Mobile phone radiation probe launched

The UK government has commissioned a £7.4m research programme to find conclusive evidence of the radiation risks of using mobile phones.

The extensive study will carry out 14 projects designed to settle previous inconclusive and contradictory research on the subject.

A BBC report this morning pointed out that, although there was no evidence to suggest that mobile phone use could cause cancers in the brain and nervous system, the radiation emitted by handsets could bring about subtle biological changes.

This could be of most danger to children whose skulls and nervous systems are not fully developed.

The 14 studies will also look at the effects of mobile phone use on behaviour, blood pressure and hearing. Other tests will look at whether mobile phone radiation can increase the effect of cancers.

The scheme received the backing of public health minister Yvette Cooper, who was quoted on the BBC as saying: "This package of research projects will make the UK a world leader in determining whether there are health [risks] from using mobile phones.

"We need to fill the gaps in our scientific knowledge as soon as possible so that we can provide people with the evidence they need to make an informed choice about using their mobile phones."

But there are reports that some critics of the scheme believe that the research is too late to assess the long-term effects of mobile phone use.