ASHLAND, Mass. — They are up against a multi-billion-dollar industry and what many view as an indispensable way of life, but Tuesday night some Ashland residents gathered to hear from a speaker who says wireless devices may be harmful to our health.
Cece Doucette organized the meeting, and said there is a growing body of scientific evidence to support the claim.
“It's not just your cell phone; it's your tablets, it's your laptops, it's your routers, it's your baby monitors,” she said.
Doucette helped bring wireless technology into Ashland's schools, but later began to study rumored health effects from wireless radiation.
“I didn't have to scratch the surface at all, very far, to find out that we literally have thousands of studies all over the world showing biological harm,” she said.
Some of those studies were authored by Dr. Martin Pall who spoke at the event and holds degrees in physics and biochemistry.
“Obviously a lot of us are on the phone frequently. Is it dangerous? Yes,” he said.
Pall says it was just recently that science figured out how the invisible waves of radiation that wireless devices emanate have a biological effect.
“So we've got a public health crisis here? Yes. Absolutely. Worse one I've ever heard of,” he said.
Actual health effects vary.
“I will develop very significant headaches that will last for a couple of days when I have a large exposure,” Patricia Burke said.
Doucette said protecting yourself is key. Some easy steps include switching your cell phone to airplane mode when it’s not in use or hardwiring laptops and other devices.
“We can still get what we need. We might have to give up a little bit of convenience, we don't have to throw out the baby with the bathwater,” she said.
Boston 25 News contacted a wireless industry trade group for comment but did not hear back ahead of this story’s publication.