Claim Evidence #1:
Article: Child Leukemia Again Linked to Power Lines
Analyzed By: Monica Lenander
Author: Daniel J. DeNoon
Location of Article: http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20050602/child-leukemia-again-linked-to-power-lines
An expert testimony written by Daniel DeNoon states that a British expert discovered that leukemia was a byproduct of too much exposure to EMF fields. DeNoon states that the examined children were of similar age, birthplace, and sex. There were two groups of children: children with and without leukemia. The findings show that children living 200 meters from the high voltage power line have a 69% higher risk of getting leukemia compared to those who live 600 meters away from the lines, where the risk drops to 23% or below. The exact reason for why the high voltage lines cause leukemia is not known, but some say that it might be that the magnetic fields cause the cancer cells to grow in people who are more prone to developing cancer.
Evaluation of Expert Testimony:
Education: Daniel earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Religion from Emory University.
Experience: DeNoon is senior medical writer for WebMD, researching and reporting daily news stories and health features. He was senior editor for CW Henderson publications and a freelance medical writer, editor, and communications consultant. He was also a full time medical journalist in 1985 and he was founding editor of the newsletters AIDSWeekly and VaccineWeekly and is the author of AIDS Therapies, a 1,500-page encyclopedia of AIDS treatments and vaccines.
Accomplishments: Daniel received a commendation from the Centers for Disease Control for his work during the 2001-2 bioterror attacks and three Sigma Delta Chi awards from the Society for Professional Journalists.
Position: Mr. Denoon is a senior medical writer for WebMD.
Reputation: Mr. DeNoon seems to have a reputation for being a wonderful medical journalist. He has won several professional awards and has written for many professional, well-known companies.
Bias: Being bias doesn't seem to fit Daniel DeNoon. He has written for a long time and written on many different topics in the health field.
Experience: DeNoon is senior medical writer for WebMD, researching and reporting daily news stories and health features. He was senior editor for CW Henderson publications and a freelance medical writer, editor, and communications consultant. He was also a full time medical journalist in 1985 and he was founding editor of the newsletters AIDSWeekly and VaccineWeekly and is the author of AIDS Therapies, a 1,500-page encyclopedia of AIDS treatments and vaccines.
Accomplishments: Daniel received a commendation from the Centers for Disease Control for his work during the 2001-2 bioterror attacks and three Sigma Delta Chi awards from the Society for Professional Journalists.
Position: Mr. Denoon is a senior medical writer for WebMD.
Reputation: Mr. DeNoon seems to have a reputation for being a wonderful medical journalist. He has won several professional awards and has written for many professional, well-known companies.
Bias: Being bias doesn't seem to fit Daniel DeNoon. He has written for a long time and written on many different topics in the health field.
Claim Evidence #2:
Analyzed by: Thomas Landon
Video Location: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr8RQQUqEV8
This presentation is contributing to the Bioinitiative Report of electromagnetic fields and the associated health effects that can lead to cancer. The presentation is given by Dr. Martin Blank, where he discusses the changes in nearly every cell that goes on when there is exposure to the kind of signal emitted from a cell phone. He states that there are no symptoms of EMF radiation other than a possibly heated head after prolonged use of a cell phone or maybe headaches. Going into detail he explains, a stress response, a protective measure used by cells in the human body to cope with damages that could be caused by temperature rises, acidic environments and toxic materials. The cells, he stated, start making tell tail proteins called stress proteins telling the body that there is something harmful in the environment affecting you. These temperature rises caused by EMFs come can come at very low levels from power lines, cell phones, cell towers and even Wi Fi internet. Dr Blank discusses that the cells mobilize this stress response in hope of detecting and repairing damage caused by these low level EMFs to macromolecules like proteins and DNA. However, protection against these EMFs is nearly impossible and molecular damage is a process that is implicated in the start and development of cancer in the body.
Evaluation of Expert Testimony:
Education: Dr Martin Blank has a PhD in Physiology and Cellular Biophysics
1950-1954 City College of New York, BS Magna Cum Laude (Chemistry)
1954-1957 Columbia University, PhD (Physical Chemistry)
1957-1959 Cambridge University, England, PhD (Colloid Science)
Experience: Dr Blank is a professor at Columbia University in New York and has done extensive research and publications on cells, electromagnetic fields & enzymes, along with biochemistry and the like.
