This year has seen the publication of the long awaited Interphone study looking at brain tumour risk in mobile phone users. However, the advent of these new data does not change the overall picture being that for up to about ten years of mobile phone use associations with brain tumour risk are unlikely. This conclusion is based on the collective of studies on mobile phone use and brain tumour risk as well as on overall trends (rather lack thereof) in brain tumour statistics. For longer duration of use, for specific subtypes of cancer, and for children and adolescents data are sparse or non-existing, and conclusions are less certain.
Available data do not indicate any risks related to exposure to RF from base stations or radio or TV antennas. Taking into account also the low levels of exposure that these sources give rise to, health effects from transmitters are unlikely.
While heating remains the only established biological effect from exposure to RF fields, the studies on human volunteers showing effects on EEG in the alpha band are rather interesting and certainly warrant further study. The effects are weak and not associated with any behavioural or health consequences. However, they appear to be mediated by a mechanism other than heating.