Scientists won’t know if cell phones are bad for us until we’ve been using them for longer and more studies are done. But they do know two things: you do get radiation from your phone, and it does appear to have physiological effects.
Not all phones are quite equal in this respect – some deliver a slightly higher radiation dose than others. The following models have among the lowest radiation levels:
Cell phone model
SAR (USA)
Blackberry 6280, 7280
0.24
LG KG800
0.67
Motorola G520
0.457
Nokia 6120
0.43
Samsung SGH-S100
0.296
Siemens S40
0.33
Sony Ericsson Z600
0.31
What is SAR?
The quantity used to measure how much radiofrequency energy is actually absorbed by your head when you’re using your phone is called the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). In Europe, the SAR guidelines and values are those set by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). In the USA, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), sets the radio frequency safety guidelines.
SAR values are usually expressed in units of watts per kilogram (W/kg) in either 1g or 10g of tissue. The ICNIRP states that phones must have a SAR value lower than 2 W/kg, in 10g of tissue, and the FCC that phones must have a SAR value lower than 1.6 W/kg in 1g of tissue.
The SAR values for currently available phones are all below these values.
What is cell phone radiation doing to us?
The current general consensus is that it probably doesn’t do much harm - if any - but that it can cause small discernible biological changes.
The type of radiation cell phones put out is radiofrequency energy (RF). Large amounts of RF energy can heat body tissues and increase body temperature, and cause damage. The eyes and the testes are particularly vulnerable to RF heating because there’s relatively little blood flow in these organs to carry away excess heat.
But the amount of RF radiation received by the general public – and that includes cell phone use – is too low to cause significant heating.
Nonetheless. The worry with cell phones is that we use them such a lot, and direct their radiation repeatedly at the same area of our bodies – the brain, no less. Billions of people use them, and many of those are children. So if there is a health risk, even a small one, it’s going to affect a huge section of the world’s population.
Some of the studies on cell phone health risks have come up empty; but the results of others have been unsettling, such as:
Heavy cell phone users have a higher risk of getting a brain tumor on the side of head they hold their phone.
Blood pressure increases on the side of the head closest to the cell phone during a call, increasing the risk of stroke in susceptible people.
None of these studies – especially given all the other reputable studies that negate such results – warrant giving up cellular use altogether. But they warrant moderate caution.
How do you find out the SAR for your phone?
The SAR I.D. number should be printed somewhere on your phone, usually under the battery. Information on SAR for a specific phone model can be obtained for many recently manufactured phones using the FCC identification (ID) number for that model. If you have the ID number, you can look up the SAR value on the FCC’s website.
Most cell phone companies have the SAR values listed on their websites, and if you can’t find your phone’s value you can contact them and ask for it. Many new models now display the SAR value on their packaging.
Should I buy a phone with low SAR?
This is a matter of personal choice; you won’t find a conventional regulatory organization like the FCC advising you directly to do so. The SAR variations between phone models are very small, and it’s unlikely that the different radiation amounts will turn out to be significant. Still, if it increases your peace of mind, then it’s worth it.
You can reduce your exposure to cell phone radiation far more by doing the following:
Spend less time talking on your cell. Make more calls from your land line, or send text messages instead of making calls. Make a serious decision to never drive and talk: apart from any possible radiation worries, the biggest proven danger for cell phone users is a car accident.
Reduce the distance between yourself and your cell phone. Use a headset and carry the wireless phone away from your body or use a wireless phone connected to a remote antenna.
Use the other ear sometimes! I can’t say I’ve seen this tip recommended by any medical authority, but I started doing it after some of the abovementioned studies came out.
- Olivia Rose-Innes, EnviroHealth expert, Health24, August 2006
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