Subject:  Taiwan cell-phone questionnaire (fwd)
Date:     Wed, 15 Jul 1998 191557 -0500 (CDT)
From:     "Roy L. Beavers" <rbeavers@llion.org>
To:       emfguru@hotmail.com
--------------------------------------------------



Hi "Limited" list of highly qualified people:

I am not sending this to my usual long list.  I have received the
following questionnaire and am forwarding to my "concealed" Limited list
-- in case some of you would like to respond.....

Cheerio.....

Roy Beavers (EMFguru)
rbeavers@llion.org..............http://www.feb.se/EMF-L/EMF-L.html
................................It is better to light a single candle ...
than to curse the darkness...............................................


Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 20:30:24 +0800 (CST)
From: Yuan-Huei Chang 
Subject: Cellular phones & EMF - We want your opinion! (China Post)


I am writing a feature article for The China Post, a Taiwanese newspaper
based in Taipei, on the possible health risks associated with cellular
phones.  I am contacting you because you are knowledgable in the field of
bioelectromagnetics.  I was referred to you by Mr. Edwin Mantiply at the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Although research on the health
risks associated with cellular phones is on-going, and there are no
definitive answers, we would greatly appreciate if you would express your
opinion by taking some time to answer the following (10) questions:

-----------------------
1. Although the National Science Foundation has found studies on the
effects of cellular phones on users' health to be "inconclusive", several
studies have shown that 50-60 Hz electromagnetic fields, like those
emitted by cellular telephones, may increase risk of cancer by suppressing
production of melatonin, which prevents the buildup of toxic free
radicals, among other functions.  Other studies have also shown that
certain cellular functions, such as enzyme activity (eg. ornithine
decarboxylase), and transcription (eg. c-fos and c-jun) are significantly
affected by exposure to microwave fields produced by cellular phones.
   Do you (personally) think cellular phones pose a significant health
risk to the people who use them?  Why?

2. Do you use cellular telephones?  How often?

3. Would you (hypothetically) use or allow your your children to use a
cellular phone for
   -20 minutes or less per day?
   -20 mins - 1 hour per day?
   -1 - 3 hours per day?
   -6 - 12 hours per day?
   -12 - 20 hours per day?

4. Would you recommend limiting usage of cellular phones to a certain
amount of time per day?  How much?

5. How harmful do you think cellular phones are in comparison to other EMF
emitting sources, such as computers, microwave ovens, electric blankets,
and the earth (which produces a magnetic field of 0.5G)?

6. Could you briefly explain why cellular phones could be "harmful" to
users' health?

7.  Several key EMF journals, such as "Bioelectromagnetics", "Rev.
Environmental Health", and "Microwave News" are unavailable in Taiwan.
Could you recommend some articles which would be useful and available to
us, or (better yet), send them to us via email or fax?

8. Could you please forward this email to anyone else you know who might
be interested in contributing their knowledge and comments to this feature
article in The China Post?

9. What is your
   -NAME:
   -TITLE:
   -AFFILIATION:
   -FIELD OF RESEARCH:
   -BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH:
   -Do you have any PUBLICATIONS you wish to mention?

10.  Do you have any other comments?  If you felt that you could not or
preferred to not answer any of the questions above, could you please
explain why?


---------
Thank you very much!  We will publish this article by the end of next
week (July 24, 1998), so your prompt response is greatly appreciated.

In Taiwan, cellular phones are called "da ge da", or "Big Brother call"
because only rich, upper-class "Big Brothers" used to be able to afford
them.  However, there has been a recent explosion of cellular phone usage
in Taiwan and in Hong Kong.  Since cellular phones are now ubiquitous
here, many people should be interested in their effects on health.  your
comments will help to make our article more accurate, interesting, and
entertaining.

                        Tien-Shun Lee
                        The China Post
                        email: yhchang@phys.ntu.edu.tw
                        tel: 866-2-2596-9971
                        fax: 866-2-2595-7962

















Archive provided courtesy of WaveGuide, http://www.wave-guide.org
Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.feb.se/EMF-L/EMF-L.html