The health risks associated with radiation have been the focus of various studies; however, most have been termed inconclusive in terms of the health risks associated with phone radiations. —File photo by APP

The criteria for choosing the right mobile phone can be as diverse as the types of users and handsets out there. For some, price is a major determinant, while for others the phone’s features such as operating system, camera, screen size etcetera, hold weight. Then there are those who prefer to make their choice based on the manufacturer’s brand, and in certain territories the service-provider/data plans associated with a handset also factor in. Sure, all of these factors play an important role in mobile phone selection, but one feature that is often ignored is the level of radiation emitted by the product.

You may have noticed that placing a mobile phone near a computer monitor or television screen can cause the screen to quiver, especially before an incoming call or text message. This is caused by the electromagnetic interference of the mobile phone.

In order to receive and dial telephone calls, a mobile handset connects to the cellular network of a mobile phone service operator. This is done via a radio link, and wireless phones transmit signals via radio frequency (RF) – the same kind of low-frequency radiation used in microwave ovens and AM/FM radios.

The health risks associated with radiation have been the focus of various studies; however, most have been termed inconclusive in terms of the health risks associated with phone radiations. Last year, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organisation, classified radio frequency electromagnetic fields, such as those emitted by a wireless communication device, as possibly carcinogenic to humans.

The radiation emitted by mobile phones is measured in terms of the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). Wikipedia explains SAR as “a measure of the rate at which level energy is absorbed by the body when exposed to a radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic field; although, it can also refer to absorption of other forms of energy by tissue”. SAR is used to measure power absorbed from mobile phones and during MRI scans.

SAR values depend on the shape and alignment of the body part exposed to the RF energy, and on the exact location and geometry of the RF source. Thus, tests have to be conducted with each specific source, such as a mobile phone model, and at the intended position of use. For instance, the SAR measurements for any mobile phone will be taken when held in the talk position. The SAR value is then measured at the location that has the highest absorption rate in the entire head, which in the case of a mobile phone is often as close to the phone’s antenna as possible.

In North America, a mobile phone’s SAR rating is measured between 0.0 and 1.60, with 1.60 set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as the maximum level of radiation permissible. The European Committee for Electro-technical Standardization (CENELEC) specifies SAR limits within the EU to be 2W/kg averaged over 10 grams of tissue.

It is a well-known fact that large doses of high-frequency radiation – the kind used in X-rays – can cause cancer. However, there is inadequate information about the levels of risks posed by low-frequency radiation emitted by mobile phones, which vary by handset model. Though most mobile phone manufacturers list the SAR level of the handset on their websites, as well as in the phone manuals, radiation risks from unbranded or unknown mobile phone handsets, which do not account for their levels of radiations, is quite pronounced.

Users can look up their phone radiation levels at the phone manufacturer’s website to determine whether they are using a phone with high SAR (not preferable) or low SAR (preferable) levels. Mind you, buying a phone with a lower SAR may make you feel more comfortable, but it does not guarantee that it is inherently safer.

According to Camilla Rees, founder of Electromagnetic Health, SAR values reported to the FCC or ECES by the manufacturer have been known to vary from the reported number by a factor of two across models of the same phone. Also, the SAR value varies with the source of exposure and the person using the phone. Some researchers also caution against using your phone in areas with a weak signal since phones emit more electro-magnetic radiation during those times to communicate with the base tower.

In other words, in a rural area or in an elevator or a car, where the mobile phone uses more power and your brain will get greater exposure from the higher power required in these instances.

While looking up SAR values, it is important to remember that these have been created based on simulations of exposure in a plexiglass mannequin-head filled with fluid, not a human head, and many scientists consider them to be inaccurate and irrelevant at determining actual biological effects. Also, holding the phone in a slightly different way can actually render the worst SAR value phone better than the one with the best SAR value. Lloyd Morgan, lead author of Cell phones and Brain Tumors: 15 Reasons for Concern claims that if someone has a mobile phone at max SAR of 1.6 W/kg and another has the lowest SAR mobile phone (0.55 W/kg), it is certainly better to use the latter. However, just holding the phone in a slightly different way can mean that the worse phone is better than the best phone.

“The distance [the phone is held from the head] overwhelms the different SAR values.”

Reba Shahid wrote this article for the February 2012 edition of Spider Magazine.