Health Impact of Cell Phones ~ Janice Wong
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Physic of Cell phone What type of radiation? Testing for radiation? How it affects humans? Is it a health risk? FAQ
Physic of Cell Phone •Cell phone are essentially radios •A city is divided into small cells (a base station that consists of a tower and radio equipment) •Cell phones have big ranges because it is able to switch cells as they (cell phone) move around
Physic of Cell Phone •A cell phone is a full-duplex device – meaning there is one frequency for talking and another frequency for listening. Therefore, both people on the call can talk at once •Similar to a radio, cell phone also have channels. However, while radio has about 40 channels; cell phones, on the other hand, can communicate over 1000 channels •Each channel can be used by one caller at a time
Ionizing NonIonizing
What type of radiation? • •
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All cell phones emits radio-frequency (RF) energy, a form of electromagnetic radiation Within electromagnetic radiation, it can be divided into two types – Ionizing (high-frequency) – non-ionizing (low-frequency) RF energy is a type of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation Therefore, cell phone produce low intensity frequencies
Testing for Radiation • Before the cell phone is released into the market, all models has to be tested for radiation to meet FCC standards • FCC is based on the overall heating effects of radiofrequency energy • Radiation levels are tested based on the specific absorption rate (SAR) • SAR is a way of measuring the amount of radiofrequency energy that is absorbed by the human body • In order for the cell phone to meet the standards, the phone's maximum SAR level must be less than 1.6 watts per kilogram
How it affects humans? • A cell phone's main source of RF energy is produced through its antenna • For that reason, t he closer the antenna is to the head, the greater a person's exposure to RF energy • Some studies shows that energy produced by cell phones may affect the brain and other tissues in the head • The main concern is whether there is a risk of brain tumor (cancer) • Researchers have mainly focused on whether RF energy can cause cancerous brain tumors or benign (noncancerous) tumors
Is it a health risk? • For years, there have been debates on whether cell phones are actually a health hazard or just an urban myth Is there even a risk of brain tumor from cell phones? • For a while, studies have shown that there is no conclusive evidence that proves non-ionizing radiation emitted by cell phones is associated with cancer risk • Studies suggest that radiation from cell phones is too low to cause significant tissue heating or any health risk • Therefore, people are under the impression that radiation emitted from cell phones is harmless
Is it a health risk? • However, an article titled: It’s official now: Radiation from your cell phone may be killing you (released on Jan 2, 2011 in the Daily News and Analysis) have verified by research and tests that cell phone radiation is affecting our health • These are some of the statistics from the article – Exposure to electromagnetic fields (cell phone and cell tower) can cause sleep disorders and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. – Cell phone frequencies can cause damage to the DNA of the body's cells. – Excessive use of mobile phones (30 minutes per day for 10 years) increases the risk of brain cancer.
FAQ? What is the Electromagnetic spectrum? • It is the frequency range of electromagnetic waves. RF energy from cell phones is classified under the microwave range in the electromagnetic spectrum Why is there concern that cell phones may be a heath risk? • Cell phones emit radiofrequency energy (RF), which is a form of radiation. It has been under study for many years for its effects on the human body • The number of cell phone users has increased rapidly over the years. Therefore, if there is health impact in using cell phones, it is important to be aware of the circumstances
FAQ? What determines how much RF energy a cell phone user experiences? • The number and duration of calls • The cell phone traffic (how many people are using cell phones) • The distance from the nearest cellular base station • The size of the handset • Hands-free device Do children have a higher risk of developing cancer due to cell phone use than adults? • Children are more vulnerable to cell phone radiation than adults. The younger the child, the deeper the penetration of electromagnetic radiation because the children's skulls are thinner. (Stats show that there is 400%increase in the risk of brain cancer for teenagers using cell phones)
Google Doc SurveyÂ
Google Doc Survey Results
Google Doc Survey Results
The results are pretty even. About half the people I surveyed are aware that cell phones emit radiation.
Google Doc Survey Results
The results are not surprising. More than half of the people I surveyed use a cell phone more than once a day. This proves that if cell phone radiation affects our health, it is a big deal because of the amount of people using cell phones.
Work Cited • • • •
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"03.04.07: The Physics of Cell Phones." Yale University. Web. 08 Jan. 2011. <http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2003/4/03.04.07.x.html>. BlackBerry Smartphones New BlackBerry PlayBook & Tablet OS at BlackBerry.com. Web. 08 Jan. 2011. <http://ca.blackberry.com/>. "Cell Phones and Cancer Risk National Cancer Institute." Comprehensive Cancer Information National Cancer Institute. Web. 08 Jan. 2011. <http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cellphones>. "How Do Cell Phones Work: The Fundamentals Behind Cellular Communication Technology and How It Operates." Find Health, Education, Science & Technology Articles, Reviews, HowTo and Tech Tips At Bright Hub Apply To Be A Writer Today! Web. 08 Jan. 2011. <http://www.brighthub.com/engineering/electrical/articles/3885.aspx>. "HowStuffWorks "Cell Phone Frequencies"" HowStuffWorks Learn How Everything Works! Web. 08 Jan. 2011. <http://www.howstuffworks.com/cellphone1.htm>. "IPhone 4 Video Calls, Multitasking, HD Video, and More." Apple. Web. 08 Jan. 2011. <http://www.apple.com/iphone/>. Majithia, Priya Adhyaru. "Its Official Now: Radiation from Your Cell Phone May Be Killing You India DNA." Mumbai India News Sports Entertainment DNA. Web. 08 Jan. 2011. <http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_itsofficialnowradiationfromyourcellphonemaybe killingyou_1489258>. West, Larry. "Cell Phones Are Cell Phones and Microwave Radiation Really Unhealthy?" Environmental Issues News and Information about the Environment. Web. 08 Jan. 2011. <http://environment.about.com/od/environment/a/cell_phones.htm>.