Mobile mast radiation fears at 1-in-3 schools

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Mobile mast radiation fears at 1-in-3 schools
by BETH HALE, SEAN POULTER and PHILIP WHITESIDE, Daily Mail 08:52am 24th January 2005

A third of schools in Britain's towns and cities have a mobile phone mast within 200 metres of the main buildings and playgrounds, a Daily Mail survey reveals.

MPs and campaigners said they were horrified by the findings.

It comes days after Government experts warned of a genuine radiation risk to young brains, particularly in children of primary school age.

A report by the Government's chief adviser on mobile phone safety, Sir William Stewart, said the signal was strongest between 50 metres and 200 metres from the mast.

Increasing safety fears

Sir William, head of the National Radiological Protection Board, said of masts near schools: "I believe on a precautionary basis it would be better if they were not there. I would prefer them not to be near schools."

Experts warn that with so little research it's impossible to predict the long-term health effects. But studies have already found that people exposed to radio signals from some masts suffer "significant" effects, including headaches and nausea.

Despite the increasing safety fears, however, thousands of masts are going up near schools around the country - and it is clear the number is growing.

Our survey revealed that out of 225 primary schools in 15 towns and cities, 71 had at least one mobile phone mast within 200 metres.

Soho Parish Primary School in central London had a staggering 27 masts within that distance of its gates - thought to be the biggest concentration at any school in Britain. London generally was the worst-hit area, with 80 per cent of schools sampled having at least one mast.

In Birmingham, 53 per cent of sampled primary schools had at least one, while in Edinburgh and Derby the figure was 47 per cent.

The scale of the situation was no different among secondary schools, where 40 per cent had at least one mast nearby.

Of the 300 schools surveyed in total, 103 - just over a third - had at least one mast within 200 metres.

'It's just not acceptable'

Last night Phil Willis MP, Liberal Democrat chairman of the all-party Mobile Communications Group, said he was "horrified" by the results.

He said: "In 2000, Sir William Stewart said we should take a precautionary approach with regards to schoolchildren and now we find that a significant proportion of children throughout the land are being exposed on a daily basis to emissions from masts.

"It's something that is just not acceptable at a time when the Government is acting as the nanny state for everything other than the health of our children."

The former headteacher added that the Government was "in hock" to mobile phone operators and there should be mandatory consultation with schools and communities before new masts were erected.

Councils, schools, MPs and parents have campaigned for controls on where they can be placed. In 2000, the Stewart Report proposed all masts should face the normal planning application process and that schools should be consulted.

But that advice was rejected by the Government which, despite mounting concerns, is refusing to accept such safeguards.

Currently, only masts over 15 metres in height need planning permission, which means thousands can go up unchallenged.

'It's very concerning'

In November, the Court of Appeal ruled that masts above the 15-metre limit cannot be rejected on health grounds, even if they are close to schools.

Studies into the health effects have reached conflicting conclusions. In January last year, an £18million Government study dismissed fears about the safety of base stations, saying exposure levels were 1,000 times lower than using a mobile phone.

But a Dutch government study found that people exposed to radio signals from 3G masts suffer "significant" physical effects, including headaches and nausea. Caroline Spelman, Tory Local Government Affairs spokesman, said: "It's not scaremongering to be concerned about the possible adverse effect of these masts on our health and that of our young people, especially when the figures in this new survey seem to show how often the masts are located in close proximity to children and their schools.

"The Conservatives are committed to plans whereby all mobile phone masts would be required to have full planning permission, with health concerns being taken into account."

Jean Philips, researcher for pressure group PowerWatch, said: "These masts are being put up quite often without any consultation and with no awareness by the schools. It's very concerning.

"Some research has shown beams from masts can lead to cognitive changes, short-term memory problems and loss of concentration. There are enormous consequences for our children and society as a whole. There should be more consultation-with headteachers and parents before masts go up."

'Complicated'

Dr Michael Clark, of the NRPB, said it was easy to take precautions with a mobile phone handset, but with masts the situation was complicated.

"The planning process needs to be reversed and there needs to be consultation with parents and governors," he said.

A spokesman for the Mobile Operators' Association said the NRPB report found there was no scientific basis for establishing minimal distances between base stations and areas of public occupancy.

He said: "Since 2000, Ofcom has undertaken more than 350 random audits of base stations near schools and hospitals. The measurements from these audits show that emission levels from base stations are typically small fractions.

"There are 55million mobile phone subscribers in the UK. Those phones simply will not work without a network of base stations in areas where people want to use their phones."


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Mobile phone radiation damages DNA
11:08am 22nd December 2004

Radio waves from mobile phones do harm cells and damage DNA, European research has revealed.

The four-year Reflex Study found genomes - the carrier of genes - were harmed by exposure to electro-magnetic fields from such technology.

Some of these genes were harmed beyond repair, leading to the potential development of "catastrophic" diseases such as cancer, it was claimed.

Uncertainty over findings

But the study's co-ordinator, Professor Franz Adlkofer of the German research group Verum, warned that the research was carried out in laboratory conditions and did not reflect real life.

"There is a great, great difference between the two," he said. "These experiments were carried out on isolated cell systems, not with human beings."

He said the study, which was carried out by 12 research groups across seven European countries, did not conclude that mobile phones damaged health.

Prof Adlkofer said more research needed to be done, exposing rats and mice to such radiation - something that is being explored by the US National Institute of Health.

He said: "These experiments were carried out in glass tubes, so it is not possible to prove conclusively either way.

"But we feel that this data would support the message that there might be something there."

The three million euro study found that cells exposed to high frequency radio waves showed a significant increase in single and double-strand DNA breaks, much of which could not be repaired.

Intermittent exposure of five-minute bursts proved to be more damaging to cells than constant radiation.

Higher risk for older people

The research also found that older cells were more susceptible to the emissions from low frequency bodies such as power lines as well as the high radio frequencies from telecommunications.

"In old people, the gene repair system is not as effective as it is in younger people," said Prof Adlkofer. "This makes them more vulnerable."

Although there is no direct link, Prof Adlkofer advised people to use landlines rather than mobile phones just as a precaution.

The debate over mobile phones and their potential risks has raged for years, with the phone operators insisting they do not damage users' health.

Approximately 1.5 billion people around the world use mobile phones.