We put tinfoil on our windows to stop cellphone signals – and it didn’t work
Jan Vermeulen
Concern over the effects of electromagnetic fields is not new, and those fearful of the potential negative consequences of extended exposure have long used aluminium foil to try and mitigate the effects.
Using tinfoil hats is one method people have used to attempt to block radio waves and their electromagnetic radiation from reaching the brain.
The proliferation of cellular networks has raised similar concerns, with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialised agency in the World Health Organisation, recently classifying radio frequency radiation as a possible human carcinogen.
It explained that the classification means that a causal association between radio frequency radiation and cancer is considered credible, but chance, bias or confounding can’t be ruled out with reasonable confidence.
Earlier this year, researchers from the Ramazzini Institute in Italy showed that rats exposed to cellular radiation developed brain and heart tumours.
However, despite exposing rats to a high dose of radiation for extended periods, the increase in occurrence of tumours was not statistically significant.
Researchers explained that findings such as these do indicate that further research into a possible link between cellphone signals and cancer is needed.
From tinfoil hats to tinfoil windows
Aside from potential cancer concerns, some people have reported that cellular signals have impacted their health in other ways — from headaches to mood swings.
At the end of 2016, residents of the Durban neighbourhood Glenmore said that they were suffering from short tempers, aggressive pets, and sleepless nights because of a new cellphone tower in the area.
Residents said they were “hoodwinked” into believing that the mast was put up for CCTV cameras, only to find that no cameras had been installed and MTN logos were on the tower instead.
One resident covered his bedroom windows in tinfoil, and reported that this improved the disrupted sleeping patterns he had been experiencing as a result of the tower.
Curiously, the city council said at the time that the tower was not active yet. The ill effects residents said they were feeling could therefore not be as a result of radio frequency radiation from the new tower.
This was not the first time residents of a neighbourhood complained about negative effects on their health, despite the fact that the tower they were complaining about was switched off.
To see if there is any merit to trying to block wireless signals by covering your windows in tinfoil, I repeated the experiment in my own home.
Results
Before covering my room’s window with aluminium foil, I measured the strength of the signal my phone was receiving.
The phone was connected to the Telkom mobile network, which is well-suited for a test like this, as Telkom has not been assigned any low-frequency spectrum to use in its mobile network.
Lower radio frequency spectrum lets cellular network providers cover a larger area with a single tower, and offer greater indoor penetration.
While Vodacom, MTN, and Cell C have spectrum assignments in the 900MHz band, the lowest frequency spectrum Telkom has to work with is around double that frequency — in the 1,800MHz band.
For the duration of this test, my phone remained connected to Telkom’s LTE and LTE-Advanced network, which runs on the operator’s 1,800MHz and 2,300MHz spectrum assignments.
Signal strength was measured using the MyBroadband Speed Test app. It reports the strength of the signal as seen by the Android operating system, in dBm.
Measurements were taken with the door open, closed, and with foil on the window.
Door open: –110dBm to –106dBm
Door closed: –110dBm to –106dBm
Foil on window: –110dBm to –106dBm
There was no perceptible difference in signal strength after the window was covered in foil.
This is to be expected. Even if foil reflected or absorbed the radio frequency signals used by cellular networks, such signals do not seek openings to reach your phone.
It is unlikely that covering your windows in foil will have any significant effect on the strength of the signal in your home, as it can simply penetrate the walls that surround those windows.
To truly block out the signals from a cellphone tower, you would have to construct a Faraday shield or cage of some kind but, as we previously discovered, that is easier said than done.
When it comes to cell phone towers, there is increasingly the perception that a family does not want to live next to one. There is good reason for this as the research on health effects shows.
The following articles, videos and studies relate to declining property values around cell tower installations. Start with this excellent, recent investigative piece by a San Francisco Bay Area journalist:
1.) 94% of people surveyed would not buy or rent a home next to a cell tower:
2.) Palo Alto community successfully stops a proposed AT&T cell tower at a Catholic church. They cite a 20% drop in property values in other communities. A very effective campaign for any neighborhood to model:
As you can see in this recently NY Times article, Palo Alto residents really don’t like having cell towers in their community (even though they are the cradle of wireless technology). What do these tech people know that the rest of the population doesn’t?
