Mobile Phones: What You Should Know
From increased cancer risk to sperm damage, mobile phone use and its potential risks have been making the news headlines for the past decade or so.
Some Experts' Opinions
Top Australian neurosurgeon Dr. Vini Khurana analyzed more than 100 studies and concluded that using mobile phones for more than 10 years could double the risk of brain cancer.
Dr Ronald B. Herberman, a prominent cancer doctor and the director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, wrote a memo to the hospital's 3,000 faculty and staff members urging them to take precautions when using their mobile phones. Although no definitive link has been found, he advised that people should not wait until future studies be completed before taking precautionary measures.
Why Are Some Health Experts Concerned?
When a mobile phone is on, electromagnetic radiation is generated. Cells in the body react to the radiation, creating potential for DNA damage that results in cancers and other diseases. This radiation is emitted even when you're not using the phone. If it is on and can receive calls, radiation is being emitted. However, this radiation is stronger when you're talking on the phone.
Also, the greater distance you are from a base station, the more radiation your phone must emit in order to get a signal. This is the reason why your phone feels hot when you have weak reception; the heat you feel is radiation. To reduce your exposure, make calls only when you have strong reception, hang up before your phone heats up, and store your phone away from your body when it is not in use.
Warnings Especially for Children
Some countries, including France, Germany and India, have recently issued recommendations that exposure to electromagnetic fields should be limited. In Canada, Toronto's Department of Public Health has advised teenagers and young children to limit their use of mobile phones to avoid potential health risks. Children are still growing so radiation exposure could affect them more strongly than adults. Children also have thinner scalps and skulls than adults, meaning that more radiation can penetrate into the nervous system. Some experts believe that children under 16 should not be using mobiles. In fact, the medical communities of France, Germany, and the U.K. recommend severe restrictions on children's mobile use.
Practical Precautionary Advice
Why not take the better-safe-than-sorry approach? As suggested by Dr Herberman, here are some ways to limit exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobile phones:
- Do not allow children to use mobile phones except in emergencies.
- Whenever possible, use the speakerphone mode or a wireless Bluetooth set.
- Avoid carrying your mobile phone on your body at all times.
- Only use your mobile phone to establish contact or for conversations lasting a few minutes, as the biological effects are directly related to the duration of exposure.
- Switch sides regularly while communicating on your mobile phone to spread your exposure. Before putting your phone to the ear, wait until the other person has picked up. This limits the exposure to the more powerful signal that's initially being emitted.
- Avoid using your mobile phone when the signal is weak or when moving at high speed such as in a car or train, as this automatically increases power to maximum levels as the phone repeatedly attempts to connect to a new relay antenna.
- When possible, communicate via text messaging rather than making a call, as texting limits the duration of exposure and places the phone farther away from the body.
- Choose a device with the lowest SAR rating possible. The SAR is the device's Specific Absorption Rate, which is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field absorbed by the body. SAR ratings of contemporary phones by different manufacturers can be found here or on other websites on the Internet.
If you have any questions regarding this article or would like to contact Dr. Yik, please e-mail her directly.
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