers employed a double-blind, crossover, randomized and counter-balanced design to eliminate any possible study biases.

The resting state brain activity of each participant was measured by magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at two times -- after exposure to LTE microwave radiation, and after a sham exposure.

The results demonstrated that LTE exposure affected brain neural activity not only in the closer brain region but also in the remote region, including the left hemisphere of the brain. The study helps explain the underlying neural mechanism for the remote effects of microwave radiation in the brain.

In 2011, Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, published a similar study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that received worldwide news coverage. Dr. Volkow reported that a 50 minute exposure to CDMA, a second generation cell phone technology, increased brain activity in the region of the brain closest to the cell phone. (2)

The current study establishes that short-term exposure to LTE microwave radiation affects the users' brain activity. Although LTE is too new for the long-term health consequences to have been studied, we have considerable evidence that long-term cell phone use is associated with various health risks including increased risk of head and neck cancers, sperm damage, and reproductive health consequences for offspring (i.e., ADHD).

Cell phone users, especially pregnant women and children, should limit their cell phone use. Moreover, cell phone users should not keep their phones near their head, breasts or reproductive organs when using the phone or whenever the phone is turned on unless it is in airplane mode.

For more information about the health effects of cell phone radiation see my Electromagnetic Radiation Safety Web site at http://www.saferemr.com/.

Joel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D.
School of Public Health Health
University of California, Berkeley

Electromagnetic Radiation Safety

Website: http://www.saferemr.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SaferEMRSaferEMR
Twitter: @berkeleyprc

References

(1) Bin Lv, Zhiye Chen, Tongning Wu, Qing Shao, Duo Yan, Lin Ma, Ke Lu, Yi Xie. The alteration of spontaneous low frequency oscillations caused by acute electromagnetic fields exposure. Clinical Neurophysiology. Published online 4 September 2013.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24012322

(2) Volkow ND, Tomasi D, Wang GJ, Vaska P, Fowler JS, Telang F, Alexoff D, Logan J, Wong C. Effects of cell phone radiofrequency signal exposure on brain glucose metabolism. JAMA. 2011 Feb 23;305(8):808-13. doi: 10.1001/jama.2011.186.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184892/
Click here to view the source article.
Source: PRLog, Joel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D., 23 Sep 2013

ANTENNAS RASH ON CAMPUS QUESTIONED
China Created: 28 Jan 2013
Rooftops at HKUST are clogged with ever more mobile phone antennae – so much so that residents fear a link between radiation and cancer cases.

