If we want to define the term “uncertainty” formally it is “the state, even partial, of deficiency of information related to, understanding or knowledge of, an event, its consequence, or likelihood”.
People strive for certainty due to an inherent desire for it. However, almost all aspects of our life are filled with uncertainty. Contrary to what lay people may think, uncertainty is also inherent in science. All scientific fields, no matter how precise or appropriate the methods they employ, are having uncertainties.
It’s important to note that this also means that it will never be possible to prove with absolute certainty that something is harmless. No matter how well a topic has been researched, uncertainties, i.e. things that are not know yet, will always remain. Of course, this does not mean that science is futile. It is still the best basis for evidence-based choices and decisions. The better the evidence is, the better the choices and decisions can be.
If we look at mobile phone radiation specifically, we may say that increased uncertainty is linked to limited reliable knowledge regarding the used technical parameters in:
- experimental studies investigating health effects
- in-situ measurements (e.g. protocol, numbers of measurements, selection of measurement locations, extrapolation)
- computational dosimetry (e.g. variability in the applied models).
By performing more quality scientific studies, these uncertainties can be reduced. International organizations and regulatory authorities also apply safety factors between the threshold values for acute effects and the basis restrictions they define as a tool to handle scientific uncertainties & variability (heterogeneity) related to individual sensitivities and for the fact that the age and health status of members of the public vary.
In the past decades thousands of scientific papers have been published on potential health effects related to mobile exposures where numerous health outcomes were investigated. Despite this large number of studies, no health risks have been established as being caused by mobile phone radiation within the given regulatory limits. As any scientific area, this topic still raises questions. Authorities do take uncertainties into account, which is why they continue to fund research, keep risk assessments up to date, and define protection limits and safety standards making sure that these are based on the latest scientific findings.