Position: Professor @ Columbia University
Reputation: Well renowned Physiologist/ Professor (see awards)
Awards: (these are just a few):
1984 Distinguished Lecturer in Physiology, Wayne State University
1985 Certificate of Commendation, Office Naval Research, Arlington
1987 Invited Lecturer, International Biophysics Congress, Jerusalem
1988 Invited Lecturer, Univ of Bologna, 900th Anniversary Symposium
1989 Visiting Professor, Acad Sci USSR, Inst Electrochemistry, Moscow
and Dept of Biophysics, University of Warsaw, Poland
1990 Certificate of Appreciation, The Electrochemical Society
Yasuda Award, Bioelectrical Repair and Growth Society
1992 Invited Opening Speaker, First Congress of the European Bioelectromagnetics
Association, Brussels, Belgium
Visiting Professor, Tata Institute, Bombay, India
1992-1993 Editor-in Chief, Proceedings, First World Congress on "Electricity and Magnetism in Biology and Medicine"
1993 American Editor, "Bioelectrochemistry and Bioenergetics"
Certificate of Appreciation, American Chemical Society, Environment Div.
1995 Visiting Professor, Dept of Chemistry, Univ of Beersheba, Israel
Visiting Scientist, Dept of Biology, Univ of Victoria, BC, Canada
1997 Plenary Lecturer, Second World Congress on "Electricity and Magnetism in
Biology and Medicine", Bologna, Italy
Bias: I believe that Dr Blank has no bias as he is trying to figure out just how severe electromagnetic fields are on the body. He owns no cell phone, and doesn’t condemn people who use them. However, he feels there is a huge bias in regular research because of the pressure that the industry puts on researchers of EMFs to provide little or no evidence explaining the cellular damage caused by cell phones and the like. This topic and our claim is his main vein of expertise and I feel privileged and a little worried after reading and listening to his lectures on the affects of EMFs and the human body.
Claim Evidence #3:
Newspaper article with Devra Davis
Analyzed by: Gina Kray
Article: Cell Phones and Brain Cancer: The Real Story.
Author: Devra Davis
Source: Newspaper article – The Huffington Post
Location of Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/devra-davis-phd/cell-phones-and-brain-can_b_585992.html
Location of Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/devra-davis-phd/cell-phones-and-brain-can_b_585992.html
Dr. Davis evaluates the results of the controversial Interphone study of more than 5,000 brain tumors that occurred between 2000-2004. It is the largest and longest study on whether cell phones increase the risk of brain tumors. The study examined people in thirteen countries. The study was very flawed and is suspect of bias. However, it did confirm what a number of other studies have already confirmed and that is that after a decade of heavy cell phone use there is a significant increase in brain tumors.
The Interphone study is controversial because of questionable methodology and suspected bias in interpretation of results which has led to some confusion for the public.
The criticisms of the methodology are as follows: The Interphone study evaluated out of date technology in use long ago and included no children or teenagers. It left out those who are most highly exposed such as rural users because they are in more remote areas and cell phones emit more radiation trying to reach more distant antennas. It also did not take into account other experimental and epidemiological studies on the subject and did not include cordless phone use which can emit EMFs just as high as cell phones. Most cell phone users are under 30 years old and no one in the study was under thirty years old. Scientists have established that brain tumors can take three to four decades to develop and less than one in ten people in the Interphone study had used a cell phone for even one decade.
The study has provided some skewed and underestimated effects. This has lead some of the team of Interphone scientists to conclude that it appears that there is some evidence of risk for long term heavy users and others to conclude that there is not sufficient evidence to claim that there is a risk of cancer form EMFs emitted from cell phones and that more work needs to be done over a longer period of time for the evidence to be conclusive. She notes that some of the scientists involved in the study were funded by the cell phone industry. This provides the basis for the claim of bias in the study. It is these scientists that most strongly support the position of not enough evidence of an EMF link to cancer.
Davis points out that other studies have been performed that found consistent evidence that heavy cell phone use for a decade or longer increase risk for brain tumors for at least 30%. The results of these other studies have satisfied some countries such as France who are already taking legislative action to protect consumers feeling they cannot afford to wait 20 more years for the completion of additional studies. “The absence of definitive human evidence at this point in time should not be misconstrued as proof of cell phone safety,” says Professor Daniel Oberhausen, a leader in cell phone safety in France.
Evaluation of Expert Testimony:
Education: Dr. Davis holds a B.S. in Physiological Psychology and an M.A in Sociology from the University of Pittsburgh. She completed a Ph.D in Science Studies at the University of Chicago as a Danforth Foundation Graduate Fellow and a M.P.H. in Epidemiology at the John Hopkins University as a Senior National Cancer Institute Post Doctoral Fellow.
Experience: Dr.Davis’ career has spanned all areas of academia, public policy and scientific research. A former Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Services, she has counseled leading officials in the United States, United Nations, World Health Organization and World Bank.
