Think: Green Cell Phone. Typically the first things that come to mind are their energy efficiency, the elimination of toxins in their manufacturing, their recyclability, and so on. But what about their radiation emissions? The Environmental Working Group has released a website that sorts through cell phones and shows the emissions levels of over 1,000 cell phone models. While it's not necessarily time to strap on a tinfoil hat, it is a good idea to take a gander at some of the numbers.
The group states:
Recent studies find significantly higher risks for brain and salivary gland tumors among people using cell phones for 10 years or longer. The state of the science is provocative and troubling, and much more research is essential. We at Environmental Working Group are still using our cell phones, but we also believe that until scientists know much more about cell phone radiation, it's smart for consumers to buy phones with the lowest emissions.
And so, they've today released their Cell Phone Radiation Guide. You can look up your model of phone, check out the phones with the least and most emissions, read through available research, and find out how to reduce your exposure levels.
Some of the results even from the same companies are interesting. For instance, a couple of the the Blackberry Storm models have some of the lowest emissions ratings, while a couple of the Blackberry Curve models have some of the highest. The Blackberry Storm 9500 Smartphone has a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of 0.57 W/KG while the Blackberry Curve 8300 Smartphone has a SAR of 1.51 W/KG.
The best phone for low radiation on the Environmental Working Group's guide is the Nokia 9300i, and the worst is the Kyocera Jax S1300. My LG Dare ranks at 1.09 W/KG. A fair mid-range that doesn't make me want to run out of the room when I hit "send" on a text message.
The group also encourages users to take action on the issue, providing a form for people to fill out that encourages the FCC and FDA to require emissions information on phones, and do anything possible to reduce emissions in the first place.
While the debate about cell phone radiation emissions and their health impacts is still a hearty one, until we have more science around radiation emissions from cell phones, we might as well err on the side of caution. The Environmental Working Group's new database helps you do just that. Plus it's just interesting to sort through.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Cell Phone Radiation Standards Outdated Says U.S. Watchdog
Some mobile phones emit much higher levels of potentially cancer causing radiation than others according to a new study by a US consumer watchdog, which warns U.S. cell phone radiation standards are outdated.
Environmental Working Group's (EWG) research team has assembled the most comprehensive online consumer guide ever to cell phone radiation, rating more than 1,000 cell phones marketed in the U.S.
"We would like to be able to say that cell phones are safe," said Olga Naidenko, EWG Senior Scientist and lead author of the study. "But we can't. The most recent science, while not conclusive, raises serious issues about the cancer risk of cell phone use that must be addressed through further research. In the meantime, consumers can take steps to reduce exposure."
She says recent studies have found significantly higher risks for brain and salivary gland tumors among people using cell phones for 10 years or longer.
Dr Naidenko said the online list of mobile phone radiation emissions will help consumers make informed decisions about which cell phones to buy.
EWG says it has compiled the guide, based on technical data provided by manufacturers, to fill the information gap left by the U.S. government's failure to require cell phone makers and vendors to disclose emissions levels on labels or in-store advertising displays.
"Better consumer information is vital. Recent scientific studies have produced evidence linking brain and salivary gland tumors to cell phone use. The state of the science, while far from definitive, is provocative and troubling and requires more research."
Public health officials' concerns about the possible dangers of radiofrequency emissions are intensifying as wireless devices proliferate. According to the CTIA Wireless Association, an international industry group, U.S. wireless subscribers numbered 270.3 million -- 87 percent of Americans -- as of December 2008, a 30 percent jump in three years.
Some 60 percent of the global population -- 4 billion people -- subscribe to wireless services, according to Cellular News, an online global industry news outlet.
Health agencies in six nations -- Switzerland, Germany, Israel, France, the United Kingdom, and Finland -- have issued warnings to limit cell phone use, particularly by children, whose softer, thinner skulls are less able to shield the brain from radiation. Scientists have found that children's brains absorb twice as much cell phone radiation as those of adults.
EWG says its analysis of possible public health risks of cell phone radiation culminates a 10-month investigation of more than 200 peer-reviewed studies, government advisories and industry documents.
It says it has concluded current U.S. cell phone radiation standards, set by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and based largely on 1992 cell phone industry recommendations, are outdated and allow 20 times more radiation to penetrate the head than the rest of the body.
EWG says it urges the FCC to upgrade its standards to take account of the newest scientific evidence and also increasing cell phone use by children.
"The first cell phones were marketed to adults," Naidenko said. "But today, children are just as likely to own a cell phone as a video game, baseball or bicycle."
According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, which tracks cell phone use among U.S. children between 12 and 17 years old, last year (2008) 71 percent of tweens and teens owned cell phones and more than half use the device daily.
EWG urged concerned consumers to take action and tell the federal government that cell phone makers should be required to disclose each phone's radiation output on the label.
The report also offers safety tips for reducing cell phone radiation exposure. Among them:
- Use headsets and the speakerphone option if available.
- Text more, talk less.
- Stay off the phone when few bars indicate a weak signal.
