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Should I Worry About Cell Phone Radiation?
Name five adults you know who don’t have a cell phone. Not possible, right? We take owning them for granted—but there’s also continued concern about the potential health risks of cell phone radiation. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently opened an inquiry to determine if it should update its current policies and limits on exposure to cell phones’ radiofrequency electromagnetic fields.
A phone’s Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) is a measure of the amount of radiofrequency (RF) energy absorbed by the body when the phone is being used. The FCC’s current limit for public exposure is set at an SAR of 1.6 watts per kilogram, and all cell phone manufacturers have to comply. This standard has been in effect since 1996—long before cell phones became so pervasive. The FCC’s website states, “While the FCC has continuously monitored research and conferred with experts in this field, and is confident in its RF exposure guidelines and the soundness of the basis for its rules, it is a matter of good government to periodically reexamine regulations and their implementation.”
One thing that should make you say hmmm: Your cell phone manual contains a warning about a safe distance at which you should keep your phone from your body—and it’s usually a fraction of an inch. Who knew, right? And that’s the problem: Most of us hold our cell phones right up to our ear or against our leg in our pocket—potentially increasing the amount of RF energy that’s being delivered to our bodies to beyond the tested and touted amounts.
So what’s the general consensus of research on the dangers (or lack thereof) of cell phone radiation? That’s the thing: There really isn’t one. While some studies say cell phones don’t cause harm, others indicate that they do. For example, analyses of data from the large and multi-national Interphone study, published in 2010, drew mixed conclusions about whether long-term cell phone radiation exposure had any association with the risk of developing glioma, a type of brain tumor, and no causation was established.
In 2011, a group of 31 scientists from 14 countries met at the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) to evaluate the health effects of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, such as the ones emitted by wireless communication devices. In the end, they classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” That means that, while not conclusive, the evidence was strong enough to say that there could be a risk. “The ‘possible’ means we can’t give assurance of safety because there is some signal of harm, and yet it’s not so definite,” says Jonathan Samet, MD, MS, director of the University of Southern California Institute for Global Health and chairman of the IARC working group.
But other researchers already say they feel certain that cell phones are a cause for concern: Henry Lai, PhD, a research professor in the University of Washington’s bioengineering department, has been studying radiation for more than three decades. He says that, while a causal relationship hasn’t been established yet, “the bottom line is that there is some evidence suggesting that they’re not safe—and this is something that we use everyday.”
No one’s entirely sure yet what the long-term effects are—cell phones haven’t been around long enough. (Some tumors, for example, can take upwards of three decades to develop.) Many of the studies also have flaws—for example, with self-reported data, people may not be able to remember how often they really used their cell phones. So unfortunately, the only clear consensus from experts is that more research needs to be done.
What it’s safe to assume: It’s going to take a while for experts to reach any sort of formal conclusion. For that reason, it’s probably best to be on the safe side and adjust your cell phone habits. Consider putting these four ways to reduce your exposure to radiation while using your cell into action.
The verdict: You don’t have to give up your cell phone, but it’s probably smart to make some habit tweaks—like investing in headphones and not sleeping with it next to your bed. When there’s this much on the line, it’s definitely better to be safe than sorry.
photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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Should I Worry About Driving With a Hands-Free Cell Phone?
You’re driving with both hands on the steering wheel, and your eyes are on the road ahead. All good, right? Not if you’re on a hands-free cell phone and your route involves a left-hand turn (we’re guessing it does). According to a new study published in the open access journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, making a left-hand turn in a busy intersection requires a huge amount of brain activity, and talking on a hands-free cell phone at the same time is more than the brain can handle.
For the study, researchers put a driving simulator—steering wheel, pedals, and all—inside a high-powered functional MRI. Young adult participants navigated straight roads, right-hand turns, and left-hand turns. During some of the steering, the participants answered simple true or false questions (for example, if a triangle has four sides) by pressing buttons on the steering wheel—a lot like the way current hands-free phone technology works. When they did so during a left-hand turn at a traffic-filled intersection, something major happened: “Brain power was allocated to the frontal cortex, which allows you to make decisions and hold that conversation,” says lead study author Tom Schweizer, PhD, a neuroscientist and the director of the Neuroscience Research Program at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. “The visual part of the brain—the back end of the brain—started to shut down.”
So what exactly makes turning left so complicated? Think about everything you have to process: the traffic light, oncoming cars (which are probably going pretty fast), pedestrian and bicyclists to the left. “You have to take in all of that visual information and then calculate a safe driving maneuver,” says Schweizer. “We found that a huge amount of brain is required to pull that off.” When you add some chatting to the equation, “something in the brain’s gotta give,” explains Schweizer. “There are only so many brain resources to go around. And it just so happens that what gives is the visual system.”
Many states already ban novice drivers and bus drivers from using hands-free devices while driving.
Marcel Just, PhD, director of the Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon University, was not involved in the study but has done separate research on driving while listening. His 2008 research found that even just listening to a person reduces the brain activity focused on driving by 37 percent. “What people tend to underestimate is the draw on cognitive resources of even having a conversation or listening to someone speak,” says Just. “I don’t want to be crossing the street while a driver is coming towards me and talking on a cell phone, even if it’s hands-free.”
The verdict: Hands-free doesn’t mean danger-free. Don’t chat on the phone when you’re behind the wheel!
photo: Edyta Pawlowska/Shutterstock
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4 Ways to Make Your Cell Phone Safer
Though the thought of it might give you separation anxiety, it’s time for you to put down your cell phone. At least, that’s what one South Florida city urges. Last week, the city of Pembroke Pines passed a resolution warning citizens that radiation from cell phones might cause cancer.
The resolution came after a Pembroke Pines resident, Jimmy Gonzalez, used his own survival story to encourage his city’s commission to take action. Gonzalez had a cancerous tumor removed from above his left ear, and another tumor removed from his left hand, according to SunSentinel.com. He believes both may have been caused by his cell phone. The resolution encourages everyone to practice safer cell phone usage and to keep an eye out for news on cell phone radiation.
While city officials are certainly not health experts, the resolution isn’t completely off base. Cell phones have been getting a bad rap for a while now, although there has been much debate among researchers about the legitimacy of that reputation, according to Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, author of Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn’t Be Your Alarm Clock and 1,268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution. Some warn that cell phones can be dangerous; others argue that the hype is all overblown. “What we really need is long-term data about biological effects of chronic and cumulative radiation, especially as this new generation of cell phone-addicted children and teens transitions into adulthood,” Gittleman says.
That said, there’s a good amount of research that suggests cell phone radiation has the potential to be hazardous. The World Health Organization declared it as a possible carcinogen, and a 2011 study in the American Journal of Medicine found that 50 minutes of cell phone use causes excessive brain activity in the area nearest to the phone, according to Gittleman.
Cell phones emit radio waves, which can be absorbed by tissue nearest to the phone, according to the National Cancer Institute. (To note: The NCI also says that more research is needed to find a consistent link between cell phone use and cancers.) “Exposure to radiation—even below safety standards—has been shown to damage cellular DNA, which can lead to mutations that can cause cancer,” says Gittleman. “Studies have also found that our body’s defenses are weaker after radiation exposure—even low-level radiofrequency exposures triggers the body to produce heat stress proteins, signaling to the body that your cells are in distress.”
Disconcerting stuff, but again: Inconclusive, at least for now. In the meantime, in lieu of ditching your cell altogether, it certainly can’t hurt to practice safe cell phoning. Here, Gittleman’s four safe (and simple) ways to use your cell phone—and reduce your exposure to radiation.
Keep it away from your head. “If you hold it two inches away, the signal is about ¼ its original strength,” says Gittleman. “At four inches, it’s about 1/16 as strong.” She also recommends using the speakerphone, a bluetooth headset, or texting when possible.
Place calls strategically. Making calls when the battery is low, the signal is weak, or when you’re traveling at high speeds in a car or train can make your phone work harder to connect to the nearest cell tower, which increases your radiation exposure, according to Gittleman. The easiest way to lower your risk: Simply wait to make your call.
Throw it in your bag. Gittleman recommends carrying your phone in your bag or briefcase, rather than your pants pocket, to lower your risk for exposure. And tell the gents in your life to do the same: “Research has found that men who carried cell phones in their pockets had 25% lower sperm count than those who didn’t,” she says.
Purchase a Pong. This phone accoutrement is proven to reduce your exposure to radiation without messing with your cell signal. “[It] uses an embedded antenna that redistributes and redirects the radiation away from your head (or body),” says Gittleman.
Click here for more intel on the health risks of radiation from your mobile devices.
photo: Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock
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