Cell phones in today’s world and Safety measures to limit the radiation exposure

Cell phone once considered as luxury has now became a crucial and integral part of our daily life. Everyone from teenagers to old men has a personal cell phone of their own. With the latest advancements in the mobile industry, current generation cell phones are loaded with so many features and applications that it has become one in all. The multi functionality of cell phone has replaced so many other devices even it replaced laptops to some extent. Now we are in a world that we see people talking more in cell phones than with the people next to them. Not to exaggerate but this is true! We can see this scene in any party or function. But certainly there are many advantages with the cell phones that one can stay connected with the people while travelling, they become life savers in emergencies and you never feel bored at any time And at the same time we have to realize that the long term usage of cell phones is certainly putting our lives in risks.

We all know that mobile phone works by emitting radio frequency waves and these waves are very low powered microwave radiations which can be absorbed by tissues closest to where the phone is held. The amount of radiofrequency energy absorbed by the user depends on the technology of the phone, the distance between the phone’s antenna and the user, the extent and type of use, and the user’s distance from cell phone towers. What microwave radiation does in most simplistic terms is similar to what happens to food in microwaves, essentially cooking the brain but very slowly. Not to get scared but logically it is true! At any point of time everyone might have sensed the warmness in the part where the mobile phone was held closely for a long time.

Lot of research is going on about the possible health risks associated with the long term exposure of mobile radiations. Many studies have revealed that prolonged use of mobile phones can expose the user to damaging levels of radiation. Scientific teams in several nations have raised troubling questions about the possible health concerns such as altered brain metabolism, sleep disturbance and behavioural changes in children. Even World Health Organization (WHO) has put cell phones under ‘Possibly carcinogenic’ category.

But with the growing demand and convenience of cell phones use, we cannot stop using them. So it is important to take certain safety measures while using them which considerably reduce the level of exposure to harmful radiations and thus cut down health risks.

Safety tips:

• When purchasing a cell phone, get the one with a low SAR(Specific Absorption Rate) which is the rate at which our bodies absorb radiation. A cell phone’s SAR rating is measured between 0.0 and 1.60 with 1.60 set as the maximum level of radiation permissible. You can find SAR values of most of the mobile here
• Keep mobile conversations brief since the amount of radiation is directly related to the length of time you talk and Consider using text messages as much as possible
• Use a landline whenever possible
• Keep the cell phone as far away from your body as possible. By moving the cell phone just 2 inches away from the head while talking can reduce the amount of radiation that reaches your head by 75% and by keeping the cell phone over 7 inches away can cut your radiation exposure to less than 1%.
• Never hold the phone directly against your head. Use a Bluetooth head piece that emits 1/100^th the radiations of a normal cell phone
• Avoid using wired headsets including the ear buds that come with most cell phones today as they have been shown to act as antennas, channelling the radiation directly into the ear canal and with regular ear pieces, we’re getting 3 times more radiation than if we held the cell phone against your ear.
• Use an air tube headset with ferrite beads which is believed to be safer, because EMR (Electro Magnetic Radiation) can’t travel up the air tube like it does on a regular wired earphone and Ferrite beads suppress the EMR and dissipate it.
• Avoid carrying your cell phone in your pocket, on your belt, or in your hand. Since hip produces 80% of the body’s red blood cells and is especially vulnerable to EMR damage. Close proximity may also affect fertility and body tissue in the abdomen absorbs radiation more quickly than the head.
• Only make calls when and where you have a strong signal because cell phones automatically increase power output when the signal is weak, exposing you to greater radiation.
• Avoid using a cell phone while in metal enclosures which includes Vehicles, Elevators Trains, Subways as they trap some of the radiation and reflect it back on you and others
• Turn your cell phone off at night as EMR emitted from cell phones can lower the quality of your sleep. If you must leave your cell phone on during the night to be able to receive emergency calls keep your cell phone at least 6 feet away from the bed.
• Last but not least don’t allow children to use cell phones, except for emergencies since children’s skulls are thinner and their brains contain more fluid than adults and these  Electromagnetic radiation travels more easily through liquids; therefore, it travels through children’s brains much more easily.

So as educated people we have to take the responsibility for our own health and our family’s by developing our own cell phone safety rules and create awareness among other people.

Source:compiled from internet