Experts: Vatican Radio transmitters 'pose cancer risk'

BBC ^ | June 14th 2010 | David Willey

[Cardhu]

There is a "coherent and significant connection" between radiation from Vatican Radio aerials and childhood cancer, researchers have said.

The Italian experts looked at high numbers of tumours and leukaemia in children who live close to Vatican Radio transmitters.

The 60 antennas stand in villages and towns near Rome.

The Vatican said it was astonished and would present contrary views to a court in Rome.

Italian courts have been investigating for 10 years whether of an abnormally high number of deaths from cancer among families living near the aerials just north of the Italian capital can be attributed to electromagnetic radiation.

The 300-page report, ordered by the courts and carried out by Italy's most prestigious cancer research hospital, now concludes that there is a connection between radiation and the cancer incidents.

Obsolete

Some 60 huge steel aerials were erected on farmland owned by the Vatican during the last century.

They transmit Vatican Radio programmes around the world on medium and short wave.

However, the technology is now largely obsolete, as Catholic radio stations in many countries rebroadcast Vatican Radio shows after picking them up on the Internet.

[Cardhu]

A 2001 investigation by Italy's environment ministry showed that magnetic fields in the area were six times more powerful than allowed, while Rome's Lazio region estimated that the rate of deaths from leukaemia among children in the Cesano area was three times higher than in adjoining areas. (Daily Telegraph)

[pepsionice]

Here’s the interesting thing...they used technology that was over eighty years old. When you go out to the heartland of the US in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s....we were using the same technology and pumping out the very same cancer risk to locals near the antenna area. So if anyone researches the growth of cancer around the US in the same period....they might find the same results as in the Vatican’s case.

[Cardhu]

I wonder if there are any records of the incidence of cancer in children in those areas from those times.

[HiTech RedNeck]

The results might be confusing because other risks might have been greater in the past too.

For safety’s sake the RCC might want to take the high road of diminishing the amount of radio emissions that arise directly from its small piece of territory and substituting affiliate stations in distant countries connected by low power links or the Internet. Maybe they might find some of their bishops getting a bit less addle-brained in the process too (Lavender Mafia and the like).

[PghBaldy]

Funny how the Catholic Church is now causing caner! Do the Euroweenies worry abot secular causes too, or only “religious” cancer?

[politicianslie]

...they used technology that was over eighty years old

Oh please, there is NO difference between a short wave broadcast and an AM or FM radio broadcast except frequency within a couple orders of magnitude. Do these idiots want to shut down all the AM radio broadcast stations too?

I was looking at Voice of America (VOA) antennas in Ohio a few years ago (A huge Rhombic antenna farm) and there is no difference in that too. YOU are in RF fields from many different souces but the little cell phone you use puts you at much more risk. That little one watt (within an order of magnitude) right next to you head puts you in a much higher RF field than does VOA or Vatican radio unless you are really close to the antenna.

I personnally do NOT use a cell phone much as I believe there really may be a cancer risk. I do not know for sure that is true and neither do the experts, I just think it is prudent to minimize exposure. It's the same reason that I as a radiation worker minimize my exposure, it's the prudent thing to do.

[battlecry]

What you say is true enough, but they are talking about high magnetic fields and leukemia. There may be ways to reconfigure the transmission lines or grounding to reduce the exposure of humans to the field. I know they do that with high power electrical lines.

I have heard enough stories about leukemia among high magnetic field researchers (National Magnet Lab) and occupational hazards (locomotives) to believe some engineering is warranted.

[eens]

I figure they’ll find that amplitude-modulated Catholic teaching causes cancer. Radio Moscow, on the other hand, ...

[TheDeacon]

There have been many studies down through the years. From transmitter technicians to ham radio operators. There is no greater cancer risk among those high-exposure groups and the general population.

A big cell phone manufacturer strapped a high power transmitter to a pig for a year(?) and there was no evidence that the rf had caused any changes in the biology.

I have worked in the field for almost 40 years.

[backwoods-engineer]

Another attempt to silence the Catholic church. Hell will use any means to try to shut up Christians of any stripe.