The National Cancer Institute and the World Health Organization are also conducting studies on cell-phone safety. The safety questions were first raised in 1993 when a Florida man, David Reynard, filed suit against NEC Corp., a cell-phone manufacturer, claiming his wife Suzy's fatal brain cancer was caused by her cell phone. His suit and 12 other suits against cell-phone manufacturers have been dismissed for lack of scientific proof, according to Angelos. Public anxieties were further heightened by the brain-cancer deaths of two prominent business executives in 1993 and 1994, Michael Walsh, the chief executive officer of Tenneco, and Reginald Lewis, the chief executive of TLC Beatrice. Both were cell-phone users.
Cell phones use microwave signals to transmit human voice or data.
The major difference between cell phones and microwave ovens is the amount of power that propels the signal. Cell phones use low power, while ovens use high power. High levels of microwave radiation are known to be dangerous. A microwave oven, for example, shoots a powerful microwave signal, propelled by 100 watts of power, at a piece of food and cooks it by heating its water molecules. Research has not shown a firm link between microwaves and cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.