Accomplishments: She has authored more than 190 publications in books and journals ranging from the Lancet and The Journal of the American Medical Association to the Scientific American and the New York Times. She was honored for her research and public policy work by various national and international groups, she is a member of both the American Colleges of Toxicology and of Epidemiology. She was honored by the Betty Ford Comprehensive Cancer Center and the American Cancer Society with the Breast Cancer Awareness Award, commended by the Director of the national Cancer Institute for Outstanding Service, and has recently been appointed a Global Environmental advisor to Newsweek Magazine.
Author of “The Secret History of the War on Cancer,” which was a top pick by Newsweek and is being used in major schools of public health including Harvard, Emory and Tulane Universities. President Clinton appointed the Honorable Dr. Davis to the newly established Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (1994 -1999).
Position: Dr. Davis is Director of the world’s first center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health. The multidisciplinary Center for the Environmental Oncology includes experts in medicine, basic research, engineering and public policy, who will develop cutting edge studies to identify the causes of cancer and propose policies to reduce the risks of the disease.
Reputation: Very highly acclaimed as indicated by her extensive accomplishments and acknowledgements by highly respected Cancer Institutions.
Bias: None has been determined.
Analysis: Dr Davis has extensive research expertise in the area of cancer which is supported by her recognition by many reputable Cancer and other Medical Institutions, her educational excellence acquired at well respected educational institutions, her many publications, acknowledgements and awards. Based on these facts I consider her to be reliable expert in her evaluations of the studies pertaining to the relationship of EMFs to cancer discussed in the Huffington Post article. Her conclusion that the Interphone study is likely to be biased, questionable in methodology and inadequate in terms of providing strongly supportive or strongly dismissive evidence that EMFs are linked to cancer is reasonable. Her acknowledgement of more independent studies with high standards of methodology providing consistent evidence of a significantly higher risk of cancer with long term exposure to cell phone EMFs seems reliable. Her concern for accurate public information is well founded given the conflicting information provided by the British press compared to the National Cancer Institute’s Website information. Whilst more research is needed it seems important to act on the already strong evidence that we have concerning EMF link to cancer.
Claim Evidence #4:
Analyzed by: Gina Kray
Article: Long Term use of Cellular and Cordless Phones and the Risk of Brain Tumors
Author: Lennart Hardell
LocationArticle: http://www.radiationresearch.org/pdfs/royal_society_hardell.pdf
LocationArticle: http://www.radiationresearch.org/pdfs/royal_society_hardell.pdf
Lennart Hardell evaluated data on two cohort studies and 16 case–control studies on the effects of low frequency EMFs emitted by cell phone use in relationship to brain cancers. Data was scrutinized for use of mobile phone for ≥10 years and ipsilateral exposure if presented. A statistically significant increased risk of malignant brain tumors was observed among the group of diseased mobile phone users The conclusion of Hardell and his co workers is that results from present studies on use of mobile phones for ≥10 years give a consistent pattern of increased risk for acoustic neuroma and glioma. The risk is highest for ipsilateral exposure. This study example is just one of several conducted by Hardell that demonstrates a significant increase in brain tumor risk for long term cell phone users.
Evaluation of Expert Testimony:
Education:
Medical degree from University of Uppsala, Sweden, October 27, 1971.
Authorization to practice the medical profession, National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, November 5, 1971.
Specialized in Internal Medicine, October 18, 1976.
Specialized in Oncology, June 20, 1979.
Medical dissertation, University of Umeå, May 15, 1981.
Experience: Involved research of environmental causes of cancer since 1982. Most of his research has been on risk factors for cancer such as exposure to pesticides and persistent organic pollutants. During recent years he and his co workers have studied the use of cellular and cordless telephones and the risk for brain tumors
Accomplishments:
· Published 322 original research papers and 145 abstracts, short reports Member of editorial board of American Journal of Industrial Medicine.
· Partner in EU research project: Occupational risk factors for rare cancer of unknown etiology.
· Member of Collegium Ramazzini 2003.
· Qualified as an Associate Professor of Oncology, University of Umeå, December 9, 1983.
· Research fellow at School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, USA, August 20, 1984 - August 19, 1985.
· Consultant at the Department of Oncology, Örebro Medical Center, Örebro, Sweden since August 1, 1991.
· Qualified for appointment as a Professor of Oncology in Århus, Denmark, 1992.
· Research appointment at the Swedish Medical Research Council July 1, 1994 – June 30, 2000 in molecular genetic epidemiology.
· Supervisor for researchers (medical dissertations).
