French health agency says mobile phones do not cause cancer
In its updated evaluation—building on assessments released in 2013 and 2016—the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) examined 250 of the most reliable studies from a pool of over a thousand recent epidemiological and toxicological publications. These included large research programs such as MOBI-Kids and the US National Toxicology Program. The agency concluded that available findings “does not lead to establishing a causal link between exposure to radiofrequency waves and the appearance of cancers,” according to general reports.
Radiofrequency emissions from mobile phones, connected devices, and broadcast transmitters are now ubiquitous, with nearly all French residents aged 12 and above owning a mobile device.
Olivier Merckel, who heads ANSES’s division on risks tied to physical agents, noted, “This is a public health issue: everyone is exposed, and at an increasingly younger age.”
Researchers have observed short-term cellular changes in certain laboratory settings, but these modifications typically disappear once exposure ends. Animal experiments have offered only “limited evidence” of cancer-related effects, while expanded human studies “does not provide conclusive evidence on the occurrence of cancers,” Merckel explained. He added that “By aggregating all this data on cellular mechanisms, our conclusion is that it does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship,” though he acknowledged that some experimental work shows “small signals” that merit further attention.
Despite the generally reassuring results, ANSES upheld its long-standing advice to minimize direct exposure, especially for children, who are considered more susceptible. Merckel emphasized that “Using a hands-free kit, speaker mode or making calls where reception is good helps keep the phone away from the body and significantly reduces exposure,” urging a careful and moderate approach to device use among minors.
The agency pointed out that while direct exposure from handheld devices has lessened due to widespread use of earbuds and speaker mode, background exposure in urban environments has risen with the expansion of 4G and 5G networks, increased social media activity, and denser antenna installations. Nevertheless, these levels remain well within established safety thresholds.
ANSES also underscored emerging research examining possible impacts on fertility and brain function—areas where evidence remains incomplete. A separate expert review on the effects of social media use among adolescents is scheduled for release in January.
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