Handset radiation 'is not harmful'

Health advice has been given to mobile telephone users stressing that the radiation emitted by the devices is not harmful.

Dr Leonor Sierra, scientific liaison for independent charitable trust Sense About Science, explains that many different kinds of radiation exist.

As such, she recommends treating each type differently when deciding whether it poses a health risk to the public.

"Ionising radiation - such as gamma rays, X-rays or some ultra-violet - are known to cause cancer and exposure to this should be carefully monitored," she asserts.

But she adds: "Non-ionising radiation has not been shown to cause harm in the same way."

Her health advice includes the suggestion that products claiming to protect against non-ionising radiation are unlikely to be of significant benefit.

Sense About Science adds that, while mobile telephone handsets may seem to become warm during use, the heat typically arises from the electrical components and is not due to radiation.