Mobile phone in health hazard row (From Penarth Times)

Mobile phone in health hazard row

A PENARTH man is up in arms over the fuss being made about mobile phone masts, saying there is more risk from the handsets themselves.

Brian Williams of Pant-y-Celyn Road, Llandough, is a member of the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB). He is worried that ignorance about mobile telephone masts is masking the true danger.

He told the Times: "Last week's article had the caption 'unknown risk', when in fact it should have read 'negligible risk'. The amount of radio electromagnetic radiation from these aerials, like the one on the Waverley Centre, is like a drop in the ocean. By the time the waves are emitted, they have dispersed to a tiny amount of power."

According to Mr Williams, the real danger comes from phones themselves.

He added: "A recent Radio Communications study shows there's a chance there is far more risk from the telephones. It's not unusual to see school children holding these things close to their heads for long periods of time.

"When you can't see an aerial poking out of a phone it means it's inside and it's this proximity that poses the real menace to health."

Mr Williams remembers the Wenvoe television transmitter when it was first powered up 50 years ago.

He said: "Since then, ultra-high frequency television (UHF TV) is used, which pumps out hundreds of thousands of watts or radio energy.

"In comparison, a mobile telephone transmitter will only use a few tens of watts of power. And if there was a problem with that, we would have known by now."

He added: "If people want to object to anything, it can be said the masts are ugly. But if they want a stronger signal, they will have to put up with them. They are short-wave power signals and are needed for the facilities people demand. If they want to worry about something, worry about the handsets next to your head than a mast 20 foot above you."