The increasing use of cosmetic non-ionising radiation applications - types of procedures, potential risks to consumers and regulation in Australia.

In recent years, there has been a large increase in cosmetic applications using non-ionising radiation (NIR). These applications use various types of NIR such as lasers and ultrasound for numerous cosmetic outcomes such as epilation, skin rejuvenation and tattoo removal. Cosmetic NIR procedures are marketed as a low-cost and low-risk alternative to more invasive procedures. However, treatments with these devices always result in high NIR exposure to targeted tissue in order to ensure efficacy of treatment. Consequently, there is always a risk of adverse health effects from these procedures, which may be temporary or longer lasting. Research on the health risks of cosmetic NIR applications is lacking, particularly on the extent of poor treatment application or misuse. In Australia, except for the banning of solaria, there is no national regulation for the use of NIR devices for cosmetic purposes and only three states have established regulatory controls for certain optical cosmetic applications. To mitigate the impacts of this gap in oversight, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency has published national advice for consumers and service providers that give information on cosmetic NIR treatments and the potential risks involved.

Mobile phone use and trends in the incidence of cancers of the parotid and other salivary glands.

BACKGROUND: There has been a significant increase in the use of mobile phones over the last three decades and a possible association with head cancers has been suggested, including cancers of the parotic and other salivary glands. We examined the incidence time trends of parotid and other salivary gland cancers in Australia to ascertain the influence of increased mobile phone use. METHODS: Analyses of incidence time trends were carried out using Poisson regression to estimate the annual percentage change (APC) in the incidence of salivary gland cancers of all available national registration data from 1982 to 2016, as well as specific time periods (1982-1993, 1994-2005, 2006-2016) representing changes in the prevalence of mobile phone use. RESULTS: The incidence of parotid gland cancer was stable for the periods 1982-1993 and 1994-2005. During 2006-2016 there was a large decrease in parotid gland cancer for males (APC: -3.71, 95 %CI: -6.66 to -0.67) and a large increase in females (4.80, 1.77-7.91) for adults aged 20-59 years. The incidence for other salivary gland cancers was stable during all the periods. CONCLUSIONS: The results do not indicate that mobile phone use increased the incidence of parotid or other salivary gland cancers. An increase in parotid gland cancer in females since 2006 may be attributed to other possible risk factors specific to this gender.

5G mobile networks and health-a state-of-the-science review of the research into low-level RF fields above 6 GHz.

The increased use of radiofrequency (RF) fields above 6 GHz, particularly for the 5 G mobile phone network, has given rise to public concern about any possible adverse effects to human health. Public exposure to RF fields from 5 G and other sources is below the human exposure limits specified by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). This state-of-the science review examined the research into the biological and health effects of RF fields above 6 GHz at exposure levels below the ICNIRP occupational limits. The review included 107 experimental studies that investigated various bioeffects including genotoxicity, cell proliferation, gene expression, cell signalling, membrane function and other effects. Reported bioeffects were generally not independently replicated and the majority of the studies employed low quality methods of exposure assessment and control. Effects due to heating from high RF energy deposition cannot be excluded from many of the results. The review also included 31 epidemiological studies that investigated exposure to radar, which uses RF fields above 6 GHz similar to 5 G. The epidemiological studies showed little evidence of health effects including cancer at different sites, effects on reproduction and other diseases. This review showed no confirmed evidence that low-level RF fields above 6 GHz such as those used by the 5 G network are hazardous to human health. Future experimental studies should improve the experimental design with particular attention to dosimetry and temperature control. Future epidemiological studies should continue to monitor long-term health effects in the population related to wireless telecommunications.