Many people worry about the effects of mobile phones on our health, as they are so widespread now – in 2011, it was estimated that around five billion people used a mobile phone. Medical research suggests that even small health risks associated with this technology could lead to significant public health concerns. In order to assess whether you’re willing to undertake these risks, you should be aware of the possible side effects that mobile phones bring. Mobiles use base stations and radio frequency radiation to communicate – if this is high enough, it can have a thermal effect, which means that it raises the body temperature. There are concerns from some people that low levels of this RF radiation emitted from mobile phones could lead to headaches and brain tumours when usage is continued over a number of years. There has been intensive research carried out which shows no conclusive evidence that mobile phones are damaging to our health in the short or long term. In May 2011, however, the World Health Organisation stated that RF radiation could be possibly carcinogenic to humans, after a study showed that there was an increased risk of glioma – a type of brain cancer. The risk of RF radiation depends on how long you use the phone, how close you hold the phone to your body, and the distance you are to the base station – if there is a weak signal from the base station, the phone will increase its radiation level to compensate.
There have been a number of studies into the effects of RF radiation on the body. For example, it has been shown that the radiation from a mobile has the biological effect of raising the temperature in a localised area on the brain by a fraction of a degree – this doesn’t automatically carry any risks to your health, though. The body can adjust to the variations of temperature to keep itself safe from damage. Phones have been connected to cancer scares as well, but because RF radiation is a form of non-ionising radiation it can’t affect the risk of cancer. There are a number of myths surrounding mobile phone use, but many of them are unfounded.
One such myth is that using a hands-free device will make you safe from the radiation that mobile phones emit – this isn’t true though, as all mobiles emit low levels of radiation so even if it isn’t pressed against your body, you will still be exposed to them. Most experts agree that keeping your phone away from your body when you can will help to reduce the risk of any health problems attributed to the technology. Using your phone sparingly and sensibly is the best course of action. This is because the longer you are exposed to the radiation, the more risks you’re taking with your health. It’s thought that taking shorter calls instead of long ones could reduce the amount of radiation you’re exposed to, but this isn’t necessarily true – there is a surge of radiation every time you dial a new number, so taking lots of short calls means that you’re exposing yourself to more. Metal-rimmed glasses, earrings and fillings can actually increase your radiation levels around the eye by up to 20pc – researchers are unsure what the health consequences might be from this though. And if you’re pregnant, some scientists think that absorbing radiation through the torso could affect your unborn baby – because of this, it’s probably best to avoid keeping your phone in your pocket or holding it near your unborn child.
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