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| Fig. 1: This image is an iPhone 8 plus. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) |
As our current generation (millennials) are the first generation who will live an entire life with exposure to cellular devices/phones, the impact on the radiation emitted from these devices is very little. Recent studies, however, are beginning to shed more light onto the impact of radiation from cellphones on humans. An experiment by the National Toxicology Program found a positive correlation between cell phone radiation and the risk of male rats for developing brain cancer. [1] The shortcomings of this experiment is the amount of radiation these rats experience is much higher than the amount humans experience. The smallest amount of radiation exposed during the study to these rats is the maximum levels allowed by the federal government. [1] Therefore, given this information, this study, still sheds very little light on this controversial topic.
The impact of long term use of cell phones has been speculated to lead to various types of cancer, tumors, impairment of memory and disruption of sleep patterns. [2] However, this information is not supported by any concrete medical evidence, and thus tells us very little about the actual impact of cell phone usage. As mentioned above, scientists and teachers are still questioning the seriousness of the health impact from phones, which emit relatively small amounts of radiation. Fig. 1 shows an iPhone (model 8 plus), released in 2017. Iphones are suspected to be high on the list for cell phones causing this potential danger.
There are conflicting results and diverging opinions regarding the impact of cell phone radiation. Studies that claim cell phone radiation leads to cancer and other serious health problems are not substantiated by valid, medical research. The US National Library of Medicine wrote regarding the link between cancer and cell phone usage to be weak to nonexistent. [4]
If you are still concerned with the issue of radiation and cell phones, there are steps you can take to avoid "unnecessary exposure." These include keeping your phone away from you while not using, such as when you are sleeping. Many people use headphones while speaking on the phone, which further decreases this exposure. [2] Purchasing cell phone with a low SAR level is also another way to prevent potential radiation. SAR is a measure of the amount of radiation your brain absorbs. 1.6 W/Kg is the highest levels allowed, and it is advisable to use a phone with the lowest possible. These guidelines were released by California state officials because of the high cell phone usage in the US, where approximately 95% of the population owns a cell phone. [2]
As cell phones are fairly new to our world, researchers and doctors are unsure of the long term impacts of the radiation exposure. [3] However, due to a weak correlation for credible studies, it can be concluded that this is not a problem to be concerned with.
© Hannah Howell. The author warrants that the work is the author's own and that Stanford University provided no input other than typesetting and referencing guidelines. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.
[1] W. Broad, "Study of Cellphone Risks Finds 'Some Evidence' of Link to Cancer, at Least in Male Rats," New York Times, 1 Nov 18.
[2] A. MacMillan, "Cell Phone Radiation May Be Dangerous, California Health Officials Warn," Time, 18 Dec 17.
[3] J. Li, "Cell Phone Radiation: Warranted Public Health Threat?," Physics 241, Stanford University, Winter 2018.
[4] J. Moudler, "Cell phones and cancer: what is the evidence for a connection?," US National Library for Medicine, 15 May 1999.
