''To err on the side of caution, you would not put them on school grounds,'' said W. Gregory Lotz, a biophysicist based in Cincinnati and chief of the physical agents branch at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Dr. Lotz, who serves on several national committees and working groups, said his comments represent only his views, not the official policy of NIOSH. Opinion remains divided in the scientific community over whether cell towers should raise fears about health hazards.
But Dr. Lotz's position has intensified a battle over a cellular phone tower built last year next to the playground at Cardinal Pacelli school in Mount Lookout, a debate that could have implications for many other neighborhoods.
Last September, the controversy at Cardinal Pacelli prompted Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk to ban any more cell towers on church properties.
Cardinal Pacelli school is on a prominent hill overlooking Mount Lookout Square. It is part of Christ the King Church, which allowed AirTouch Cellular to build the tower in return for $600 a month.
The tower is the only one involving a church in the archdiocese, but the rapid pace of cell tower construction across the Tristate has triggered controversies in several other communities.
Wednesday, Hamilton County officials called for a voluntary moratorium on new tower construction while a task force works on a uniform set of rules on where the towers can be placed.
Unlike previous debates which focused on the aesthetics of the structures, the Mount Lookout fight centers on health concerns.
At least two families have removed their children from the 450-student school because of their concerns about the tower. And now, a physician who is a member of Christ the King congregation has sent more than 250 letters to other parents raising health concerns about the tower.
The doctor, who spoke to The Enquirer on the condition that he not be identified, said he has decided to remove his son from Cardinal Pacelli after talking directly with Dr. Lotz and reviewing other recent studies, including one that found higher cancer rates in mice exposed to cell phone transmission waves.
The type of energy emitted by cell phone towers is called radio
frequency electromagnetic radiation (RF). Until recently, the general scientific view has been that RF waves pose no significant health hazards.
But now, more experts are saying that more study is needed. Among the concerns:
- In 1995, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) urged cellular telephone companies to avoid building towers near schools and hospitals until more studies are done. ''Public perception about potential health problems will continue to exist as long as there remain unanswered and unexplored questions in the scientific community,'' the CPUC said. ''Until clearer answers emerge, the commission should consider the possibilities that a health hazard could exist.''
- In February, a study out of New Zealand concluded that there are cancer risks associated with exposure to low-level RF waves.
- In May, a study out of Australia published in the journal Radiation Research found that RF waves similar to cellular telephone transmissions caused higher rates of lymphoma in cancer-prone mice. Study authors wrote that the implications for humans are limited because the work involved mice, but the results indicate a need for more study.
''There is a lot of uncertainty,'' Dr. Lotz said. ''I can't assure (parents) we aren't going to find something out 10 years from now that we don't know now. It's a matter of making a decision on limited research and scientific information.''
Cellular industry representatives, however, say repeated studies show that the low-level emissions from cell towers are safe.
Studies show that the energy emitted from cell towers falls between the levels that a television tower or microwave dish would send out, said Nancy Jones, spokeswoman for GTE Wireless.
''The exposure is minimal and there hasn't been any evidence to show there are health risks,'' Ms. Jones said.
AirTouch Cellular, formerly Cellular One, measures RF in areas surrounding towers to ensure they are meeting safety guidelines from the American National Standards Institute and other organizations.
''Even areas near towers were thousands of times below the accepted levels,'' said Michael Lord, director of technology and development for AirTouch Cellular.
More than 100 cell phone towers have been built in Hamilton County. Officials could not say Friday how many have been installed on or close to school grounds.
At least three churches have agreed to cell towers on their property. They include the Dayspring Church of God in Forest Park, which runs a day care service, and the Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church, 6401 Ridge Road, which does not have a school or a day care.
Wireless phone companies say they try to be sensitive to residents' concerns.
GTE Wireless earlier this year dropped plans to locate a cell tower at a school in Madeira after citizens voiced concerns. It placed the tower at another site that also has an AT&T cell tower, Ms. Jones said.
AirTouch Cellular prefers building towers in industrial areas, Mr. Lord said. But zoning regulations can be restrictive. If a school agrees, a cell tower will be located there, he said.
But fears of liability have already curtailed some construction. Archbishop Pilarczyk's prohibition of any new cell towers on church property cited legal concerns.
''There are at least five different companies seeking placement sites,'' the archbishop wrote to local clergy. ''After extensive consultation with advisers expert in matters of finance, liability, law and taxation, it is the official policy of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati that the use of parish or institutional property for this purpose is prohibited.''
The Mount Lookout tower's fate is undecided. The Rev. Robert Obermeyer, pastor at Christ the King, said he'll make a decision in about a month - after NIOSH uses new, more sensitive testing equipment to measure emissions.
''I'm still fact-finding,'' Father Obermeyer said. ''I want to make sure in my mind that the kids are safe. If there is any doubt, the tower will come down. Period.''
