Cell Phones
Are cell phones dangerous?
Cell phones are a wonderful thing. You can talk. Take pictures. Listen to music. Converse over email or text messaging, and browse the Internet among a handful of other things. I love to use my cell phone and actually use it more then any other phone at the office or at home. However, I use it with immense concern. I have concern about the use of the phone causing health issues, like cancer and brain tumors over time. Are these concerns warranted? I have studied technology and specifically wireless communications as a graduate student at Northwestern University. My professor had advanced scientific & wireless knowledge and advised us all to get headsets for our cell phones. So why would someone who works in the field be this concerned to offer this advice? Given that cell phones operate with Radio Frequencies (RF) and thus use a form of electromagnetic energy located on the electromagnetic spectrum between FM radio waves and the waves used in microwave ovens, radars and satellites. How many times have you heard not to stand in front of the microwave since it could cause health issues? The FCC offers recommendations for the appropriate and safe amount of exposure to RF energy. I found these RF Safety FAQ’s to be somewhat helpful in identifying and answering some my exposure questions. According to the FCC, “the threshold level is a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value for the whole body of 4 watts per kilogram (4 W/kg)”. So what does that mean to a normal human being? I will use myself as an example; I weigh 171 pounds which converts to approximately 78 kg. So that means I can absorb 312 watts in my whole body. Still what does that mean in the case of a cell phone? The FCC has also required all wireless phones in the U.S. meet a conservative radiation safety standard of 1.6 SAR and most do with much to spare. When translated into wattage, wireless phones maximally emit power in the range of 0.2 to 0.6 watts. When you compare
Cell phones are a wonderful thing. You can talk. Take pictures. Listen to music. Converse over email or text messaging, and browse the Internet among a handful of other things. I love to use my cell phone and actually use it more then any other phone at the office or at home. However, I use it with immense concern. I have concern about the use of the phone causing health issues, like cancer and brain tumors over time. Are these concerns warranted? I have studied technology and specifically wireless communications as a graduate student at Northwestern University. My professor had advanced scientific & wireless knowledge and advised us all to get headsets for our cell phones. So why would someone who works in the field be this concerned to offer this advice? Given that cell phones operate with Radio Frequencies (RF) and thus use a form of electromagnetic energy located on the electromagnetic spectrum between FM radio waves and the waves used in microwave ovens, radars and satellites. How many times have you heard not to stand in front of the microwave since it could cause health issues? The FCC offers recommendations for the appropriate and safe amount of exposure to RF energy. I found these RF Safety FAQ’s to be somewhat helpful in identifying and answering some my exposure questions. According to the FCC, “the threshold level is a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value for the whole body of 4 watts per kilogram (4 W/kg)”. So what does that mean to a normal human being? I will use myself as an example; I weigh 171 pounds which converts to approximately 78 kg. So that means I can absorb 312 watts in my whole body. Still what does that mean in the case of a cell phone? The FCC has also required all wireless phones in the U.S. meet a conservative radiation safety standard of 1.6 SAR and most do with much to spare. When translated into wattage, wireless phones maximally emit power in the range of 0.2 to 0.6 watts. When you compare