Wireless Systems and Health Risks - Implications for Pedagogical and Educational Practices

Wireless Systems and Health Risks - Implications for Pedagogical and Educational Practices Mikko Ahonen Researcher, M.Ed.Sc. Department of Computer Sciences University of Tampere, Finland Mikko Ahonen – Online Educa Berlin

Table of Contents

Background – Mobile Learning

Warnings and precautionary approach

Research question(s)

Microwave radiation and children

Wireless technologies (3G, DECT, Wi-Fi)

Pedagogical and educational practices

Future perspectives

Also: Worked at a teleoperator (TeliaSonera) and in the IT-business in the 80’s. Currently: Researcher at the University of Tampere (Open Innovation, IS, eLearning). Mikko Ahonen – Online Educa Berlin . Background: Research group leader – Mobile learning Tekes Digital Learning + EU IST MOBIlearn (2001-2006) Learning evaluation research (Ahonen & Syvänen, 2006) User-interface research and development (Syvänen, Beale, Sharples, Ahonen & Lonsdale, 2005).

Mikko Ahonen – Online Educa Berlin Interview - Australian Interphone project leader http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ03Ho8u6eA http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSL0223157720080102?rpc=63 THE PAPER: http://www.radiationresearch.org/pdfs/rncnirp_children.pdf RCNIRP Russia - Warning: Precautionary actions - Children and mobile phones :

Valberg, Deventer & Repacholi (2007)

Despite unavoidable uncertainty , current scientific data are consistent with the conclusion that public exposures to permissible RF levels from mobile telephony and base stations are not likely to adversely affect human health .

Mikko Ahonen – Online Educa Berlin The official statement of WHO: Conflict of interest? http://www.hese-project.org/hese-uk/en/heseuk/science.php?content_type=R

The Dilemma

Research question:

How wireless information systems can be used risk-free in public organisations like schools and libraries?

Mikko Ahonen – Online Educa Berlin What is special in microwave radiation and children? How to minimise radiation exposure? What are those alternative pedagogical and educational practices? How to redesign information systems? (replication, off-line use, synch etc) Should there be areas without wireless network coverage?

Children are different from adults Mikko Ahonen – Online Educa Berlin Gandhi et al . (1996) , Wiart et al . (2008) http://www.upci.upmc.edu/news/upci_news/072308_celladvisory.cfm http:// domesticpolicy.oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID =2199 http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2008/07/30/lkl.cell.phone.cnn US Congressional Hearing: Mobile phones and cancer

Radiation - Electromagnetic Spectrum Mikko Ahonen – Online Educa Berlin

Mikrowaves :

GSM

3 G (UMTS)

DECT

Wi-Fi (WLAN)

Digital-TV

@450

Tetra

Pulsed microwave radiation Huber et al , 2000  ECOLOG-study  http://www.hese-project.org/hese-uk/en/niemr/ecologsum.php Blackman et al , 1980; 1989  BioInitiative  http://www.bioinitiative.org DEMO Source: Wikipedia (2008)

"The alive human body is an electromagnetic instrument , not just a bag of chemicals. Information is transported electrically, the body chemistry is controlled by electrical signals.” - G. Hyland

How well does an artificial head emulate a human being?

SAR ( S pecific A bsorption R ate) is a measure of the amount of radio frequency energy absorbed by the body when using a mobile phone. (FCC, 2008)  Thermal effects .

Mikko Ahonen – Online Educa Berlin SAR-measurements do not take in consi-deration biological effects like changes in blood pressure, abnormal cell division or calcium leakage from cell membranes .” Hyland (2000), Hänninen et al. (2007), BioInitiative (2007)

Mikko Ahonen – Online Educa Berlin Kramarenko & Tan (2003), Barth et al . (2008), Salford et al . (1994), Eliahu et al ., 2006 , Hamblin & Wood ( 2002), Frey (1998), Hyland (2000), Leszczynski et al. (2002), Panagopoulos & Margaritis ( 2008 ), Arnetz et al . (2007), BioInitiative (2007), ECOLOG (2000) Non-thermal, biological effects - examples Discussed biological effect Symptom 1. Alters electrical activity in the brain.  Speed, coordination, learning difficulties 2. Affects pineal gland and melatonin production  Sleep problems, hormonal imbalance 3. Increases permeability in the blood-brain barrier.  Headache, dizziness

Cancer and tumours?