They have added so many new antennae … it is simply unacceptable AN ACADEMIC AT HKUST
11 The number of mobile phone antennae on two apartment blocks housing 22 families at HKUST
It must rank as one of the most spectacular university campuses in the world – a dramatic vista commanding vertigo- inducing views across some of the most unspoilt stretches of coastline in the New Territories.
But compare the outlook from the dizzy heights of the University of Science and Technology in Clear Water Bay to that of a few years ago and you may notice that something new breaks up the horizon of outlying islands and passing yachts: dozens of mobile phone antennae.
In a process that began some six years ago, telecom companies have paid the university to put more and more antennae on teaching blocks and student and staff quarters to improve mobile phone signals in a once notoriously patchy corner of the city for reception.
From just a handful of antennae in 2007, long- term campus residents count 87 rooftop antennae, or base stations, dotted liberally across campus buildings in what may be the highest density of mobile phone antennae per head of population anywhere in Hong Kong.
For the university, with its student body of 12,600 and teaching staff of over 500, it’s a win- win arrangement.
Mobile phone companies improve their coverage, including the signal on campus, and provide welcome funds for the university’s scholarship programme ( although it will not say precisely how much).
But for some academics with young families living on campus – who have seen a new batch of antennae spring up over the Christmas break – the antennae have gradually changed from an architectural oddity into a nagging health concern.
Fuelled by overseas stories of alleged rises in cancer rates in areas close to clusters of mobile phone antennae, they fear their health and that of their children is being put in jeopardy.
They say they have not been informed when additional antennae are put in place and are now preparing an online petition that will demand, among other things, to know why the university has allowed so many antennae and how much money it has been paid.
Concerns over the antennae have escalated to the point where residents are questioning whether there is a link between cancer cases on the campus in recent years involving both teaching staff and students.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, because of the impact she fears it would have on her job, one academic said the erection of new antennae this month meant there were 11 antennae on just two campus apartment blocks housing 22 families – many of them with young children. One block has a kindergarten on the ground floor.
“When the first two mobile phone antennae appeared on staff residential blocks in 2007, some 30 to 40 residents signed a letter expressing concern over it,” the woman said. “One lady living directly below the antennae with two young children was quite upset about it.
“We were told that radiation levels were within safe limits and that everything was safe. We let the matter lie until now when more and more antennae have appeared.”
She claimed there had been 10 cases of cancer in the past four years among residents of the 19 tower blocks where academic staff and their families live, some of them fatal, and a case of advanced lung cancer in a postgraduate student who was a nonsmoker.
Although there was no evidence of any link between the antennae and the cancer cases, suspicions were heightened by what residents see as the apparent secrecy surrounding their installation, she argued.
“They should have the decency to inform us when they put up additional antennae. A lot of my neighbours don’t know what is going on.
“I have a neighbour with young children and she had no idea about the antennae until I told her.
“They have added so many new antennae around the campus. It is simply unacceptable.
“We feel the Environment Bureau should step in and investigate,” she said.
“We want the university to tell us what the safe limit is for mobile phone antennae, because we seem to have so many here. We want to know why they are putting up so many antennae here and how much money they are getting from it.
“It may be that they rely on this money to survive. But is it worth sacrificing the health of the staff and the students?”
Another member of the teaching staff questioned why mobile phone companies did not place antennae on nearby deserted hillsides rather than on the top of apartment blocks.
“There are so many hills around here, so surely they could build a tower away from residential areas,” the member of staff said. “Perhaps they are just taking this option because it is cheaper, but why is the university allowing this?
“If you go around Hong Kong, you can go to posh apartment blocks and there are no mobile phone antennae there because people won’t allow it. But if you go to run- of- the- mill apartment blocks you will see a lot of mobile phone antennae.”
Similarly, the member of staff said apartment blocks on campus housing senior university employees did not have antennae on top while those housing more junior employees did.
“Our biggest concern is for the health of our children,” the employee said. “These are staff quarters and a lot of children live here. Students are here for two or three years but we stay here for years and our children grow up here.”
The member of staff added: “Academics come here from around the world with their young families. We call ourselves Asia’s ‘ world city’. How can we subject them and their families to this without even warning them?”
Responding to the concerns, a spokeswoman for the university said: “The university has been closely monitoring all antenna installations to ensure they fulfil conditions stated in the code of practice established by the Office of the Telecommunications Authority, which was merged with the Broadcasting Authority to become the Office of the Communications Authority.
“In addition, the university has been performing regular antennae surveys to monitor for any potential safety and health impact.
“All surveys conducted by the university show exposure to antenna- associated electromagnetic radiation on campus remain well within allowable safety limit[ s].
“The electromagnetic [ EM] radiation emitted by the telephone base stations … are in a conical- fan shape and essentially directed away from the building, towards the horizon with a slight downward tilt.
“The EM radiation weakens rapidly with distance from the antenna, and the exposure for those at distances exceeding 10 metres from these base stations will be much less than the applicable World Health Organisation exposure guidelines.”
Radiation exposure from base stations was, in any case, negligible, the spokeswoman stressed. “Generally it is impossible for people to stand in close proximity, such as within a few metres, directly in front of these antennae,” she said.
“Secondly, most of these antennae are located in a controlled area where only authorised personnel such as maintenance staff may have access.”
She said there was a strong demand for phone coverage, adding: “The number of mobile phone antenna is dictated by topography of the site and configuration of the buildings.”
The spokeswoman declined to say how much was paid by mobile phone companies but said all income generated went to the university’s undergraduate scholarship fund.
She added: “The university pays close attention to the wellbeing of its members and is committed to providing a safe, environmentally friendly and enabling environment for the campus community.”
A spokesman for the Office of the Communications Authority said mobile phone operators had to obtain its approval for base stations.
“Approval will be granted only if the radio base station concerned meets, among other things, the radiation safety requirement,” the spokesman said.
After consulting the Department of Health, guidelines issued by the International Commission on Non- Ionising Radiation Protection ( ICNIRP) had been adopted in Hong Kong and there was “no evidence” radiation levels below those levels caused adverse health effects.
There was no requirement for residents in blocks where base stations were to be installed to be informed, the spokesman said.
If members of the public were concerned about radiation, the office could arrange site visits, the spokesman added.
“If the measures results suggest that the [ radiation] levels have been exceeded or even approach the ICNIRP limits, the MNOs [ mobile phone network operators] concerned are required to implement remedial action including placing antennas at a higher location, lowering the transmitting powers and restricting access to high [ radiation] areas.”
From 2010 to last November, the office conducted 896 on- site measurements and only two base stations required remedial action to lower radiation levels, the spokesman said.
Such assurances are unlikely to bring an end to the concerns of some families living directly below the antennae.
“I’ve been told that the voltage of the antennae can be turned up or down – so if the telecom companies know an inspection is taking place, they can turn the antennae down before any inspection,” the member of the teaching staff said.
“I don’t trust the office’s measurements. We are trying to get a monitor of our own so that we can take random measurements ourselves and find out the real level of radiation our families are being exposed to.”
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1136799/cancer-fears-over-mobile-phone-antennae-university-hong-kong
South China Morning Post 27 jan. 2013
Simon Parry
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Sylvie/Agnes Ingvarsdottir

