Mobile telephones – a radiant blessing
Mobile telephones, cordless phones and WiFi signals send and receive so-called pulsed microwave radiation. High-frequency electromagnetic fields emanate from mobile phones, which operate in the frequency range between 900 and 1,800 megahertz (MHz = 1 million vibrations per second). With the help of this radiation, huge amounts of data are transported and – as part of this transportation process – our body is exposed to this radiation. As these waves go through walls, you are exposed to them whether or not you use a phone or a WiFi network.
Does mobile phone radiation harm health?
Leading environmental doctors have been warning of the potential health risks from mobile phone radiation for years. While there are no long-term studies on the subject due to the novelty of the topic, those physicians who have dealt extensively with the subject agree that mobile phone radiation more likely causes harm than not. It is a fact that the use of mobile phones right by the ear cause DNA damage – how this damage impacts on human health in the long term is still not clear, however.
Is there scientific evidence of the harmfulness of mobile phone radiation?
One of the many research projects on the topic of mobile phone radiation was conducted by the international society of electrosmog research, known as IGEF. The institute published a study claiming that mobile phone radiation has a damaging effect on human cells. Ukrainian researchers evaluated about 80 investigations into the effects of mobile phone radiation for this and came to the conclusion that mobile phone radiation, even in small quantities, could damage oxidation processes in cells, which in turn is a strong trigger for the production of harmful free radicals. This stress on the cells is deemed to be a trigger for many diseases. Children and young people are claimed to be particularly at risk, since, according to the study, youngsters have up to eight hours of direct contact with their mobile phone per day. A study of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection in Germany has also confirmed the tumour-accelerating potential of mobile radiation.
How can I protect myself against the health damage caused by mobile phone radiation?
As a rule of thumb, the closer the mobile phone is to your head, the more harmful the mobile phone radiation is. The easiest way to minimise the impact on your body is therefore by keeping a distance. The mobile phone should not be kept by your head, and ideally not at all on the body. It is advised to make a call with a hands-free device such as headphones or a headset. Since the Bluetooth systems used for these radiate in low quantities, radiation values should also be taken into consideration in the purchase of these.
Only making brief phone calls and sending a message, if in doubt, are other recommendations to minimise the impact on our cells. Phones with good connections also emit significantly less than those with poor connections.
Can you measure mobile phone radiation?
The radiation of mobile phones is specified by the so-called SAR value. SAR stands for Specific Absorption Rate, and this value indicates how much radiation the body is exposed to or how much radiation is absorbed by the body. Normally, the SAR value of a mobile phone is specified in its instruction manual. The value is specified in W/KG (watts per kilogram of body weight) and the value should not be greater than 2. This limit is set by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICNIRP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). This value is set to prevent the brain being heated in a way damaging to health. It must be kept in mind though that a low SAR value does not necessarily mean there is very low radiation. Should a smartphone have trouble transmitting, it is instructed by its base station to change to a higher transition power level, and can emit more as a result.
You can read about the SAR value of your mobile phone HERE .