In the WHO Interphone 13-country case- control study only some studies indicate risk ( Sadetzki et al . (2008) , Lahkola et al . (2008), Hours et al . (2007) and Blettner et al . (2007 )

On the other hand, the study protocol may have design faults, Morgan (2008)

The independent researcher Dr Lennart Hardell & Co has produced the most alarming results

( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22Hardell%20L%22[Author]&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus )

Mikko Ahonen

Can you make a case-control study? (Where to find unexposed subjects?) Mikko Ahonen Moser (2005)

3G aka UMTS ( U niversal M obile T elephone S ystem) Mikko Ahonen – Online Educa Berlin Research findings and related comments are conflicting (examples): ” UMTS signal had no effect on attention or reaction time” (Unterlechner et al ., 2008) "DNA-double strand breaks take place in 1/40 of the (ICNIRP) guidance level. UMTS-signal is thus 10 times more bioactive than GSM-signal.” (Adlkofer, 2008) ” UMTS inhibits DNA repair 72 hours after 1 hour exposure ” (Belyaev et al. , 2008)

3G signal is not pulsed , it consists of many frequences and it is heavily modulated

1885–2200 MHz

DECT ( D igital E nhanced C ordless T elecommunications)

Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz – German Radiation Protection Bureau – recommends that the base station should not be continuosly on

http://www.bfs.de/elektro/Strahlungsarme_Dect_Schnurlostelefone.html

BMW Corporation set already in 2004 an ECO-limit of 100 uW/m2 for base stations by shielding DECT-basestation (compare: normally 10.000 uW/m2 in 2 meters distance from the docking/base station)

http://www.oedp-muenchen.de/stadtpolitik2004/20040301.html

German Doctor Appeals (Bamberg, Freiburg …) http://www.igumed.de/apell.html

http://www.mobilfunk-aerzteappell.de /

Mikko Ahonen – Online Educa Berlin DEMO 1880–1900 MHz Pulsing at 100 Hz

Wi-Fi = WLAN ( W ireless L ocal A rea N etwork) Mikko Ahonen – Online Educa Berlin http://wifiinschools.org.uk , http://www.radiationresearch.org/goldsworthy_bio_weak_em_07.pdf http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1039235/Suspend-wi-fi-schools-says-union-chief-following-reports-causes-ill-health.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuNaDj6VLHw Laptop on the lap: RF-Radiation exposure to stomach, hands and eyes + low-level magnetic field. Recommendations: - Use directional antennas in the hot spot (Wi-Fi router), so that only a certain sector is covered, not the whole building. - Use Wi-Fi or other wireless connections only occasionally, most of the time use an Ethernet-cable connection. Pictures: Next-Up http://www.next-up.org/Newsoftheworld/WiFi.php#1 2400-2485 MHz Pulsing 50-500 Hz 10 Hz beacon signal

Example: Problem-Based Learning - Possible without continuous wireless connection Mikko Ahonen – Online Educa Berlin Gather data, interpret information by using mobile devices (taking pictures, making notes, recording sound) in the off-line mode . Modify, edit and reflect findings by using a PC with an Ethernet connection) START Student identify what they need to know Apply it Learn it Problem posed

Alternative technologies in the future? Source: Smart Lighting ERC ( http://smartlighting.bu.edu/ ), Visible Light Consortium ( http://www.vlcc.net/e/e_about.htm )

Book recommendations Dr Carlo was the leader of WTR – W ireless T echnology R esearch Project 1993-2000. An overview on RF radiation research and mobile industry. An interesting book about electricity and health. Dr Becker has been twice nominated for the Nobel prize in medicine. Historical perspectives on politics, health and disease prevention. Dr Davis works in the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute.

Questions and comments welcome!