This community in Berkeley recently did the same thing. They flooded the planning commission with 187 pages of emails against the tower and the application was denied.
3.) Here is an excellent study in The Appraisal Journal that shows cell tower installations negatively impact property values.
4.) NY Times article on how realtors have a hard time selling homes next to cell towers:
11.) Community stops new DAS cell tower system from being installed based on concerns of property values declining (December 15, 2015):
This is a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) cell tower antenna. Cities like San Francisco are placing multiple antennas like this on every block, right in front of people’s homes. They may look innocent, but they are very powerful emitters of microwave radiation that can cause health effects for home owners.
Note: Communities all around the country are stopping cell towers in their tracks. I get emails every week about this. Here is one community in Colorado that stopped a major tower. Also, this community in Berkeley recently stopped a tower from being built. It can be done if you get your entire community involved. The wealthy community of Hillsborough, CA recently stopped 16 cell towers from being installed after citizen outrage over not being included in the planning process:
This article was produced by Earth | Food | Life, a project of the Independent Media Institute.There is growing evidence that our addiction to cellphones could be impacting brain functionality and be the cause of stress, anxiety, insomnia and a lack of attention and focus. Now a new report has found that we’re not the only living things to be affected by our increasing dependence on wireless technology. Mammals, birds, insects and even plants are likely being harmed by the electromagnetic radiation (EMR) emanating from Wi-Fi, cellphone towers, broadcast transmitters and power lines, according to a new analysis of 97 peer-reviewed studies conducted by EKLIPSE, a biodiversity and ecosystem project funded by the European Union.The researchers said that “evidence is accumulating that mammals (e.g., bats and mice) have a magnetic sense” that is affected by radio-frequency-modulated electromagnetic fields (RF-EMR). Birds in particular may be highly susceptible. The researchers found that even weak magnetic fields in the radio frequency range can disrupt birds’ magnetoreception, their ability to use the Earth’s magnetic fields to orient themselves and find their way home.
Homing pigeons are well-known for their magnetoreception, but this sense has also been detected in other animals, like red foxes, and there is evidence that even large mammals like deer use the planet’s magnetic fields to sense direction. A number of invertebrates, including worms, mollusks and fruit flies also use this ability.
The report also concluded that EMR can also alter the metabolism of plants, causing “significant changes … demonstrated at cellular and molecular levels.” The authors noted that even a low level exposure to EMR “caused a rapid increase in stress-related transcript accumulation in tomato [plants].” Transcription is the first phase in the expression of a gene, in which a specific segment of DNA is copied into RNA.
The authors said that their findings indicate “an urgent need to strengthen the scientific basis of the knowledge on EMR and their potential impacts on wildlife,” specifically calling out the “need to base future research on sound, high-quality, replicable experiments so that credible, transparent and easily accessible evidence can inform society and policy-makers to make decisions and frame their policies.”
The UK charity Buglife (which proposed the analysis) warned that there wasn’t enough research to determine limits to EMR pollution. The group said that “serious impacts on the environment could not be ruled out” and urged that 5G transmitters should not be placed near street lights, which attract nocturnal insects like moths, nor in areas near wildlife.
Buglife CEO Matt Shardlow, who served on the experts steering group of the report, warned that “there is a credible riskthat 5G could impact significantly on wildlife.” He added:
“We apply limits to all types of pollution to protect the habitability of our environment, but as yet, even in Europe, the safe limits of electromagnetic radiation have not been determined, let alone applied. This is a classic case of out of sight out of mind, just because humans cannot see electromagnetic radiation this does not mean that animals cannot ‘see’ the pollution or be significantly impacted at a neural or cellular level. A proper research program and clear policy measures are long overdue.”
Shardlow specifically warned of the current rollout of 5th-generation wireless systems, or 5G networks, and called on telecommunications firms to research the impact of their wireless technology on wildlife and make their findings public. In May, Qatar become the first nation in the world to have a 5G network. The worldwide commercial launch of 5G is expected in 2020.
The report authors also said that strong EMR fields increase the temperature in living tissue, but the intensity needed to induce such heating is “not experienced by wildlife (so far).” It’s notable that they left the door open to this other potential emerging threat, as cellphone adoption rates are steadily rising globally. The number of smartphone users worldwide is forecast to grow from 2.1 billion in 2016 to around 2.5 billion in 2019, according to Statista, a market research firm. That means more cell towers—and more EMR being emitted into the environment.
