RFK, Jr. is now focusing on whether cell phones are safe. Here’s what the science says

The possible health effects of radio frequency waves emitted by cell phones have been debated for decades.

By Jackie Flynn Mogensen edited by Claire Cameron

The US Department of Health and Human Services is concerned about the cell phone problem. As part of the department, the Food and Drug Administration removed web pages claiming the devices were safe, according to the Wall Street Journal. And HHS, led by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., would have plans to research the possible health effects of radiation emitted by cell phones.

The FDA removed online reports that scientists had not found a link between exposure to radiofrequency (RF) waves emitted by cell phones and users’ health problems.

Some of the removed web pages contained “old findings,” an HHS spokesperson said. Wall Street Journal. The spokesperson also said research into cell phone radiation would “identify gaps in knowledge.” The agency provided a similar statement to Scientific Americanadding that the research was “led by President Trump’s MAHA Commission.”

On supporting science journalism

If you enjoy this article, please consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribe. By purchasing a subscription, you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

The administration has not provided any new evidence of these steps. So what does science say about cell phones?

It’s a “complex topic,” says Kenneth Foster, professor emeritus in the department of bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, who studied the health risks of cell phones.

“People have been discussing the health effects of RF radiation from cell phones for decades,” he says.

For years, the official position of federal health agencies, such as the FDA, was that there was no evidence of a causal link between cell phone use and cancer. This conclusion was also shared by the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates cell phones. Always, some scientists have raised alarms about cell phones and potential health risks, including cancer, although more qualitative research is needed to fully understand what effect, if any, cell phones have on the body.

In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, noted that radiofrequency waves are “possibly carcinogenic to humans“, but it did not identify a causal link. (The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.) And a handful of studies in laboratory rats suggest that exposure to RF radiation may be linked to cancer. But it’s unclear whether these findings would apply to humans, and studies in humans have been inconsistent and limited in scope and effectiveness.

What is clear, however, is that cell phones appear to have a clear negative effect on health: on our mental health, Foster says.

“[There] This seems to be stronger evidence for the cognitive effects of cell phone use and excessive screen use, another matter,” he says. “Don’t text while driving either!”