Video comment by Dr Patrick Dixon on research showing possible health risks from heavy exposure to mobile phone radiation. Risks probably very small i

2.5 times risk of brain tumours from phone radiation in humans? Early Alzheimers disease from destroyed brain cells? Reports showing no health risk at all? Each month we see more reports about mobile phone radiation effects - but what does it actually mean for you and me? Is there really a health risk? Here is a common-sense personal view from a physician and parent of four children who is also a major user of wireless devices of all kinds.


New reports continue to be published several times a year, suggesting that there might be health risks from mobile phones electromagnetic radiation. Yet other studies show little or no health impact.

There can be no doubt any longer that mobile phone radiation affects living cells. For example research shows that nematode worms exposed to mobile phone radiation produce more eggs, release stress hormones and grow larger.

But what is the effect of mobile phone radiation on people? Could we see a mass court action in twenty years time against telecom companies by people claiming compensation for health damage caused by radiation? It's a possibility, even though at present the clear evidence suggests that if there is any effect on human health at all from use of a mobile phone, the electromagnetic radiation risk is very, very low for the individual user.

However some studies have caused concern in the media. For example, in October 2004, scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm gave a new warning about mobile phone radiation and brain tumours - accoustic neuromas (published in the journal Epidemiology). They found that long term users of mobile phones were four times as likely to develop growths on the side they held the phone, and twice as likely as non-users to develop these benign non-cancerous growths. They saw no increased risk from mobile phone radiation in those who had used mobile phones for less than 10 years. The study was of 150 mobile phone users, compared to 60 in a control group.

March 2003 another study in the International Journal of Oncology suggested that mobile phone users had a 30% increased risk of brain tumours - mainly accoustic neuromas - which occurred close to the ear used for mobile phone listening. Previous studies had shown that growth of leukaemia cells could be increased dramatically after exposure to mobile phone radiation. Although accoustic neuromas do not metastasise (jump to invade other parts of the body) they can create serious problems if intreated. The early symptoms can be hearing loss, loss of balance or noises in one ear - but all these are very common for many other reasons. Advanced growths can invade other nearby areas, causing pressure on the brain.

What makes these studies difficult to evaluate is that a number of other research studies into mobile phone radiation have not shown the same findings. And the effects may be very different depending on the type of electromagnetic radiation. GSM and GPRS (2.5G) phones use what is known as pulsed radiation. The levels rise and fall very rapidly. 3G phones on the other hand use continuous levels. Some research suggests that pulsed radiation may have a greater effect on cells than constant exposure, which is important because different studies have used different types of radiation - perhaps an explanation for some of the more confusing results.

Cell phone radiation levels

What it all means
According to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, specific absorption rate, or SAR, is "a way of measuring the quantity of radio frequency (RF) energy that is absorbed by the body." For a phone to pass FCC certification and be sold in the United States, its maximum SAR level must be less than 1.6 watts per kilogram. In Europe, the level is capped at 2 watts per kilogram while Canada allows a maximum of 1.6 watts per kilogram. The SAR level listed in our charts represents the highest SAR level measured with the phone next to the ear as tested by the FCC. Keep in mind that it is possible for the SAR level to vary between different transmission bands (the same phone can use multiple bands during a call), and that different testing bodies can obtain different results. Also, it's possible for results to vary between different models of the same phone--such as a handset that's offered by multiple carriers. CNET lists the exposure for voice calls only; the SAR for data use can differ.

It's important to note that in publishing this list, we are in no way implying that cell phone use is harmful to your health. Research abounds, but much of the literature is contradictory. While some researchers have said there is cause to be "concerned," others disagree and say it is still too early too early to be alarmed. Similarly, though some tests have suggested a link between long-term (10 years or longer) cell phone use and cancer, there still is not conclusive or demonstrated evidence that cell phones cause or don't cause adverse health effects in humans. In short, the jury is still out. Research into the matter will continue, and we will continue to monitor its results.

If you're concerned about limiting your SAR exposure, you can take a few easy steps beyond purchasing a handset with a low SAR. You can text instead placing a voice call, use a wired headset or speakerphone whenever possible, and carry your phone at least one inch from your body. Some researchers also caution against using your phone in areas with poor coverage since phones emit more radiation when searching for a signal. Children, which have smaller and thinner skulls, should limit cell phone use, and all users, children and adults, should not sleep with an active phone next to their bedside or under their pillow.