“When you start to observe and realize that swallows and house martins no longer nest in towns and villages, when you realize that the sparrows have all disappeared, that in the evenings there are no bats flying in the dusk and that you no longer hear owls hooting, then you will begin to know what effect microwaves from cell towers and antennas are having on the environment,” said one commenter to a One World News article about the report.
The report comes on the heels of a recent appeal to the United Nations, signed by more than 200 scientists from 41 countries, urging the international body to address the risks posed electromagnetic fields (EMF), physical fields produced by objects charged by electromagnetic fields and radiofrequency radiation. Specifically, the scientists want the UN to “recognize that EMF exposure is an emerging health and environmental crisis that requires a high priority response.”
“Biologists and scientists are not being heard on the committees that set safety standards,” said Dr. Martin Blank of the Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics at Columbia University and signatory of the appeal, in a video address on the website of International EMF Alliance, a group founded in 2009 that disseminates information to policymakers and health authorities about the potential effects of electromagnetic radiation. “The biological facts are being ignored and as a result, the safety limits are much too high. They are not protective.”
Though evidence is mounting that humans may also be physiologically affected by EMF, the jury is still out on the impact of long-term low-frequency exposure. The World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that “current evidence does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure to low level electromagnetic fields.” However, the agency does admit that “some gaps in knowledgeabout biological effects exist and need further research.”
“Some of the fears are based on a report issued in 2011 by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The agency had gathered in Lyon, France, to discuss scientific studies surrounding the question of whether there’s a relationship between radio-frequency-modulated electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) and cancer. After intense deliberations, and to the great surprise of the world at large, experts decided to classify RF-EMF waves emitted by cell phones, cell towers, and Wi-Fi networks as category 2B, indicating a ‘possible human carcinogen.’”
For Dr. Blank and his colleagues raising the warning flag to the United Nations, the evidence is clear. “Cellphones, tablets, Wi-Fi, etc. Putting it bluntly, they are damaging the living cells in our bodies and killing many of us prematurely,” he said in his video address. “Rising exposure to electromagnetic radiation is a global problem. The World Health Organization and international standard-setting bodies are not acting to protect the public’s health and well-being. International exposure guidelines for electromagnetic fields must be strengthened.”
In his video address, Dr. Blank suggested that the current EMF safety limits may be inadequate due to the influence of the telecommunications industry on the policymakers. “More protection will probably result from full disclosure of possible conflicts of interest between regulators and industry,” he said.
“We have created something that is harming us, and it is getting out of control. Before Edison’s lightbulb, there was very little electromagnetic radiation in our environment. The levels today are very many times higher than natural background levels and are growing rapidly because of all the new devices that emit this radiation. An example that a lot of us have right now in our pockets is the cellphone.”
The modern era that we live in has become so advanced in technology that has undoubtedly created an addiction among the people. Let us remind ourselves that we have become totally dependent on technology like electronics, electricity and satellites that have left us indeed vulnerable. But is this technology making us dumber? Is it stopping evolution? Are we allowing our natural creativity to be destroyed by technology? What is the future that we look forward to if artificial intelligence takes over the human brain?
Doug Tompkins, the co-founder of retail brands, The North Face and Esprit, believes technology has enslaved us and is destroying the very health of the planet on which all species depend. According to him, “The computer is a mechanism for acceleration, it accelerates economic activity and this is eating up the world. It’s eating up resources, it’s processing, it’s manufacturing, it’s distributing, it’s consuming. That’s what the computer’s real work does and it does that 24/7, 365 days a year, non-stop just to satisfy our own narrow needs.”
Today, we seem to be too immersed in a system where cell phones are a necessity just to be around or to even function! But do we understand the implications of the electromagnetic waves it emits? Are we aware of the sleep issues that are created due to the light from the screen of monitors and smart phones? The release of melatonin in the brain is blocked by this light giving it a message to stay awake eventually leading to nervous exhaustion. The extensive use of technology is going to pose serious problems in the long run which we do not realise while we are just convenience oriented.
