Possible Effects of Cellular Phone Radiation

Chieh Wu

Ashwin Krishnaswamy

Steve Catino

Chris Susini Kenny Watt

How many people today use a cell phone?

• Over 500 million people are cellular phone users

• Over 30 percent are under the age of 21

Global Users of Cellular Phones

0

100

200

300

400

500

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Year

Us

ers

(m

illio

ns

)

Reasons we use a cellular phone

• Business Calls

• Personal Calls

• Emergency Calls

Cellular Radiation

• Type of electromagnetic radiation

• Similar to that found in microwave ovens

• Measured in units of SAR

What is an SAR rating?

• Measured in W/kg

• Found in the manual

• Lowest in the market is 0.2 W/kg

• Highest allowed is 1.6 W/kg

• Specific Absorption Rate

• Measurement of radiation

Major effects of radiation

• Causes genetic damages in cells

• Precursor to cancer

• Increases risk of brain tumors

• Kills red blood cells

Minor Effects of radiation

• Insomnia

• Headaches

• Short-term memory loss

• Difficulty in concentration

Structure and function

• The radiation comes from the antenna

• During use, the antenna location determines the amount of radiation absorbed.

• Two types of phones– Analog – Digital

Digital vs. Analog

• Digital– More features

– Enhanced sound quality

– Lower SAR rating

• Analog– More availability

– Cost effective

– Higher SAR rating

Convenience or 21st Century Plague?

• Industry response

• Popular opinion

• Current status

Research

• Old Research focus: Analog Phones Short-Term Effects Entire Body

• New Research focus:

All Cell Phones

Long-Term Effects

Specific Parts of the

Body

New Technology

Radiation Shield on Cell PhonesRadiation Shield on Cell Phones

Radiation Pattern Without Shield

Radiation Pattern With Shield

Recommendations

• Choose cell phone by SAR rating

• Use a microphone or an earpiece

• Limit cell phone usage

• Use an RF shield (Zeropa)

SAR RATINGS OF CELL PHONESManufacturer

Model number

FCC ID: SAR Analog SAR Digital

Audiovox PCX-1100XLCKLHGP-3000E 1.48 -----------------

Denso TP 2200 LXC-E220 1.37 1.44

Ericsson KF788 &CF788 AXATR-387-A2 1.56 1.35

Mitsubishi T250 & MT254BGBMT254XFOR6A 1.29 0.54

Motorola M3097 IHDT56ZM1 1.45 0.53

Motorola V-8160 IHDY65ZS1 1.51 1.3

Nokia 6185 GMLNSD-3AX 1.53 1.07

Sanyo SCP4000 AEZSCP-4K 1.4434  ----------------

Samsung SCH-411 A3LSCH411 1.4785 1.0747

SonyCMB-1200,2200,3200 L5ACMDB-3 1.3859 1.3906

Any questions?