If your phone isn't listed here (U.S. customers) and you've purchased it within the last few years, consult your user manual. Alternatively, you can request the SAR information from the FCC, the manufacturer, or your carrier. You'll need the model number and FCC ID number, which is usually--but not always--listed in the owner's manual or under the phone's battery (you must pop the battery out). We'll continue to update the list as new phones are announced. To be the first to know when we've added more phones, subscribe to the CNET Mobile Weekly newsletter. For more information, consult the Food and Drug Administration or the Environmental Working Group.

Mobile Phone Radiation Information

What many cell phone users may not know is that cell phones send electromagnetic waves into users' brains. In fact, every cell phone model sold in the United States has a specific measurement of how much microwave energy from the phone can penetrate the brain. Depending on how close the cell phone antenna is to the head, as much as 60 percent of the microwave radiation is absorbed by and actually penetrates the area around the head, some reaching an inch to an inch-and-a-half into the brain.

To see the radiation emitted by your phone see our Cell phone radiation chart

"This is the first generation that has put relatively high-powered transmitters against the head, day after day," says Dr. Ross Adey, who has worked for industry and government for decades studying microwave radiation, and is one of the most respected scientists in the field. Tests conducted by the ABC show 20/20 have found that some of the country's most popular cell phones can - depending on how they're held - exceed the radiation limit. 20/20 reported that government-testing guidelines are so vague that a phone can pass the Federal Communications Commission's requirements when tested in one position and exceed those maximum levels when held in another position.

Experts say it's particularly hard to predict the long-term impact of a product that's just two decades old, especially since most of the 95 million Americans who now have cell phones began using them in the past five years.

SAR Shield Product Information

The number of scientists warning manufacturers, the media, and governments of the health dangers caused by electromagnetic pollution is continually increasing. This has now reached the point where the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association will start publishing information on the amount of radiation that enters users' heads when they use various wireless phones by requiring manufacturers to submit data -- called SAR's for "Specific Absorption Rate" of radiation. The information will be included in the product literature inside cell phone packaging.The reason for the publication of SAR's on the packaging of cellular phones is due to the growing public pressure on cell phone safety. George Carlo, a public health researcher who spearheaded a three-year, $27 million research program for the cellular telephone industry on possible health risks associated with such devices said in his report that the radio frequency radiation from wireless phone antennae "appears to cause genetic damage in human blood," while another case study uncovered a "statistically significant increase" in neuro-epithelial brain tumors among cell phone users.

"The public wants to know, and a couple of months ago a blue ribbon panel set up by the British government said outright this information should be on the box. So there is growing pressure worldwide to make this information available to consumers,"

-Louis Slesin, editor and publisher of Microwave News speaking to CNN.

SAR Shield dissipates high frequency electromagnetic energy. Attenuating the electromagnetic field by up to 89%. The biological effects on the user, and anyone standing nearby are greatly reduced, below levels that are considered dangerous by the FDA. In reducing the levels of radiation SAR Shield reduces the suspected effects that exposure to intensive levels of high frequency electromagnetic energy cause, such as, loss of memory, Parkinson's, Alzheimer, Leukemia, headaches, and brain tumors. SAR Shield has been independently tested, using FCC and Industry Canada approved SAR testing guidelines.

SAR Shield was developed using the P.A.M. SYSTEM® technology, applied to aerospace findings. The technology used in the SAR Shield is comparable to the electro-physical principles that make US Air force Stealth aircraft invisible to radar systems. The materials used in the construction of the SAR Shield withhold and dissipate electro-magnetic waves without reflecting them into the surrounding environment.

SAR Shield can be fitted quickly and simply to all cellular phones using a self-adhesive backing. The SAR Shield is metallic blue and silver, to complement the design of your phone.

To view the complete tests results on the SAR Shield click SAR radiation tests

With SAR Shield you can enjoy the convenience of a cellular phone without worrying about cellular phone radiation.

New Guide Tells You How Much Radiation Your Cell Phone Emits

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.