CELL PHONE SAFETY WEIGHED; MICROWAVES IMPAIR MEMORY IN LAB RATS.

Byline: Phillip W. Browne Staff Writer

Rats exposed to microwave radiation suffered long-term memory loss and genetic mutations, according to a new study that has troubling implications for the nation's 80 million cellular phone users.

It is not known whether the findings can be applied to humans, but the lead researcher said people should exercise prudence when using the increasingly popular devices.

``Science is never based on a single study, but I think there should be some concern among cell-phone users,'' said University of Washington bioengineering research professor Henry Lai, whose study will be published next month in the Journal of Bioelectromagnetics.

``We need to determine the consequences of these microwaves on humans. The truth is, it's possible the memory loss may not even affect human brain function,'' he said. ``But it did alter the brain functions of rats, and that's a concern.''

Still, Lai said he is not discouraging cell-phone use.

``If you need to use the phone, use it. It's great for emergencies and convenience,'' Lai said. ``But there is a thing called prudence. I would think twice about making lengthy unnecessary calls.''

Lai's research comes on the heels of recent studies suggesting a link between cell-phone use and brain tumors, and even the possibility that the microwaves could ignite petroleum fumes at gas stations.

Cell-phone users weren't surprised by Lai's findings, and many have already begun taking precautions.

``They're very convenient, but I don't think humans were meant to have high-powered transmitting devices next to their head,'' said 35-year-old Randy Tolchinsky, a Calabasas resident who was using his phone at a Woodland Hills Starbucks. ``I'm going to get the hands-free earpiece. I don't want a tumor or memory loss.''

Tolchinsky's friend Eran Bikovsky, 32, of Westlake Village also believes cell phones pose a health risk.

``After you've been talking on them for a while, you feel funny,'' Bikovsky said. ``I don't even keep my phone on when it's in my pocket.''

According to the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Communications Commission, however, the evidence against cell-phone radiation is ambiguous.

``The available science does not allow us to conclude that mobile phones are absolutely safe or that they are unsafe,'' the FDA said in a paper issued in October.

A spokesman for Motorola Inc., a major manufacturer of cellular phones and microchips found in digital equipment, said he agrees with the FDA position.

``The research keeps rolling in, but we haven't seen anything conclusive to demonstrate that cell phones are a health risk,'' said Motorola spokesman Norm Sandler. ``We agree with the FDA and the scientific community that more research needs to be done. Our position could change with more definitive results.''

In the study, Lai put 100 rats in a large tank of water and taught them to swim around barriers to a platform in the middle of the tank. The water was filled with powdered milk so the rats couldn't see and needed to remember the route. The rats easily found their way after six tries, Lai said.

Next, he exposed half of the rats to microwaves similar to those emitted by cell phones, although the frequency was set at 2,450 MHz, higher than cell-phone frequencies, which are usually between 850 and 1,700 MHz. The rats' entire bodies were exposed for an hour.

``All of the exposed rats forgot the way and swam randomly, and the unexposed rats found the platform just fine,'' Lai said.

The rats may have lost spatial memory, Lai said. ``It's the kind of memory people have when driving or walking and mapping out where they are going,'' he said.

The reason they performed differently is not known, but the microwaves could have decreased the amount of acetylcholine in the brain. The chemical controls navigation and memory in rats, and it is also present in the human brain, Lai said.

He said the conditions, time frame and environment in which the rats were exposed can't be directly compared to the conditions when a person is talking on a phone. The microwave frequency used on the rats was higher than cell-phone frequencies, and the rats' entire bodies were exposed.

But phones emit microwaves and, just as microwaves heat meat, they can heat living tissue.

``We exposed the rats to higher than normal frequencies, but you could cook a turkey at any frequency,'' Lai said. ``Also, cell-phone microwaves are far more concentrated than the microwaves we used. We want to know if they are causing hot spots in the brain. The issue isn't the frequency; it's the intensity.''

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Photo: Louis Bonilla, manager of Affordable Portables in Woodland Hills, discusses research on microwave-radiation safety issues.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer