Herberman was prominent in expressing concerns about the long-term health effects of
mobile telephony. On July 21, Herberman issued a memo to UPCI personnel titled “Important Precautionary Advice Regarding Cell Phone Use,” which began: “Recently I have become aware of the growing body of literature linking long-term cell phone use to possible adverse health effects including cancer. Although the evidence is still controversial, I am convinced that there are sufficient data to warrant issuing an advisory to share some precautionary advice on cell phone use.” The memo included ten specific recommendations for reducing exposure to mobile phones’ microwave radiation, including only allowing children to use them in emergencies, keeping the phone away from the body as much as possible, and keeping use time to a minimum. On September 25, 2008, Herberman appeared before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Domestic Policy as part of a hearing on the prolonged use of cell phones. During his testimony, he said, “I cannot tell this committee that cell phones are dangerous, but I certainly can't tell you they are safe…We urgently need to do a study [to resolve this question].” He also urged In a 2010 Washington Post interview, Herberman expressed his concerns about mobile phones: “The evidence is not definitive, but I believe there is sufficient basis for concern about possible risk for cancer, especially for children and for long term (more than 10 years), heavy users.” Regarding hands-free Bluetooth technologies, Herberman stated that, “It seems very likely that bluetooth headsets reduce exposure to radiofrequency radiation, since instead of the full strength of the radiation coming from the cell phone tower to the antenna on your phone, there is only much shorter distance radiation from the phone to the headset. However, bluetooth headsets can still carry health risks if one wears the headset, turned on, all day, since the lower level of such radiation is cumulative.” As precautionary measures to reduce the risk of cancer, he recommended: “Avoid holding the phone directly against your ear, especially during a long conversation. Rather: use speaker mode or wear a wired earpiece; or text since that keeps the phone in your hand and away from your ear. Also, please note that it is not good to keep the cell phone, when turned on, in your pocket or anywhere else in direct contact with your body. Cell phones continuously receive and emit radiofrequency radiation, and long term exposure against your body can contribute to health risks.” In the same Post story, he also stated that “I believe strongly that we need to utilize the principle of simple precautions until evidence one way or the other becomes definitive.” == Philanthropy ==