Sydney (Australia) - Australian scientists have developed a points scale to determine the risk of environmental factors leading to cancer, and mobile phone radiation is near the very bottom of the list.

The University of New South Wales said it created the scale to not only debunk some of the oft-rumored cancer contributors but also to reaffirm the risk of other factors such as smoking.

"Our tool will help establish if the level of risk is high, say on a par with smoking, or unlikely such as using deodorants, artificial sweeteners, drinking coffee," said Professor Bernard Stewart who headed up the research.

Drinking alcohol and excessive sunlight exposure were also part of the "high risk" category. Over the years, countless studies have been conducted and there are several that reach conclusions on both sides of the argument, including one that claimed five minutes of cell phone exposure started was enough to trigger cancer development. The New South Wales study is one of the first to create a universally quantifiable system with which to measure risk.

The study, like every other one of the subject, did disclaim that the "long-term effects" of mobile phone radiation have still not been established.

Source : Tom's Hardware US