Chinese Put Cancer of the Parotid Gland on Center Stage
China Created: 19 Apr 2011
Chinese researchers in Beijing are seeing some of the highest rates of cancer ever reported in any cell phone study. They have found that long-term, heavy users have rates of malignant parotid gland tumors that are seven to 13 times higher than might otherwise be expected.

The raw data --that is, before being adjusted for other possible risk factors like sex, age, income, smoking status and the like--
point to cancer risks that are elevated 10-fold, 20-fold, and even 30-fold, depending on the type of tumor and how heavy cell phone use is defined.

Read the full story at
http://www.microwavenews.com/Duan.Zhang.html

Best,
Louis Slesin

Related News:
Dec 2010, Israel: A Game Changer?
Jul 2009, Israel: Study Looks At Salivary Gland Cancer, Cell Phone Link
Jul 2009, Israel: Sharp increase in Parotid gland cancer: new report
Feb 2008, USA: Cell Phone Use Linked To Increased Cancer Risk
Dec 2007, Australia: Mobile phone use increases risk of mouth cancer
Dec 2007, India: New research links mobile phone use to mouth cancer
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Microwave News, Louis Slesin, 18 Apr 2011

Wireless industry wants to put a Mobile-Phone into Every Device
China Created: 7 Feb 2011
HONG KONG -- The GSMA today announced the formation of a task force of mobile operators to explore the development of an embedded SIM that can be remotely activated. The move is expected to enable the design of exciting new form factors for mobile communications. It will also speed the development of M2M services by making it easier to bring mobile broadband to non-traditional devices such as cameras, MP3 players, navigation devices and e-Readers, as well as smart meters.

"The traditional SIM has been an important innovation in mobile telephony, and has provided many benefits to consumers in terms of security, portability of contacts, and ease of portability of devices across networks," said Rob Conway, CEO and Member of the Board of the GSMA. "As our industry moves from connecting phones to connecting a wide range of devices, it is apparent that the embedded SIM could deliver even greater flexibility. The embedded SIM will provide assured levels of security and portability for consumers, as well as provide additional functionality for enabling new services such as e-Wallet and NFC applications."

The GSMA-led task force comprises a group of leading technical experts drawn from operators including AT&T, China Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom Orange, KT, NTT DOCOMO, SK Telecom, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone. The group will work in cooperation with major SIM producers.

