Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/1507619
www.AbbysHealthFood.com | # 59| Page 21 Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola Fact Checked Illegal Levels of Radiation Emitted by Popular Cellphones Hidden within your cellphone's manual is a little-known warning that advises you to keep the device at a certain distance from your body — typically 5 to 15 millimeters — to ensure you don't exceed the federal safety limit for radiofrequency (RF) exposure. In the real world, however, most people carry their phones close to their body, usually in a pocket. Many women tuck their phone right into their bra, which may be the absolute worst place for a woman to put it, as it could raise their risk of both heart problems and breast tumors, two leading risks of death for women. Cellphone testing by the Chicago Tribune reveals several popular cellphones emit far higher levels of RF radiation than legally permitted, which has not only reignited discussions about safety but also led to the launch of at least one class-action lawsuit. In the U.S. and Canada, the SAR limit for mobile devices used by the public is 1.6 W/kg per 1 gram of head tissue. SAR is a measure of how much RF energy your body will absorb from the device when held at a specific distance from your body. At a distance of 5 mm from the body (the distance used by Apple), the iPhone 7 was found to emit anywhere between 2.5 and 3.46 W/kg, which is 1.6 to 2.2 times the legal limit; that was the iPhone 7! Imagine the 12, 13 and 14! At 2 mm from the body, the distance of carrying the phone in your pocket, levels were even higher. The three Samsung Galaxy smartphones tested were all within the legal limit at 10 to 15 mm from the body (the distance used by Samsung), but RF radiation levels skyrocketed at 2 mm from the body, raising serious questions about the safety of keeping a Galaxy phone in your pocket. How Safety Limits Are Determined The safe distance (listed in your cellphone manual) is based on your phone's specific absorption rate (SAR). SAR is a measure of how much RF energy your body will absorb from the device when held at a specific distance from your body, typically ranging from 5 to 15 mm, depending on the manufacturer. Put another way, it's a measure of the degree to which your device will heat body tissue, which we now know is not the primary way that cellphones damage your body. However, even though heat generated from your phone does not really damage your body, the SAR could be a good surrogate marker for the actual microwave radiofrequency exposure that does indeed cause cellular damage, as it is the microwaves that heat your tissue. So, typically, the lower SAR rating, the safer your phone, but not for the reasons they are telling you. The SAR limit set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently the only standard set to protect public health, so the fact that even these lenient standards are being exceeded is concerning. In the U.S. and Canada, the SAR limit for mobile devices used by the public is 1.6 W/kg per 1 gram of head tissue. To understand why and how SAR underestimates radiation absorption and health risks, see "Exposure Limits: The Underestimation of Absorbed Cellphone Radiation, Especially in Children," published in the journal Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine in 2012. Safety Standards Leave Lots of Wiggle Room How could these cellphones exceed the legal limit by such a significant margin? Part of the problem, the Tribune explains, is that manufacturers need only get a passing grade for a single cellphone in order to allow them to put millions on the market. They're also allowed to select their own testing lab, which could give rise to discrepancies. As noted by the Tribune, Apple disputed the results, saying the lab used by the Tribune "had not tested the phones the same way they do," although the company did not specify what the problem was. Motorola also disputed the results obtained for its Moto e5 Play, saying the Tribune's test might not have triggered the phone's proximity sensors — sensors that are supposed to detect when the device is in close proximity to your body and lower the phone's power output accordingly. The Tribune writes: "Motorola ... would not answer questions about its power sensors. 'Our power management techniques and expertise provide Motorola with a significant competitive advantage in the marketplace, and are therefore highly confidential,' the company's statement said. 'The Chicago Tribune's third-party lab was not privy to the proprietary techniques from Motorola necessary to elicit accurate results' ... When the Tribune asked Motorola to explain how it tests its phones, the company declined. It also would not share its lab reports." While the Tribune's lab had conducted the testing according to FCC standards, the feedback from Motorola led the Tribune to retest the Apple and Motorola phones using a modified test "aimed at activating sensors that would reduce power." And, while the modified testing did allow some cellphone models to pass — suggesting proximity sensors in some phones may not work properly under certain conditions — the iPhone7 still failed to meet the FCC standard. The Tribune writes: "When informed of the new results, Apple officials declined to be interviewed and requested the Tribune put its questions in writing. The newspaper did, submitting three dozen, but Apple did not answer any of them."