§ Mr. WatsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his Answer of 21 April 2004,Official Report, column 646W, on mobile phones, if he will evaluate the research on the dielectric property of cells by Bo Sernelius of Linkoping University, Sweden. [170176]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe paper by Bo Sernelius is a recent contribution to the scientific literature and is a theoretical study. It is one of many papers appearing in scientific journals that may have relevance either directly, or as in this case indirectly, to understanding the interaction of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields with people.
The author of the paper considers the findings indicate the need for further work on the measurement of dielectric properties of materials and specifically cautions against interpreting the findings of the study as evidence that mobile phones are harmful.
The publication of work such as this emphasises the need for continuing research and evaluation into the possible health effects of mobile phone technology. This paper and others will continue to be considered by expert review groups such as the National Radiological Protection Board's independent advisory group on non-ionising radiation, which authored the most recent review of the subject in January 2004.