The task force will analyse market requirements and deliver a technical solution as an evolution of the current SIM provisioning mechanisms. The proposed embedded SIM solution will include programmable SIM card capabilities to enable remote activation.

The group is expected to complete the analysis of market requirements by January 2011. The resulting technical solution will be built on the principles of openness and standardisation. Devices featuring the new SIM activation capability are expected to appear in 2012. Traditional SIM-supported devices will continue to work on existing networks.

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry. Spanning 219 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world's mobile operators, as well as more than 200 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies, and media and entertainment organisations. The GSMA is focused on innovating, incubating and creating new opportunities for its membership, all with the end goal of driving the growth of the mobile communications industry.

For more information, please visit Mobile World Live, the new online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com or the GSMA corporate website at www.gsmworld.com.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: PRNewsWire, GSMA, 10 Nov 2010

WHO scrambles to downplay soaring EMR health concerns in China
China Created: 24 Nov 2009
Watch the video report via the source link below.

Electromagnetic radiation has become a new environmental pollution focus. The amount of EMR has increased greatly in recent years due to advances in information technology. As a result, there are growing concerns about its effects on human health.

Environmental protection departments say complaints about EMR pollution have soared, especially in developed regions and cities.

EMR sources include transformer stations, base stations for wireless communication, and personal electronic appliances.

Convenience in daily live comes with potential hazards.

Research has indicated that intensive exposure to EMR could affect the brain, or even trigger fatal diseases.

Zhao Yufeng,China Interior Decoration Assoc., said, "If the amount of radiation reaches a certain level, it will have some negative effects on sensitive people."

Professional EMR monitors have measured the amount of radiation from two of the largest transformer stations in Beijing and Shanghai. The results at both are within the safety limit.

They've also checked some base stations for mobile phones in residential areas.

Zhu Chongde, staff member of Shanghai Raadiation Supervision Station, said, "The level of radiation at this spot should be relatively high, because the antenna of the station is pointing here directly. The reading is far lower than the standard set by environmental protection departments."

As for mobile phones themselves, the amount of EMR emitted by some is 20 percent above the national standard.

Some experts think that even if the amount is within the standard, frequent cell phone use could still be harmful.

But an official from the World Health Organization has downplayed concerns.

The WHO stresses that it doesn't consider research on EMR unnecessary. The organization is conducting large- scale research projects in several countries, with the goal of creating a standard.
Click here to view the source article.
Source: CCTV, 24 Nov 2009

Exposure to 1800 MHz radiofrequency radiation induces oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA in primary cultured neurons.
China Created: 5 Nov 2009
Increasing evidence indicates that oxidative stress may be involved in the adverse effects of radiofrequency (RF) radiation on the brain.
Because mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) defects are closely associated with various nervous system diseases and mtDNA is highly susceptible to oxidative stress, the purpose of this study was to determine whether radiofrequency radiation can cause oxidative damage to mtDNA. In this study, we exposed primary cultured cortical neurons to pulsed RF electromagnetic fields at a frequency of 1800 MHz modulated by 217 Hz at an average special absorption rate (SAR) of 2 W/kg.
At 24h after exposure, we found that RF radiation induced a significant increase in the levels of 8-hydroxyguanine (8-OHdG), a common biomarker of DNA oxidative damage, in the mitochondria of neurons.
Consistent with this finding, the copy number of mtDNA and the levels of mitochondrial RNA (mtRNA) transcripts showed an obvious reduction after RF exposure.
Each of these mtDNA disturbances could be reversed by pretreatment with melatonin, which is known to be an efficient in the brain.
Together, these results suggested that 1800 MHz RF radiation could cause oxidative damage to mtDNA in primary cultured neurons.
Oxidative damage to mtDNA may account for the neurotoxicity of RF radiation in the brain.

Brain Res. 2009 Oct 29. [Epub ahead of print]
Xu S, Zhong M, Zhang L, Zhou Z, Zhang W, Wang Y, Wang X, Li M, Chen Y, Chen C, He M, Zhang G, Yu Z.
Department of occupational health, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, People's Republic of China.
PMID: 19879861 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Iris Atzmon

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