13 Mar
Is That a Cell Phone In Your Pocket?
I recently discovered that every time I put my Blackberry in my pants pocket, I’m violating Blackberry’s safety warning. Most people don’t know this but smartphone manufactures state a warning in their owner’s manuals that for your own safety you should keep your cell phone a certain distance from your body when sending or receiving data in order to “maintain compliance” with radio frequency-radiation standards set by the FCC.
For Blackberry owners, that safe distance is almost an inch (0.98”) while Apple’s iPhone 4 manual tells users to keep the phone “at least 5/8 inches away from your body. Motorola? They suggest that an active WI80 should be a full inch from the user’s skin, unless it’s paired with a company-approved “clip, holder, holster, case or body harness.” Body harness? What the hell is that, some kind of shoulder holster?
If you’re like most guys who don’t read directions (my Blackberry manual is somewhere in my desk)… you’re probably keeping your phone in your front pants pocket… not to replace your rolled-up sock, but for convenience. Hey, not everyone can pull off the style of carrying a cell phone clipped to the belt.
As stated in a Time Magazine article, skeptics of cell phone safety have brushed off the warnings saying that guildelines set in 2001 say cell phone usage is safe. Problem is, all the tests were done with belt clips or holsters. The FCC told testers to assume a distance of 0.59 to 0.98 inches from the body. Why should this concern you? Because radio-frequency waves can heat cells in your body. So, if you’re a guy who puts his cell phone in his right pocket and happen to “dress right,” well, you may be cooking sausage without all the trimmings.
The FCC says the link between cell phone exposure and cancer is inconclusive. The FDA says it can not rule out the possibility of a health risk from cell phones but if it does exist, it’s probably small. However, one recent multi-country study found that people who used their phones on average 30 or more minutes a day for 10 years had a substantially higher risk of developing brain cancer. That’s enough for me.
Look, smartphones are not going away. We rely on them every day for business and viewing YouTube on the run…oh yeah, and for things like email, too. The way to minimize your risk is to limit the amount of time your phone is next to your body, such as in your pocket or next to your ear. Using a wired ear piece or speaker phone is a good strategy. As for those cyborg individuals who were Blue-Tooth ear pieces all day. Well, there have been cases of brain tumors in the shape of the ear piece. Once again, it’s radiation next to the body and your ear is next to your brain.
My nutritionist suggests you check out your cell phone model at the Environmental Working Group’s website to see just how much radiation your phone is putting out. CLICK HERE.
That’s the scoop on cell phone radiation from Healthy Spouse. It’s not my call, it’s yours.
