vnunet.com analysis: electrical sensitivity wrecks lives

A good example of the battle between electro-sensitivity sufferers and their detractors came in October 2007 following research published by the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.

A pair of Israeli scientists, Joseph Friedman and Rony Seger, found that radiation emitted from cellphones can trigger cellular changes that could interfere with the process of cell division, which in turn could lead to the growth of tumours.

At the 'Daily Mail level' this became: 'Only 10 minutes on a mobile could trigger cancer.' But it also showed a non-thermal connection between the effects of mobile phones on cells.

As mobile phone makers take great care to ensure that their gadgets don't heat up your brain, it offered electrically sensitive people hope that their symptoms could be explained and attributed to phones.

Stein likened the results to the Sudan 1 carcinogenic food dye scare, which resulted in millions of pounds worth of food being recalled and destroyed.

Samworth Brothers was involved in that recall, and Stein believes that the situation was over hyped, but the food industry reacted swiftly and responsively and honestly.

He does not believe that the mobile phone industry reacts in the same way. " If I put some food on the shelves that showed brain damage after 10 minutes would you eat it?" he asked.

For now Stein encourages his staff not to spend too long on mobile phones. He gets Samworth Brothers to invest in the lowest emission computers it can, and lobbies against the installation of phone masts.

He believes he is part of a generation of businessman who are suffering from their adoption of technology.

"People who've been using mobile phones for 20 years are dying of brain tumours. They are sales directors and managing directors. I'm seeing my friends dying."