MOBI-KIDS; Study on communication technology, environment and brain tumours in young people.

Mobile phone use has increased dramatically in many countries since its
introduction in the early-to-mid 1980s. This technology has brought with it
some concerns about health and safety. In the late 1990s, several expert groups
critically reviewed the evidence on health effects of low-level exposure to
radiofrequency (RF) and extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields
and recommended research into the possible adverse health effects of mobile
telephony. As a result, in 2000 a multinational epidemiological case-control
study, INTERPHONE, was conducted in 13 countries to investigate whether mobile
phone use increases the risk of cancer and more specifically, whether RF fields
emitted by mobile phones are carcinogenic. The results did not provide a clear
picture and room is left for a possible increased risk of brain tumors among
people who used a mobile telephone for more than 10 years.

The INTERPHONE study focused on adults (30-59 years old) and has no information
on risks from exposure in childhood, as mobile phone use in children at the
time the study started was still low. The rapid worldwide increase in mobile
phone use in adolescents and, more recently, children, has generated
considerable interest in the possible health effects of exposure to RF fields.
Concern originates from the fact that, if there is a risk, it is likely to be
greater for use at these ages for the following reasons: the developing
neurological system may be more sensitive to the effects of RF; the spatial
distribution of RF energy absorption in the brain of children and adolescents
may be different than that in adults; and because they start mobile phone use
at an early age, and (at least for adolescents) tend to use phones more than
adults, children and adolescents are likely to have greater lifetime cumulative
exposures to RF from mobile phones than those who started using the phones in
adulthood.

Because of these concerns, a number of national and international bodies have
recommended studies of exposure in childhood and adolescents as one of the high
priority areas for RF research. These include the International EMF Project,
the research agenda put forward by the EU-funded EMF-NET Coordination Action,
and the US National Research Council 2008 report. In addition, a number of
national EMF research programs have defined this topic as a priority.

The overall objective of the MOBI-KIDS study is to assess the potential
carcinogenic effects of childhood and adolescent exposure to RF and ELF from
mobile telephones on the central nervous system (CNS).

In order to achieve the overall objective, the operational objectives are the
following:
• To conduct a multinational epidemiological case-control study of brain tumors
in young people in 9 countries under the EU grant, and in 4 non-European
countries which are not funded by the EU grant.
• To develop and validate improved indices of RF and ELF exposure, and assess
related uncertainties, for all of the subjects in the study.
• To analyze the relation between risk of brain tumors and exposures to RF and
ELF from mobile phones and other relevant and important sources of exposure in
the general environment of young people.

This study is designed as a prospective multinational case-control study of
brain tumors in young people. The exposure to RF and ELF from mobile telephones
and other relevant sources in the environment will be estimated based on an
interview with the study participants.

The burden of participation will be minimal and consists of an interview of
about one hour with the study participants (and their parents/guardians) and
the collection of a saliva sample. There are no risks associated with
participation nor any benefits.