 "Photo: Liquid Library")
Nowadays, it seems even the most routine activities can put you at risk for cancer - flying, wearing deodorant, eating too much health food.
Even a normal amount of alcohol consumption is believed to increase the chances of developing cancer, according to the latest research by the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Oakland.
Where does one draw the line between a significant cancer threat and simply being too paranoid? Scientists are working on that answer and a popular topic is the way people use cell phones.
Humans are exposed to radiation every day from items such as microwaves, power lines, televisions, radio station antennas and cell phones. However, cell phones emit a form of "non-ionizing" electromagnetic radiation, which means they do not have the ability to damage DNA, such as the dangerous "ionizing" radiation that comes from tanning booths.
However, when people use the microwave or watch TV, they aren't in physical contact with the device, thus decreasing the amount of radiation their body encounters.
As for cell phones, the radiation-trafficking antenna is pressed right against our heads.
This has raised the question of whether close-contact exposure to this type of radio frequency, or RF, can be linked to the development of various types of brain tumors.
According to the rules set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, cell phone manufacturers must not exceed a set Specific Absorption Rate, or SAR. The SAR is the amount of RF energy gathered by the antenna, which can be found in a phone's instruction manual or the manufacturer's Web site.
However, the FDA does not review a phone's SAR before it's marketed. Only if the phone is found to be hazardous can the FDA then require the manufacturers to take action.
From the bulky mobile phones of the '90s to the new iPhone, cellular technology has come a long way in the last decade. With these advancements, many consumers believe phones are safer and pose no threat.
English sophomore Lindsey Messner said she mainly uses her phone for text messaging and therefore doesn't feel at risk.
"I have thought about (the potential risks of cell phones), but hopefully cell phone companies are working on minimalizing the risk as technology progresses," Messner said.
However, nursing sophomore Tanner Mackay has never felt concerned about the effects of using his cell phone.
"I never think about the potential harm of cell phone usage because technology today has come such a long way," he said. "I don't think there is a significant health risk."
Even if a health threat does exist, it would take years to prove. So far, scientific studies have garnered mixed results.
The biggest study to date was conducted by The Swedish National Institute for Working Life in 2006 where 2,220 cancer and non-cancer patients were compared and interviewed about their cell phone-use habits.
The study found that people who used cell phones equal to the amount of one hour per day for six years had a 240 percent greater chance of developing a tumor. Brain tumors of frequent users were commonly found on the side of the head where the phone was usually held.
Other forms of research contradict these findings, such as one United Kingdom experiment conducted by the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Program. However, the study didn't deny any possible long-term effects of cell phones because cancer would take many years to develop, about the same amount of time cell phones have existed.
In order to prove cell phones are completely safe, more long-term research is obviously needed.
But one fact cannot be debated: The more hours spent on a cell phone, the more RF energy is coming into contact with your head.
For those who are concerned with this possible risk, moderating cell phone use is an option. However, some cell phone users believe the risk is too small to be concerned over.
Business administration junior Matt Franke believes life shouldn't be lived in fear of these unproven health risks.
"What isn't a hazard to your health these days?" he said. "The sun is hazardous to your health, but that doesn't mean we stop going outside."
Messner agreed with Franke, stressing that only excessive use should be a cause for concern.
"Cell phones aren't harmful unless you're on it 20 hours a day," she said. "I think we're safe."
Whatever one chooses to believe, it can't hurt to use a hands-free device in order to increase the distance between the antenna and the head.
However, because there is no definite answer to this debate, only time and research will uncover the truth.
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