WHAT CREATES
THE DANGER

Radio waves are transmitted from towers to the built-in antenna on your cell phone or other wireless device. The antenna on your mobile device, in turn, emits certain levels of radio frequencies, which can be absorbed into your body tissue. (Just like microwave ovens — except most of us do not have our faces resting against the door of a microwave oven.) For health purposes, this measure of the level of RFs that are absorbed into the human body is referred to as the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). The amount of absorption of these electrical emissions depends on a number of factors. Most importantly, the closer the device is to the body, the greater the SAR. As this RF energy becomes absorbed it also weakens the strength of the signal going to your cell phone. Fewer signal bars means the phone must try harder to broadcast its signal; and, according to research, radiation exposure increases significantly when cell phone signals are weak, compounding the latent danger.

POTENTIAL HEALTH RISKS

There is a dispute over the potential dangers of cell phone use. Part of the disagreement is because cell phone technology has been around a relatively short period of time, so studies have produced conflicting results. While the FCC has advised consumers that mobile devices are safe, their findings are based upon standards developed by the cell phone industry almost two decades ago, which allowed 20 times more radiation to penetrate the head, than the remainder of the body as a whole. In recent years, however, scientists across the globe have associated serious health problems with using cell phones for 10 years or longer, and are particularly concerned about the long-term effect on children, who are being exposed at increasingly earlier ages. Consequently, Belgium has banned the sale of mobile phones for minors, France is considering making it illegal to market cell phones to young people, and several other countries like Germany, the United Kingdom, Israel and India have discouraged their use.

Many of these scientific studies have also linked cell phone radiation exposure to a large number of medical problems, including brain tumors on the side of the head that the user had favored, salivary gland tumors, reduction in sperm count, migraines, and sleep disturbance.

Some experts have stated that such exposure over a period of time could affect our DNA and lead to genetic mutations. X-ray machines and cell phones both emit electromagnetic radiation. X-rays are known as ionizing radiation, which can leave behind a charged ion that can damage cells and tissues.

Studies suggest that the non-ionizing radiation of cell phones (and microwave ovens) in large amounts can break down body tissue and wreak havoc with our DNA.

Scientists have found that brain cells are clearly damaged by radio frequency levels which are well below the safety guidelines adopted by the U.S. government. And, research from the University of Washington has shown that the radiofrequency fields produced by cell phones increase free radical activity and induce double-stranded DNA to come apart. The more fragmentation of this DNA, the greater the potential for cell death, cancer and other functional changes within our biological system.