Safety Tips for Reducing Cell Phone Radiation Exposure
Mobile (wireless) phones operate using radio-frequency waves. The human
body absorbs some amount of energy from these radio waves. Some parts
of the body absorb more energy than others. How much exposure is safe
or unsafe?
There is no conclusive scientific evidence that radiation from cell phones
causes any ill health, such as cancer, dizziness or sickness. The reports
are either inconclusive, cautionary, limited or contradictory. The effects
and risks will become clearer as more research is conducted (see Long
Mobile Phone Use Raises Brain Tumor Risk and FDA
Questions Recent Cell Phone Radiation Safety Study). Government regulations
and industry standards help to protect the public from the harmful effects
of exposure to cell phone radiation.
But there are two individual risk factors: very frequent or long-term
use of a cell phone; and use of a handset with higher radiation output,
usually from higher transmission power or poorer quality design.
If you want to take more personal responsibility for reducing your exposure
to harmful radiation from cell phones for safety reasons, follow these
suggestions:
- If you have a choice, use a landline (wired) phone, not a mobile (wireless
radio) phone.
- Limit the length of your calls. Longer length of exposure increases
the short-term effects from radiation. Long-term effects are inconclusive,
so be on the safe side.
- Use a headset (or ear bud) to keep the handset farther from your head
(brain).
- Use a wireless phone connected to a remote antenna to keep the transmitter/receiver
farther from your head (brain).
- When your phone is on, don't wear it on your belt or carry it in a
breast or pants pocket. When a mobile phone is on, it automatically
transmits at high power every one or two minutes to check (poll) the
network.
- After placing a call, wait five seconds before putting the handset
to your ear. When placing a call, a mobile phone makes the connection
at high power, then reduces power to an adequate level.
- Do not press the phone handset against your head. Radiation level
is proportional to the square of the distance from the source -- being
very close increases energy absorption much more. The farther your brain
is from the handset the better.
- Use your phone where reception is good. If the radio signal is weak,
a mobile phone will increase its transmission power.
- Avoid using a mobile phone while wearing metal-framed glasses or earrings
or having wet hair. Metal and water are good conductors of radio waves.
- Reduce mobile phone use by children. Children's smaller physical size
places their brain and internal organs closer to the handset. Children's
thinner bones and muscles insulate the inner body less from the radio
waves. A younger person will likely have a longer lifetime exposure
to radiation from cell phones.
- Use a low-radiation handset. Check the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)
of your mobile handset at the FCC
ID website or at your handset manufacturer's site.
- Use a radiation shield on your mobile handset to increase insulation.
- If you use a power amplifier (booster) to increase your phone's signal
strength, be even more concerned about the above radiation effects.
The radiation from a boosted phone is greater than that from a non-boosted
phone.
- Do not live or work close to a wireless network cellular phone tower
(transmitter and receiver antenna). Some have very high power output
and operate 24 hours a day.
Sources of information about cell phone radiation and safety:
Go to Mobilook's Mobile Phone Safety and
Security page.
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