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Cell Phone Radiation Series - Part 2: 8 Ways to Reduce Your Exposure
Research has not yet established whether cell phone radiation is harmful. But. Some studies are troubling enough that we recommend reducing your exposure by buying a low-radiation phone or making some simple changes in the way you use your phone.
If you're one of those people who like to understand the "why" of it all, you'll appreciate the first post in this series where we explain the science of cell-phone radiation exposure.
No need to panic and ditch your phone (we at EWG certainly aren't giving up ours). Here's how to protect your health and stay in touch.
- USE A HEADSET OR SPEAKER
Headsets emit much less radiation than phones. Experts are split on whether wired or wireless headsets are safer. (Check out the EWG website for a guide to headsets). Some wireless headsets emit continuous low-level radiation, so take yours off when you're not on a call. Using your phone in speaker mode also reduces radiation to the head.
- LISTEN
Your phone emits the most radiation when you talk or text but much less when you're receiving messages. Listening more and talking less reduces your exposures. - TEXT
Phones use less power (which means less radiation) to send text instead of voice. Also, texting keeps the phone -- the radiation source -- away from your head. - PHONE AT ARM'S LENGTH
Hold the phone away from your torso when you're talking with headset or speaker, not against your ear, in a pocket, or on your belt, where soft body tissues absorb radiation. - BUY A LOW-RADIATION PHONE
Not all phones are created equal: Look up your phone on EWG's buyer's guide. (Your phone's model number may be printed under your battery.) If you're in the market for a new phone, find one that emits the lowest radiation possible and still meets your needs. - WEAK SIGNAL? STAY OFF THE PHONE
Fewer signal bars mean the phone has to step up its emissions to contact the tower. Call when your phone has a strong signal. - SKIP "RADIATION SHIELDS"
Radiation shields such as antenna caps or keypad covers reduce the connection quality and force the phone to transmit at a higher power with higher radiation. - LIMIT CHILDREN'S PHONE USE
Young children's brains absorb twice as much cell phone radiation as those of adults. EWG joins health agencies in at least 6 countries in recommending limiting children's phone use, such as for emergencies only.
To look up the radiation level of your phone, find a headset or read our research, visit EWG's cell phone report.
Next in our series: Government (in)action on cell phones and what you can do about it.
This should be one of the front page news stories in all major newspapers and a lead story on CNN. We need to nudge the media to focus more on stories that are truly important to our health, as a nation, rather than on "Balloon Boy"-type stories, which they harp on for days!
Did they test to see if there was radiation from playing games on the phone? My son likes to play with the phone game on our iPhone
For a comparison between cell phone radiation and microwave oven radiation, check out:
http://www.peterdolph.com/2009/08/will-microwave-radiation-give-you_19.html
I'm absolutely worried about the cell phone situation, especially since I get a burning sensation while using both my cell and home (cordless) phones. It happens within a minute or two and continues to burn/irritate my skin for up to 30 minutes after finishing a call. Something's wrong, in my opinion, and it's frightening.
That's great... but how do we reduce exposure from our laptops?
My comment is about another subject that greatly concerns me and should the entire US of A!
The subject is SLUDGE and mega-tons of it from municipal waste treatment plants!
What are they doing with it? Sludge contains Heavy metal and a host of other toxicins.
Can anyone answer my question?
I certainly can't trust the so call watch-dogs to police this mounting problem! Thanks a bunch.
I knew something was up when my computer would make a weird static-y noise every time my blackberry would ring or get a text...I always wondered what that meant it was doing to my head. I really, really hope that they aren't as dangerous as I think they are.
Thanks for this info on cell phone radiation. There are researchers in Europe, where somewhat more research has been done, who feel that cell phones could prove to be a public health disaster. Unfortunately there is not enough research yet done on use over long time periods such as 8-10 years. Studies done that claim that cell phones are safe invariably were not done over long enough time periods, and so prove nothing.
Whenever your phone is on, it emits a small amount of radiation to find nearby towers and establish itself on the network. However, keep in mind that your son isn't holding the phone up to his head, and it is much less radiation than the amount emitted while you're talking on the phone.
What about wireless phones? My workplace just took out all of the land lines and gave us only wireless handsets that are very warm to the touch. How can I protect myself from wireless handsets?
Thanks for the tips you gave us to avoid cellphone radiation. I also learned that when you have a weak signal it makes the battery consumption faster which means you have to charge your batteries often and you consume more energy.
Wireless handsets do give off radiation as well, and like a cell phone, the radiation is greater when you're on a call. See our FAQ on cordless phones here: http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/faq#question8
Since limiting your talking may not be an option, to protect yourself, we'd recommend using a headset to keep the phone itself away from your head. Find one here: http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/Get-a-Headset
Amy, EWG
I would like to know if EMFs blockers do work. Thanks a lot!