Mobile phones - reducing Your exposure

Reducing exposure » Overview | Mobile phones | Phone masts / base stations | Powerlines
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Ideally of course, you should simply find an alternative to needing to use your phone, and not carry it around with you when you don't need it. However, if you feel you cannot possibly live without it and must have it with you, the following guidelines should provide a relatively simple way of taking solid steps to reducing your exposure. Look at our library articles for more information on this subject.

Reducing Exposure - using your existing phone

• Use your phone only when necessary, and keep the call short.
• Text more - don't talk. Hold your phone away from you when you press 'send'.
• Where possible, try to only use your phone in areas with the best signal, as this can reduce the emissions by up to 1000-fold.
• Using a low-SAR phone does NOT mean you can talk safely! The total body SAR from a low peak SAR handset can actually be more than that from a high-peak SAR handset. A low SAR is not the answer. Multiple studies have reported that as short as a single, two-hour exposure to cell phone radiation will result in pathological leakage of the blood-brain barrier. The effect occurs immediately, and is still seen at 14 days and at 50 days post-exposure at only 0.012 W/Kg. The lowest exposure SARs were worse than the higher SAR exposures (Nittby et al, 2009). These studies show neuron death (brain cells) at very low SARs of only 0.012 W/Kg.
• Buy a phone with a low SAR value - see SAR values website.
• If you have to keep it next to your body, a location such as rear trouser pocket will help keep it away from major organs, and try to make sure the antenna is on the outer side. EMFields BlocSocks are an inexpensive way to greatly reduce your radiation exposure - they reduce SAR by over 90%.
  EMFields supply them: BlocSocks
  BlocSocks also reduce the SAR to your head by over 90% when in normal use.
• Your exposure can be greatly reduced by using an air-tube hands-free kit.
  EMFields now supply these: Air tube hands free.
• Indoors, use your phone near the window and make sure it is between your body and the window.
• Use corded telephones for regular calls, longer calls, as your "first phone".
• Hold the phone away from your body immediately after dialling, as the phone uses maximum power until the call is connected.
• Where possible, do not carry the phone next to your eyes, breasts, testicles, kidneys, liver or abdomen if pregnant - ideally, keep the phone away from your body (such as in a bag) when it is not in use.
• Using a mobile phone in a car or train traps the fields inside the metal frame of the vehicle, and should be avoided except in an emergency.
• If you are not imminently expecting a phone call, you can greatly reduce your exposure by having the phone switched off when you carry it around instead of just on standby, as your phone contacts the nearest mast every time you move into a different masts coverage, and also checks regularly even when you are stationary - This contact is always made at the phone's full power.
• Cindy Sage has written an article entitled "Plain Talk About Cell Phone Safety", giving a number of useful tips to reduce phone exposure with background information supporting why you might want to do so.

Buying a new phone and / or its associated protective equipment.

• Buy a phone with a long 'talk time', this normally means a more efficient phone.
• Phones with external antennas are more likely to focus the radiation further away from your head, and are favourable to internal antenna models.
• Buy a phone with a lowish peak SAR, but don't rely on that to guarantee your safety. SARs vary by a factor up to about 5. Some high SAR phones are actually very efficient and normally work at low power, some low SAR phones are inefficient and normally have to work at high power. The smaller phones often have higher SARs and therefore are likely to produce higher exposure levels.
• Do not rely on unscientific 'gizmos' (like stick-on buttons - most of which do nothing the radiation levels that you are exposed to) to give you the protection you need. If you wish to use one, use your common sense as well.
• If you have to keep it next to your body, a location such as rear trouser pocket will help keep it away from major organs, and try to make sure the antenna is on the outer side. EMFields BlocSocks are an inexpensive way to greatly reduce your radiation exposure - they reduce SAR by over 90%.
  EMFields supply them: BlocSocks
  BlocSocks also reduce the SAR to your head by over 90% when in normal use.
• Your exposure can be greatly reduced by using an air-tube hands-free kit.
  EMFields now supply these: Air tube hands free.

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