Research physicist Bobby E. Leonard has sought to quell concerns that exposure to cellular towers will cause cancer.

And he has urged local residents to get informed and has provided telephone numbers and addresses of pertinent authorities in the field.

Dr. Leonard is a part-time Bermuda resident currently engaged in research on low dose radiation for the treatment of cancer cells at the International Academy in Maryland.

He has come out in support of the recently released report on radiation emissions from telecommunication towers, agreeing with the manner in which it was conducted and its findings.

The Government-commissioned report, carried out by Roger Choquette of Comgate Telemanagement Limited in Arizona, identified four local telecommunications towers as potentially emitting dangerous levels of radiation.

Dr. Leonard is an expert "in the effects of low levels of ionising radiation''.

"In this regard I recently presented a paper at the June 1999 International Conference on the Effects of low and very low doses of Ionizing Radiation on Human Health at the University of Versaille, Paris, France,'' he said.

Pointing out that exposure to ionising radiation can mutate DNA and cause human cells to become cancerous, Dr. Leonard explained that the case is not the same with the non-ionising form of radiation emitted from Bermuda's telecommunication towers.

"Non-ionising radiations do not have enough energy to produce free radicals in the cells,'' he said, "and thus, do not directly produce DNA and chromosome lesions and cancer.'' Dr. Leonard also pointed out that with non-ionising radiation, "the chance for cancerous mutations is far smaller than for ionising radiation''.

Charging that locals need more hard facts on the issue rather than "editorials and articles designed to create unfounded suspicion and doubt'', Dr. Leonard said: "It is the obligation of the (Telecommunications) Ministry to provide whatever information is needed by individuals of the public that want to fully understand the implications of the RF (radio frequency) towers.

"But also it is the obligation of the public to educate themselves by coming to the Ministry with questions and concerns and follow up with experts from the US Federal Communications Commission and US Center for Devices and Radiological Health.'' Dr. Leonard advised that the Ministry of Health should also "be responsive to any Bermudian resident desiring to have specific general public, or occupational levels tested''.

He also suggested that they purchase "two each of the survey meter and probe instruments, learn their characteristics and operating procedures, have them calibrated routinely by the US National Institute for Standards and Testing (NIST) in Gaithesburg, Maryland and randomly `spot check' the exposure levels at various RF sites''.

Praising the evaluation methods used by Mr. Choquette to carry out his study, Dr. Leonard said he only had one criticism of the report.

"The only criticism I can find with the study was the lack of knowledge of the operational status of each RF site at the time of the field surveys,'' he said.

"It should have been possible for the Ministry of Telecommunications to bring enough pressure on the site operators to provide data on the operational output of each site at the time of the field surveys.'' HEALTH HTH BUSINESS BUC