· Chairman of Örebro County Council Radiation Protection Committee July 1, 1995 – December 31, 1998.
· Vice chairman in Örebro County Council Research Committee January 27, 1992 – December 31, 1998.
· Vice secretary of Örebro County Council Ethical Committee January 27, 1992 – December 31, 1998.
· Deputy of Ethical Committee at Akademiska sjukhuset, Uppsala, Sweden until December 31, 1998.
· Member of Research Committee at the Medical Center, Örebro.
· Member of Educational Committee at Örebro Medical Center, Örebro.
· Faculty member of International Journal of Oncology.
Awards:
- Receiver of the Fernström Award, University of Umeå, October 9, 1982 Receiver of Cancer- och Allergifondens
- Environmental Research Prize, April 24, 1997, Stockholm.
- Miljöpartiet de Gröna Research Prize, September 21, 2001.
- Cancer Prevention Research Prize November 2005.
- Acta Oncologica Lecture Prize 2006-03-22
- Prize winner Swedish Cooperation (Änglamark) 2007
Position: Professor and consultant in Oncology and Cancer Epidemiology at the University Hospital in Orebro, Sweden
Reputation: Internationally highly acclaimed expert in his field
Reputation: Internationally highly acclaimed expert in his field
Bias: None can be ascertained. The Hardell research was not funded by the cell phone industry. Funding was obtained from the Orebro University Hospital Cancer Fund and Cancer – och Allergifonden. He is also known to have used blinded studies and his methodology is recognized to be of a high standard.
Analysis: Based on Dr. Hardell’s education, experience and accomplishments in cancer research and his very specific studies concerning the impact of cell phone generated EMFs on the development of brain tumors we can conclude that he is an expert in his field. His findings of significant increases in the incidence of brain tumors in individuals with 10 years or more heavy use of cell phones can be considered reliable particularly since these finding are consistent with some other independent studies and are also consistent with the findings for long term users in the controversial Interphone study.
Claim Evidence #5:
Analyzed by: Gina MacManus
Video: TV interview with Dr. George Carlo
Author: Dr. George Carlo EMF Cell Phone Dangers Interview
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GD_BKTWyTY&feature=related
Evaluation of Expert Testimony:
Expert: Dr. George Carlo is a public health scientist, advisor, and research and development director. He has owned his own research and advisory firm since 1984, serving as chairman and CEO. He has also overseen the management and communication of all research results to government, the media, and the public.
Education: Dr. Carlo earned his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from SUNY-Buffalo and his law degree from the George Washington University National Law Center. He is a certified Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology.
Experience/Accomplishments: During the past decade, Dr. Carlo has managed over $57 million of research support. Since 1986, he has served on the adjunct faculty of George Washington University's School of Medicine and Health Sciences; he was previously on the faculties of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the School of Medicine at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Dr. Carlo serves in numerous scientific advisory capacities for public and private groups, including the U.S. Congress, World Health Organization, National Institutes of Health, Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Disease Control, and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. He recently chaired and directed Wireless Technology Research LLC, the seven-year independent program that conducted the pivotal research into health effects of cellular phone use. He also headed the Breast Implant Public Health Project.
The author of over 100 published articles, health policy papers, and other publications, George has testified before government and regulatory agencies in the U.S. and internationally. He often speaks at seminars and is a frequent interview subject.
Dr. Carlo headed the $28.5 million research program funded by the cell phone industry from 1993 to 1999. Dr. Carlo has appeared on 20/20, 60 Minutes, World News Tonight, CBS News with Dan Rather and The Today's Show, as well as on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC.
Position: Dr. George Carlo, Ph.D, M.S., J.D, is a public health scientist, epidemiologist, lawyer, and the founder of the Science and Public Policy Institute.
Reputation: Dr. Carlo is very well respected and known as one of the most credible cell phone skeptics. He has extensive expertise researching the health effects of EMFs and EMRs and cellular phone usage.
Bias: I do not feel that Dr. Carlo is biased. He is speaking to the public about the findings of his research and exposing information that the cell phone industry does not want the public to know. In fact, Dr. Carlo directed a 7-year research program funded by the cell phone industry to assess the health risks of mobile phones. The cell phone industry did not like his findings because of the profound risks uncovered by his research on EMF exposure from cell phone usage.
Analysis: After gathering and reviewing the information on Dr. George Carlo, it is apparent that he is an expert on evaluating the health risks associated with EMF exposure. His research supports that there are numerous risks involved with cell phone usage including the development of cancers over time. His testimony serves as a great resource of support for our claim that exposure to EMFs can cause cancer.