The number of our daily exchanges of emails, phone calls, messages and photographs these days was unimaginable just a few years ago. The important point to be affirmed here is that laptops and tablet computers are another primary source of radiation. These devices generate three different harmful radiation — extremely low frequency radiation, radio frequency radiation and heat radiation.
The fact before us is that high-tech devices, including our mobile phone, laptop, tablet and wearable tech like the Apple Watch, all generate a near-continuous source of unseen pollution that can be stressful and toxic to your cells.
The most common effect is heat generation (though non-thermal biological harm has also been demonstrated), which can alter the characteristics of various body tissues depending on the amount of radiation present and its ability to penetrate the body.
Tissue damage can promote the cellular mutations and increase your long-term risk of developing cancer. It is advisable to avoid Bluetooth headsets too as these pose serious radiation hazards due to the fact that they act as mini wireless antennas that blast electromagnetic fields directly into the ear and head.
I believe we must address the situation more seriously since scientists are shedding more light on discoveries about health hazards caused by the radio-active waves emitted by cell phones.
WHO has also warned about the increased risk of cancer and tumours in the brain and around the ear in addition to the change in the behavioural pattern of individuals due to the disturbance in the brain activity caused by these waves.
There’s no question that mobile phones and computers offer many conveniences and have made our lives easier in countless ways.
The convenience factor may outweigh the worry of radiation for many. But the need to be aware of the hidden dangers and understanding the urgency to take adequate measures to control it is absolutely necessary to keep civilization from crashing.
(Contributed by Agnivesh Jyotiraditya Kannankara, who has authored a book on Shillong)
EMF Inspection, Assessments and Remediation Solutions
There has been increasing concern about the presence of dangerous levels of electromagnetic fields (EMF), especially in residential properties. With the increasing density of housing units (densely packed condominiums) in urban areas, the multiplication of EMF sources (electrical transformers, cell-phone towers, electrical transmission lines) and the plethora of household electrical devices (TVs, computers, wireless home networks) the levels of EMF that people regularly come into contact with has greatly increased. There is also concern that the explosion in the use of cell phones is adding to this growth.
Most disturbing of all is the thought that these fields cause increased levels of cancer. There have been many news reports about this issue, dove-tailing with a large number of governmental and international health studies (EPA, World Health Organization, UK Sage Study).
EMF Real EstateSurvey/Inspection
House and property that is occupied takes 2-3.5hrs ($425)
House and property that is unoccupied takes 1-2.5hrs ($225)
Before you by property that has cell towers within a quarter of a mile, transformers on poles within 50ft, electrical sub stations, or electrical transmission lines near the property…etc. Takes about 1.5hrs ($150)
The Gigahertz Solutions equipment we use for detection and measurement are specially designed for Certified Electromagnetic Radiation Specialists. It is state of the art, the most sensitive available, certified and calibrated. When electrical or plumbing repair is required we can direct you to experienced and licensed contractors that are EMF aware.
These readings are plotted on to an outline drawing of your property and house. The data gathered is compared to other common electric sources within your house.
Many of EMF Solutions can be put in place during the assessment at no additional cost.
We can help create a low EMF and RF environment in your property. The recipe to a successful outcome is following a systematic protocol in assessment, designing the mitigation plan if necessary, and verifying the achievement of the design goals. The steps for a low EMF/RF assessment, consultation and possible development of a mitigation plan consist of:
Assessment of low and high frequency background levels present on the property
Assessment of low and high frequency levels present in the building
Develop and design of a possible mitigation according to your benchmarks for sensitive areas
Consult on prudent placement in all sensitive areas
Design shielding concepts as indicated
Retain a qualified electrician to verify proper electrical installationand grounding system if indicated
Shielding implementation by qualified craftsmen
Measurements to confirm compliance to your benchmarks
How would you like this ‘mini’ cell tower parked outside your front door or your bedroom window or on a pole in your backyard? And you cannot have it removed, thanks to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission!
That little monster will pump out 5G wireless networks at speeds consumers literally may die for, as the amount of microwaves 5G will be pumping out will be ‘astronomical’—anything in the ranges from 6 GHz to 100 GHz and higher!
However, 5 G applications will require unlocking of new spectrum bands in higher frequency ranges above 6 GHz to 100 GHz and beyond, utilizing submillimeter and millimeter waves– to allow ultra-high rates of data to be transmitted in the same amount of time as compared with previous deployments of microwave radiation. [1]
Consumers, high tech addicts and microwave tech aficionados—here’s something you probably don’t know nor care to know about right now other than your apparent ‘need’ for faster downloads, but you had better become acquainted with since it definitely will impact your life—maybe more dramatically than your not having high-speed Wi-Fi!
Consumers need to understand and also factor into their consciousness certain reproducible facts about microwave technologies, especially that microwaves are not natural energies produced by Nature; they are man-made human-tissue-debilitating energy waves that impact all bodily functions and tissues, whether you believe that or not, since any type of energy produces effects!
Currently, I am working on producing an ‘anthology-like’ article containing verified factual research regarding microwave damage to human physiology at much lower levels of exposures than 5G, which may astound readers. It will be quite a resource to have, so look for it.
The KEY issue to understand regarding microwaves is the velocity at which they oscillate per second!
Some background information
The “G’s” refer to the latest generations of microwave technology, most of which operate in the Gigahertz (GHz) ranges. As we read above, 5G will operate in the 6 GHz to 100 GHz – and above – ranges!
Now, here’s what consumers really need to understand, process and accept about high tech 5G Wi-Fi:
One Gigahertz (GHz) is one billion oscillations per second!
Now do some math and see if your calculator has enough capacity to give you an answer. Multiply 6 GHz by one billion; what do you get as oscillations per second? Multiply 100 GHz by one billion and what do you get?
High Tech Consumers, the human body never has been subjected to such tremendous microwave velocities per second! The U.S. military is using millimeter waves (MMWs) range technology, as it is called, as their “war weapons.”
Research and studies published in respectable peer review journals indicate grave concerns for what can happen at DNA and cellular levels, especially to the human brain because of its water/fat content and human eyeballs, which have a similar tissue consistency as the human brain!
Currently, ocular melanomas [2] are occurring in college students, which has medicine stumped [3] as to why such an ‘anomaly’ is happening.
Well, it probably is happening because colleges and school premises often are dotted with cell towers and other high tech antenna arrays (paying ‘nice’ monthly rental fees), which impact human tissue, especially in the young.
Medical ‘science’ seemingly refuses to accept non-thermal radiation damage due to consensus BS science put out by various microwave industry trade associations who basically act like “tails wagging dogs” with regard to non-thermal radiation adverse health effects. They claim there is no such thing as “non-thermal radiation adverse health effects”!
Well, I suggest doubters go back to the research the microwave industry funded and performed wherein they found 32% of their research studies confirmed non-thermal radiation adverse health effects, and still the trade associations will not accept it. Why? Because admitting that would require such inordinately expensive safeguards be put into place, the cell phone industry and other microwave industry suppliers and operators could not afford them and probably would be put out of business!
Here is some information about Dr. Henry Lai’s [PhD] work, which ought to get high tech consumers thinking about just how important it is to have high-speed 5G Wi-Fi at work, in your home and at the nearest café.
Right now as consumers read this article, they are not aware of all the Gigahertz oscillations they constantly are being exposed to from any wearable tech, cell phones, AMI Smart Meters, LAN or HAN networks, or any products or services that send and/or receive voice, data, photos, etc.
However, I’d like to bring to your attention Verizon has done an about face with regard to installing 5G “small cell towers” in Sebastopol, California.
The EMF Safety Network sent a 10-page letter to the Sebastopol Planning Commission which, if you need reputable science regarding small cell towers you should print and keep, apparently made the difference in Verizon’s decision. Personally, I like the EMF’s description of a small cell tower as “a junk yard on a pole.”
Loss of property value due to having one of those junk yards outside, or on your property, is something everyone needs to consider seriously, i.e., is faster Wi-Fi downloads worth the loss of thousands of dollars on your home’s value?
Check out EMF’s comments in “Peer-reviewed published science shows wireless radiation harms public health” and “Proximity to RFR antennas is harmful.” Humans are not alone in the damage; read how RFRs damage Nature!
EMF’s Conclusion in its letter to the planning commission stated,
The telecommunication industry’s unbounded profit motive should never outweigh the safety and well being of the public and our environment! Communications are safer using wired and corded connections.
However, that may not be what the microwave industries want as it probably will cost them megabucks for more infrastructure, something 5G small cell towers greatly reduce in costs.
Catherine J Frompovich (website) is a retired natural nutritionist who earned advanced degrees in Nutrition and Holistic Health Sciences, Certification in Orthomolecular Theory and Practice plus Paralegal Studies. Her work has been published in national and airline magazines since the early 1980s. Catherine authored numerous books on health issues along with co-authoring papers and monographs with physicians, nurses, and holistic healthcare professionals. She has been a consumer healthcare researcher 35 years and counting.
5g And E-health, 5g Australia Health, 5g Bad For Health, 5g E-health, 5g Health, 5g Health Effects, 5g Health Impact, 5g Health Marketing Group, 5g In Healthcare, 5g Internet Health, 5g Mobile Health, 5g Network Health Concerns, 5g Wifi Health Risk, 5g Wireless Health, Ericsson 5g Health, Recharge 5g Health Supplement
Unborn Babies, babies, toddlers, pregnant women, seniors, teens, youngsters and adults – did we miss out anyone? And then… what about computing systems, data centers, servers and computing environments?
Our addiction to 24*7 hyper connectivity and the age of “smart”
Advent of IOT, M2M and Sensor networks
Rise of electronic consumerism
EMF radiation and EMF fields are key risks to biological and computing systems. As a generation, we have a million times higher exposure to EMF radiation compared to our parents or grandparents. Our cellphones, WiFi and microwaves are so convenient that they are actually inconvenient. Our bodies fail to evolve so quickly as the multiplication in EMF radiation fields around us. This has resulted in aggravated occurrences of critical ailments such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons, Cancer, Infertility and Autism.
Ironically, EMF radiation has a remarkably “unproven” relationship with all these ailments. These figures point towards a global epidemic on the rise. The epidemiological evidence linking EMF radiation to these health problems is not fully formed and may take many more decades to form. However, good sense will tell you it is better to be safe than sorry.
Updated Apr 09, 2018 | 11:19 IST | Times Now Digital
When it comes to the radiation levels a smartphone emits, we tend to give it a miss, almost everytime as there are many users who don’t even know what SAR value of a smartphone is and why should they be worried about the radiation levels?
A smartphone is one of the essential pieces of technology these days and while you might be sleeping and waking up with your smartphone, constantly worrying about any new notification that you get, you might have also heard that sleeping with your smartphone and keeping this device with you, all the time, can cause some serious issues to your body. If yes, then whatever you know is true as your smartphone’s radiation levels or SAR value should be given more importance than you ever thought.
It is also true that when we go out to buy a new smartphone, the only thing we focus on is the specs-sheet – which one has the better camera, which is the best gaming phone for your price range or can it act as a status symbol in your circle. But the matter of fact is, when it comes to the radiation levels a smartphone emits, we tend to give it a miss, almost everytime as there are many users who don’t even know what SAR value of a smartphone is and why should they be worried about the radiation levels?
What is SAR value?
It is no secret that smartphone and even feature phones use electromagnetic radiation to communicate with a cellular tower in the spectrum of radio waves. The frequency emitted is between 450-2100MHz, which also depends on our device as well as the carrier’s network. Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), on the other hand, is the rate at which electromagnetic power is radiated from smartphone and cellular towers near you and which is absorbed by the human body. The SAR value is a measure of the maximum energy which is absorbed by a unit of mass of exposed tissue in a human being using a mobile phone, over a given time.
Smartphones’ radiation levels or SAR values are usually depicted in units of watts per kilogram (W/kg) in either one gram or 10 gram of tissue. Every handset is tested for radio wave emissions using internationally standardised methods that meet government as well as regulatory requirements. Then a measurement is made in order to determine how much electromagnetic energy will be absorbed by body tissue which gives out the SAR (specific absorption rate) value. All governmental and regulatory agencies around the globe have established their SAR limits under which mobile phone use has been determined by them to be safe.
What is considered as a safe SAR value?
The matter of fact is, mobile manufacturers, conduct their own SAR measurement tests under the worst case scenarios and the SAR value that a particular smartphone or any other mobile phone emits can usually be found printed in the manual, which is also the highest possible value of that device.
