I got my first smartphone for my birthday, and it is true it has changed many aspects of my communicating life. I love my iPhone and have been so enthralled with its applications that I have not stopped to consider how much radiation it emits until a friend sent me the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) 2010 Cellphone Radiation Report.
EWG is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that includes a political action fund501(c)(4) organization. From sunscreens to cosmetics, EWG has researched and ranked many consumer products. The group has now turned its attention to the latest and greatest models of cell phones.
New cell phones in 2010 are loaded with new features. For some models, like Motorola’s Droid, Blackberry Bold 9700, LG Chocolate Touch and HTC Nexus One by Google, consumers pay a hidden price: exposure to the highest legal levels of cell phone radiation…
Other new phones emit significantly less radiation.
Which is which? You won’t find out from those pricey ad campaigns or even the labels. Makers and vendors aren’t required to disclose their products’ radiation output at point of sale.
Cellular phone radiation is measured in “watts per kilogram of body weight”, with the legal limit being 1.6 W/kg. This number is also referred to as specific absorption rate (SAR). The lowest radiating smartphone still on the market is the Blackberry Storm 9530 with 0.57 W/kg. The highest emitting phone is also a Blackberry (Blackberry 8820) with 1.28 - 1.58 W/kg. My Apple iPhone 3G S falls somewhere in the middle with 0.52 - 1.19 W/kg. The popular new DROID emits a whopping 1.50 W/kg pushing closely to the legal limit!
If you can’t live without your smartphone, there are ways you can reduce your exposure to radiation. Using a headset or speaker and keeping the phone away from your body when texting will offer you some protection. In addition, receiving messages is safer than sending them. Texting emits less than talking, and of course, you should always limit children’s usage of cell phones.
More from GLI:
More campaigns r necessary to make people conscious !!!!!!!!!!
to make it mandatory 4 mobile companies to give radiation alerts like cigarette packs !!!!!!!!!
so many thigns about the droid i didn’t know that radiation was so bad. I found out that my droid emits more radiation than most cell phones today. i think im going to be texting more and useing the speeker more to try rto keep safe from radiation.
i didn’t know the droid emits so much radiation
I have just had 2 operations because a swelling has appeared on the left side of my face were I constantly speak on the phone. I am getting shooting pains in my ear and numbness around the face.
Its not the big C but it possibly could turn into it if I had carried on using the phone next my ear.
The mobile phone industry is so big they do not want people to know the dangers of mobile phone because they will lose business.
THEY NEED TO BE STOPPED AND PEOPLE NEED TO BE MADE AWARE THAT IT CAN KILL YOU.
Hello: Please note that regular headsets actually transmit the radiation from the cell phone up to the ear. Regular headsets do not protect the user. Bluetooth headsets also are not safe. A type of headset, as an airtube or bluetube headset (with a plastic portion of tubing closes to head) is about the safest in mitigating the user from receiving conducting radiation up the headset.
However, the very safest way to use a cell phone or smartphone, is to place it on a table with the speaker on. Holding a cell phone still emits radiation (the radiation plume field is several inches) so the hand is still getting radiation.