Radiation from popular cellular phones
The cellular phone
has to emit radiofrequency energy at levels high enough to reach
base stations (antenna towers) tens of kilometers away. Since
the energy is emitted as a microwave in the direct vicinity of
the users head there are concerns about the safety of this technology.
There are reports from cell studies as well as animal studies
that are most worrying. Among other effects the double DNA breakage
is among the fundamental och disturbing findings. This may indicate
that there may be a significant risk of developing cancer tumours,
foremost brain tumours in the user of cellular (mobile) phones.
The design of the cellular phones casing, electronic and foremost
the antenna construction gives widely different near and far fields
around the phone. It is at present time not completely clear what
parameters of the field gives biological effects, however as an
intermediate cautionary step one can use the simple measure of
absorbed radiated energy into the tissue of the head. This is
given as a SAR - Specific Absorption Ratio and is measured in
watts per kilogram. This may not be a true measure of the biological
hazard from the phone but may be used as an indication of the
energy recieved into the head. See it as prudent avoidance.
Niels Kuster, a radiation expert at the Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology, has developed a new measurement technique to measure
cell-phone EMR towards the user's head. He measured 16 popular
cell phone models, and published the results in the Swiss Consumer
Report magazine. The table below was initiated based upon data
from his study:
| Manufacturer |
Model
| SAR (W/kg) |
| Motorola |
Star Tac 130 |
0.10 |
| Nokia |
Nokia 8810 |
0.22 |
| Hagenuk |
Global |
0.28 |
| Motorola |
StarTac |
0.33 |
| Motorola |
i1000plus |
0.35 |
| Mitsubishi |
Trium Galaxy G-130 |
0.37 |
| Motorola |
Star Tac 130 (fixed antenna) |
0.38 |
| Sony |
CM-DX 1000 |
0.41 |
| Ericsson |
SH888 |
0.42 |
| Sony |
CMD-C1 |
0.55 |
| Ericsson |
I8888 World |
0.60 |
| Nokia |
6150 |
0.69 |
| Motorola |
CD 930 |
0.70 |
| Siemens |
C25 |
0.72 |
| Nokia |
8110i |
0.73 |
| Audiovox |
HGP2000E |
0.75 |
| Ericsson |
S828 |
0.77 |
| Motorola |
d160 |
0.81 |
| Nokia |
6110 |
0.87 |
| Ericsson |
A1018s |
0.88 |
| Sony |
CMD-Z1 |
0.88 |
| Ericsson |
SH888 |
0.90 |
| Ericsson |
GF788 |
0.91 |
| Trium |
Galaxy |
0.93 |
| Motorola |
cd 930 |
0.94 |
| Panasonic |
EB-G520 |
0.95 |
| Ericsson |
GH688 |
0.95 |
| Audiovox |
PCX-1000XL |
0.98 |
| Panasonic |
EB G500 |
0.98 |
| Audiovox |
CDM 4000 |
1.00 |
| Motorola |
GSM 1900 |
1.00 |
| Sharp |
TQ G700 |
1.01 |
| Philips |
Genie |
1.05 |
| Nokia |
1611 |
1.06 |
| Philips |
Diga |
1.06 |
| Philips |
Savy |
1.11 |
| Bosch |
GSM 909 |
1.13 |
| Nokia |
3210 |
1.14 |
| Sanyo |
SCP-400 |
1.16 |
| Trium |
Galaxy (fixed antenna) |
1.16 |
| Motorola |
cd 920 |
1.17 |
| Nokia |
3110 |
1.24 |
| Ascom |
Axento |
1.25 |
| Motorola |
Startac (TDMA) |
1.25 |
| Motorola |
I500 |
1.25 |
| Philips |
Genie 1800 |
1.26 |
| Nokia |
6161 |
1.27 |
| Samsung |
SCH6100 |
1.27 |
| LG |
Info & Com |
1.29 |
| Mitsubishi |
T250 |
1.29 |
| Audiovox |
9000 |
1.30 |
| Bosch |
M-Com 906 |
1.32 |
| Ericsson |
DH-668 |
1.32 |
| Ascom |
Elisto |
1.33 |
| Denso |
TP 2200 |
1.33 |
| Siemens |
C25 |
1.33 |
| Nokia |
7160 |
1.33 |
| Qualcomm |
QCP-2760 |
1.33 |
| Ericsson |
A1228D |
1.35 |
| Motorola |
Startac dualmode |
1.36 |
| Denso |
Touchpoint |
1.37 |
| Sanyo |
SCP-310 |
1.37 |
| Neopoint |
NP-1000 |
1.38 |
| Samsung |
SCH3500 |
1.38 |
| Sanyo |
SCP-4500 |
1.38 |
| Nokia |
8860 |
1.39 |
| Sony |
CMB-1200,2200,3200 |
1.39 |
| Ericsson |
T18 |
1.40 |
| Ericsson |
R280 |
1.41 |
| Philips |
Genie 1800 (fixed antenna) |
1.41 |
| Qualcomm |
1960 |
1.41 |
| Nokia |
6162 |
1.42 |
| Nokia |
6185 |
1.42 |
| Sanyo |
SCP4000 |
1.44 |
| Audivox |
3300 |
1.45 |
| Nokia |
5160 |
1.45 |
| Mitsubishi |
T200 |
1.47 |
| Samsung |
SCH8500 |
1.49 |
| Ericsson |
LX-588 |
1.51 |
| Motorola |
SC-3160 |
1.52 |
| Philips |
Genie 900 |
1.52 |
| Ericsson |
KF788 |
1.56 |
| Motorola |
v3688 |
1.58 |
| Bosch |
GSM908 |
1.59 |
| Philips |
Genie 900 (fixed antenna) |
2.67 |
SAR is given as Cenelec value for average EMR exposure of user's
head, measured in Watt per kg of user's body weight. (A low number
means less radiated energy into the users head).
The fact that Ericsson SH888 is given two different SAR values
reflects the uncertainty how SAR should be measured. The same
radiation will give different SAR values depending on calculation
or measurement method, whether the ear is a lossy one or just
a distancer, and if the SAR is calculated over 1 g, 10 g or 1
kg of tissue (and also the shape that region is given, eg. a cube).
Note that Star Tac exists in various models, some have low SAR
and some don´t. Also note that despite the low SAR for Star
Tac many people complain of headaches or other sympthoms when
using those (just another indication that SAR may NOT be the best
way of describing health effects from cellular phones).
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