In the United States, mobile phones should have a SAR value of 1.6 W/Kg or below, and in Europe, the limit is at 2 W/kg. However, while in the US, the SAR value is calculated over the volume containing a mass of one gram of tissue, it is calculated with 10 grams of tissue in Europe. That said, it doesn’t mean that in Europe, the regulators have allowed a higher limit than in the US as they refer to different amounts of tissue.
While we can only compare two SAR values calculated on the same amount of tissues, as for the measurements in India, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on EMF Radiation which is set up by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology suggested SAR limits for mobile handsets of 2 watts per kg. However, the Indian Government has recently decided to set a new SAR limit of 1.6 watts per kg which would make the Indian standards almost similar to the US standards as both are measured on a mass of one gram of tissue.
How to check SAR value of a smartphone or mobile handset?
1. On a website which collects SAR values of mobile phone models (https://www.sarchecker.com/brand/).
2. On the website of a mobile phone manufacturer
3. Inside the user guide of a device
4. In your mobile phone’s settings (‘general’ or ‘about phone’ section)
5. By dialling *#07# from your smartphone
What studies have found in regards to smartphone radiation levels or SAR value?
The World Health Organization
“To date, research does not suggest any consistent evidence of adverse health effects from exposure to radiofrequency fields at levels below those that cause tissue heating. Further, research has not been able to provide support for a causal relationship between exposure to electromagnetic fields and self-reported symptoms, or “electromagnetic hypersensitivity,” said WHO.
Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics at Columbia University reported,
“Putting it bluntly (cellphones) are damaging the living cells in our bodies and killing many of us prematurely… We have created something that is harming us, and it is getting out of control. Before Edison’s light bulb there was very little electromagnetic radiation in our environment. The levels today are very many times higher than natural background levels, and are growing rapidly because of all the new devices that emit this radiation”.
Interphone study
Most of the published analyses from this study showed no statistically significant increase in brain and central nervous system cancers which are related to higher amounts of cell phone usage. However, a particular analysis showed a statistically significant, but still modest, increase in the risk of glioma in a small number of study participants who spent most of their time on cell phone calls.
Another analysis from this study found no connection between brain tumour locations as well as regions of the brain which were exposed to the highest levels of radio frequency energy coming from cell phones.
Danish study
No association was observed between cell phone usage and the incidence of glioma, acoustic neuroma or meningioma, even among users who had been cell phone subscribers for more than 13 years.
Million women study
Self-reported cell phone usage was not associated with an increased risk of glioma, non-central nervous system tumours, and meningioma. However, the original published findings reported the association with an increased risk of acoustic neuroma but this association was then proven wrong after an additional follow-up of the cohort.
How to reduce cell phone radiation exposure?
1. Use an earpiece, speakerphone or headset to reduce proximity to the head. While wired earpieces might conduct some energy to the head, wireless earpieces also emit a small amount of radio frequency energy. However, wired and wireless earpieces can remove the greatest source of RF energy from proximity to the head, which is the cell phone and thus reduce the total amount of exposure to the head.
2. Start carrying your cell phone away from your body. It could be in a purse, computer bag or briefcase, just not in your pocket where it is directly pressed up against you.
3. Increase the distance between your cell phone and your body while sitting, sleeping or when the device is not in use.
4. Consider texting rather than talking, if possible.
Concern over the effects of electromagnetic fields is not new, and those fearful of the potential negative consequences of extended exposure have long used aluminium foil to try and mitigate the effects.
There has been increasing concern about the presence of dangerous levels of electromagnetic fields (EMF), especially in residential properties. With the increasing density of housing units (densely packed condominiums) in urban areas, the multiplication of EMF sources (electrical transformers, cell-phone towers, electrical transmission lines) and the plethora of household electrical devices (TVs, computers, wireless home networks) the levels of EMF that people regularly come into contact with has greatly increased. There is also concern that the explosion in the use of cell phones is adding to this growth.
ssion!
A smartphone is one of the essential pieces of technology these days and while you might be sleeping and waking up with your smartphone, constantly worrying about any new notification that you get, you might have also heard that sleeping with your smartphone and keeping this device with you, all the time, can cause some serious issues to your body. If yes, then whatever you know is true as your smartphone’s radiation levels or SAR value should be given more importance than you ever thought.
