On November 5, 2009, the FCC released their Consumer Facts on "Wireless Devices and Health Concerns." In this document, the FCC recommends precautions for the use of cell phones.
According to the FCC, “Recent reports by some health and safety interest groups have suggested that wireless device use can be linked to cancer and other illnesses. These questions have become more pressing as more and younger people are using the devices, and for longer periods of time.”
They now recommend the following steps:
* Use an earpiece or headset * If possible, keep wireless devices away from your body when they are on, mainly by not attaching them to belts or carrying them in pockets * Use the cell phone speaker to reduce exposure to your head * Consider texting rather than talking * Buy a wireless device with lower Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)
Just curious how you all feel about cell phone RF radiation safety. I have tossed my head back and fourth over this topic in many other places and with some people IRL.
Unless I am behind the times cellphones still operate on the 800MHz band correct? I'm not sure about the power levels but it can't be any higher than the ham band at 33cm (902MHz) which is FCC inspected to be within the safe limits of EMR and I bet cell phones run much less power than that.
There is debate whether digital transmission is more unsafe than analog because of the short pulses. It's still speculation in my opinion.
I hear all kinds of stories about people getting headaches after being on their cellphones. Maybe they just have it up to their ear too long which is uncomfortable? Seriously take something the size of a cellphone up to your ear and talk into it for 2 hours like some of these kids on their phones and tell me you don't feel a bit stiff and have an ear ache.
What I find even weirder is how all the talk surrounds cellphones. You don't hear anyone talking about WIFI or the new house phones running at much higher close to microwave frequencies. Heck WIFI itself runs on a frequency very close to what your microwave oven uses to cook a burrito. However the power levels are well below the ability to cause water molecules in your skin to vibrate at high frequency. Even if so it would feel less warm than the hot plastic device up to your ear.
From all the studies I have seen it sounds like RF exposure at such high frequencies usually only cause skin damage from overheating. Basically RF burns on the outer layer of the skin. That alone can hurt but to cause cancer or brain tumors? Wouldn't touching a hot pot on the stove and giving yourself a nasty burn do the same then? So it comes down to RF energy mutating cells. That's the only way it can cause cancer from what I know. I can't find one single study proving that RF causes cell mutation unless we get all the way up to X-Rays and gamma which it's not like everyone is going to be using to 2-way communicate and doesn't really count as traditional radio as we know and use. If it did we'd have a lot of dead ham radio operators and radio station engineers.
Sorry for the rant. What's your take on all the propaganda and conspiracies?
Eh, I don't believe it much. I forget where I read this, but most cell phones only output at 100-500mW (though legally can go up to 1W) at their max, which is hardly anything, even if it was in the "Microwave Oven" range, it would be less harmful than the BPA and other additives in the plastic around that hot lithium powered cell phone, and let's not forget about the mercury in the lights (older phones) behind those screens or the other heavy metals present in the motherboards.
The phone itself is FAR more hazardous than the minute RF energy being put out. I believe most carriers have gone away with the 800Mhz band in favor of 1200-1900 Mhz (I believe 4G AT&T uses 1900 MHz) correct me if I'm wrong anyone.
Come to think of it, I smoke, I drink, I drive an extremely small car at 130KPh on the freeway and my work demands I play with 500V regularily.
I don't think my phone will be the thing to do me in
THIS. I agree entirely. Today society is so worried about every little thing. Everything gives you cancer now, even Oxygen!! Chances are you're more likely to get cancer from smoking or other genetic factors than a cell phone...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
