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Cell Phone Radiation Series - Part 3: Who's protecting you?
The science may not yet be decided on the effects of cell phone radiation on human health, but recent research is unsettling enough that Environmental Working Group (and government safety agencies around the world) recommends reducing your exposure where you can.
This blog series breaks down EWG's recent report on cell phone radiation - so far we've talked about the science of cell phone radiation and simple steps to limit your exposure.
By now you may be wondering where the government is in all this - shouldn't they be making sure that products on the market are safe for everyone? Read on to learn about current US cell phone standards, how they stack up (not well) and what you can do to make them stronger.
How the government regulates cell phone radiation
Mobile phones are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which established rules on how much radiation cell phones can legally emit back in 1996 (did you have a cell phone 13 years ago?). These limits are based on specific absorption rate (SAR) values, which measure the rate at which energy is absorbed by your body's tissue.
Phone manufacturers use plastic models of the head to test how much radiation their phones emit and then submit the data to either the FCC or an FCC-approved certifier for authorization.
The permissible amount of radiation depends on the part of the body:
- Head: up to 1.6 W/kg
- Whole body: up to 0.08 W/kg
- Hands, wrists, feet, and ankles: up to 4 W/kg
Federal rules aren't strong enough - and have never been updated
Public agencies set many kinds of safety standards for public health; we have rules for the maximum levels of contaminants in tap water, pesticide residues on food, etc. Officials begin by assuming a certain level of pollutants/residue/radiation is safe and then reduce that level to create a margin of safety. By setting a maximum allowed amount lower than what the research indicates is safe, regulations account for uncertainty about how contaminants might affect humans and for the extra vulnerability of certain groups, such as children.
The FCC based its cell phone regulations on suggestions made in 1992 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), an industry body. These dated standards rely on data from animal studies conducted in the 1970s and 1980s that assume a SAR value of 4 W/kg as the highest permissible exposure level before adverse health effects may begin to take place.
17 years later, we see a few problems with these assumptions:
- There's no margin of safety
Generally a margin of safety is between 50 and 100 times lower than the point at which health problems might occur. But for cell phone radiation exposures to the head, the standard for cell phones allows a SAR value up to 1.6 W/kg - a margin of safety of only 2.5 times. And for exposures to hands, wrists, feet and ankles, cell phones can legally have a SAR value of 4 W/kg - no margin of safety.
Because of their thinner skulls, SAR values can be twice as high for children as for adults - and though younger and younger kids are using cell phones, current standards do not account for children's extra risk.
- The assumed "safe" SAR level may be too high
- They don't consider long-term exposure
The growing body of research on cell phone radiation indicates that even 4 W/kg may be too high to be considered a safe amount of exposure - more and more studies show biological effects at SAR levels far below.
The studies on which the 4 W/kg threshold is based only focused on short-term exposure to radiation. Recent research shows long-term cell phone use associated with a higher risk of health effects, so the current standard may not adequately take into account the potential effects of a lifetime of cell phone talking, especially for those who begin at a young age.
The US lags behind
Government agencies of the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Israel, Finland and the European Parliament have all recommended limiting cell phone exposure, particularly for children. The French government is even considering legislation to restrict advertising of cell phones to children under 14 and to require all cell phones be sold with accompanying headsets.
The strongest recent statement by a US agency comes from an FDA Office of Women's Health publication saying "more studies on cell phone radiation are needed" and "people who use cell phones need to be told of any bad effects." So much for proactively protecting public health.
What should our government be doing?
It's time for the FCC to bring its regulations into the 21st century by taking all of the most recent research into account to create a standard that is protective for all Americans, especially the youngest and most vulnerable.
A recent Capitol Hill hearing on cell phone radiation, at which EWG testified, shows some renewed interest on the part of Congress in funding more cell phone research. But your government officials need to hear from you: use EWG's easy form to send an email telling the FCC and FDA to modernize cell phone safety standards.
In the meantime, take steps to reduce your exposure to radiation by following EWG's 8 simple steps to reduce cell phone radiation exposure. And come back for the next installment in our cell phone series: finding a low-radiation phone.
Thanks for sharing this. It's a good reminder that we need to take responsibility for taking precautions ourselves rather than assuming that agencies like the FCC are protecting us...
Hi,
The information in the blog is very interesting about the radiations of the mobile.
The diseases like tumors linked to cell phone spy use in the Swedish study were being, other scientists suggest that the reality could be inferior. They are concerned that extended contact with the radio waves emitted by cell phones could actually cause malignant tumors.
This is an important issue that the Government as well as the cellphone manufacturer's should give importance. In the mean time, we, the users should do something to protect ourselves from the radiation. But of course we can't avoid to use them cos it's already a part of our daily routines. Instead of calls, texting is safer. When you can't avoid calls, then you must buy a good speaker headphones, with this the radiation that is being emitted is lessen.
I think that the problem is that the industry doesn't want us to know it, and the big companies hush up any research prejudicial to them. What you expected they would say? That their produce is harmful? They will never say that! The tobacco industry has been telling us for decades that smoking is not dangerous, and yet it is.
I have seen my father investigating that issue for a many years, and I am absolutely convinced that there is a real danger.
Look, for instance, that article:
**Temperature measuring of personal computer operator's hands with the help of infrared thermograph**
http://www.istokbcn.com/ingles/tests/test_termografias3.php
The use of computers (another thing that big companies don't want us to know) INCREASE the body's temperature, and it's proved that mobiles have similar effects.
That other article is about mobile phones effects http://www.istokbcn.com/ingles/tests/test_kirlian.php
For this test, the device Aurospectrophotometer 2100(USA) was used. That device was developed for objective estimation of physiological and psychological state of human organism through high-frequency glow color gamma fixation. And you can see through the images that that state changes when we use a mobile phone.
PS: I'm not telling that using a mobile phone will kill you immediately. I'm not a paranoid. I know that there are LOTS of more dangerous things. But is a fact that that mobiles are not absolutely innocuous.