The EWG guide uses easy-to-read graphics to illustrate each phone's radiofrequency emissions, enabling consumers to make quick comparisons of radiation output of various wireless devices. The url for the report: http://www.ewg.org/cellphone-radiation
EWG's top 10 phones, based on low emissions:
1. Samsung Impression (SGH-a877) [AT&T]
2. Motorola RAZR V8 [CellularONE]
3. Samsung SGH-t229 [T-Mobile]
4. Samsung Rugby (SGH-a837) [AT&T]
5. Samsung Propel Pro (SGH-i627) [AT&T]
6. Samsung Gravity (SGH-t459) [CellularONE, T-Mobile]
7. T-Mobile Sidekick [T-Mobile]
8. LG Xenon (GR500) [AT&T]
9. Motorola Karma QA1 [AT&T]
10. Sanyo Katana II [Kajeet]
EWG's list of highest radiation phones:
1. Motorola MOTO VU204 [Verizon Wireless]
2. T-Mobile myTouch 3G [T-Mobile]
3. Kyocera Jax S1300 [Virgin Mobile]
4. Blackberry Curve 8330 [Sprint, U.S. Cellular, Verizon Wireless, MetroPCS]
5. Motorola W385 [U.S. Cellular, Verizon Wireless]
6. T-Mobile Shadow [T-Mobile]
7. Motorola C290 [Sprint, Kajeet]
8. Motorola i335 [Sprint]
9. Motorola MOTO VE240 [Cricket, MetroPCS]
10. Blackberry Bold 9000 [AT&T]
Environmental Working Group's (EWG) research team has assembled the most comprehensive online consumer guide ever to cell phone radiation, rating more than 1,000 cell phones marketed in the U.S.
"We would like to be able to say that cell phones are safe," said Olga Naidenko, EWG Senior Scientist and lead author of the study. "But we can't. The most recent science, while not conclusive, raises serious issues about the cancer risk of cell phone use that must be addressed through further research. In the meantime, consumers can take steps to reduce exposure."
She says recent studies have found significantly higher risks for brain and salivary gland tumors among people using cell phones for 10 years or longer.
Dr Naidenko said the online list of mobile phone radiation emissions will help consumers make informed decisions about which cell phones to buy.
EWG says it has compiled the guide, based on technical data provided by manufacturers, to fill the information gap left by the U.S. government's failure to require cell phone makers and vendors to disclose emissions levels on labels or in-store advertising displays.
"Better consumer information is vital. Recent scientific studies have produced evidence linking brain and salivary gland tumors to cell phone use. The state of the science, while far from definitive, is provocative and troubling and requires more research."
Public health officials' concerns about the possible dangers of radiofrequency emissions are intensifying as wireless devices proliferate. According to the CTIA Wireless Association, an international industry group, U.S. wireless subscribers numbered 270.3 million -- 87 percent of Americans -- as of December 2008, a 30 percent jump in three years.
Some 60 percent of the global population -- 4 billion people -- subscribe to wireless services, according to Cellular News, an online global industry news outlet.
Health agencies in six nations -- Switzerland, Germany, Israel, France, the United Kingdom, and Finland -- have issued warnings to limit cell phone use, particularly by children, whose softer, thinner skulls are less able to shield the brain from radiation. Scientists have found that children's brains absorb twice as much cell phone radiation as those of adults.
EWG says its analysis of possible public health risks of cell phone radiation culminates a 10-month investigation of more than 200 peer-reviewed studies, government advisories and industry documents.
It says it has concluded current U.S. cell phone radiation standards, set by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and based largely on 1992 cell phone industry recommendations, are outdated and allow 20 times more radiation to penetrate the head than the rest of the body.
EWG says it urges the FCC to upgrade its standards to take account of the newest scientific evidence and also increasing cell phone use by children.
"The first cell phones were marketed to adults," Naidenko said. "But today, children are just as likely to own a cell phone as a video game, baseball or bicycle."
According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, which tracks cell phone use among U.S. children between 12 and 17 years old, last year (2008) 71 percent of tweens and teens owned cell phones and more than half use the device daily.
EWG urged concerned consumers to take action and tell the federal government that cell phone makers should be required to disclose each phone's radiation output on the label.
The report also offers safety tips for reducing cell phone radiation exposure. Among them:
- Use headsets and the speakerphone option if available.
- Text more, talk less.
- Stay off the phone when few bars indicate a weak signal.
The EWG guide uses easy-to-read graphics to illustrate each phone's radiofrequency emissions, enabling consumers to make quick comparisons of radiation output of various wireless devices. The url for the report: http://www.ewg.org/cellphone-radiation
EWG's top 10 phones, based on low emissions:
1. Samsung Impression (SGH-a877) [AT&T]
2. Motorola RAZR V8 [CellularONE]
3. Samsung SGH-t229 [T-Mobile]
4. Samsung Rugby (SGH-a837) [AT&T]
5. Samsung Propel Pro (SGH-i627) [AT&T]
6. Samsung Gravity (SGH-t459) [CellularONE, T-Mobile]
7. T-Mobile Sidekick [T-Mobile]
8. LG Xenon (GR500) [AT&T]
9. Motorola Karma QA1 [AT&T]
10. Sanyo Katana II [Kajeet]
EWG's list of highest radiation phones:
1. Motorola MOTO VU204 [Verizon Wireless]
2. T-Mobile myTouch 3G [T-Mobile]
3. Kyocera Jax S1300 [Virgin Mobile]
4. Blackberry Curve 8330 [Sprint, U.S. Cellular, Verizon Wireless, MetroPCS]
5. Motorola W385 [U.S. Cellular, Verizon Wireless]
6. T-Mobile Shadow [T-Mobile]
7. Motorola C290 [Sprint, Kajeet]
8. Motorola i335 [Sprint]
9. Motorola MOTO VE240 [Cricket, MetroPCS]
10. Blackberry Bold 9000 [AT&T]
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