The dangers of cell phones

INDEPENDENT TESTS ON POPULAR CELL PHONES SHOW THAT RADIATION EXCEEDS GOVERNMENT SAFETY LIMITS

Recently, on August 21, 2019, the Chicago Tribune revealed that over the past year, it had hired a reputable, FCC-recognized lab to test 11 popular cell phones for radio frequencies. They used the same tests that the cell phone companies themselves use to test their phones for FCC approval. The results of these independent tests will raise eyebrows: many of the phones tested significantly exceed the government safety limits they claim to comply with.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is responsible for ensuring that all new phones put on the market undergo thorough testing to ensure that they will expose the cell phone user to radiation below the federal safety limit. This safety limit is called the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) and measures the amount of radiation absorbed by the body at a certain distance (usually 5 to 15 millimeters), at the highest radiation emission the phone would emit. The current safety limit, which was established over 20 years ago, is 1.6 watts per kilogram, averaged over one gram of tissue. For a phone to be approved by the FCC for sale on the market, the device must "never exceed" this safety limit.

The RF Exposure Lab in San Marcos, California, is an accredited testing laboratory recognized by the FCC. For the past 15 years, they have been conducting tests for cell phone companies seeking FCC approval for their new products. The lab's owner, Jay Moulton, claims that all the tests they carried out for the Chicago Tribune complied with FCC rules and guidelines. Mr. Moulton certainly didn't expect the results he found.

In the first tests, where the phone was placed at the same distance from simulated body fluids as the manufacturer's tests, 4 of the 11 phones tested well beyond safety limits. Of particular note was the Apple iPhone 7, one of the most popular cell phones ever sold. It was tested well beyond the safety limit, and at around twice the level announced by Apple. Even more revealing was the result of the lab's second test, at an even closer distance (2 millimeters) that mimics the phone's distance from the body when carried in a pocket, which most people do these days. This proximity test increased the radiation exposure of most phones by 2 to 5 times above the safe limit!

How were the tests carried out?

The tests commissioned by the Chicago Tribune represent one of the most comprehensive independent investigations of its kind. Sam Roe, the investigative journalist involved in this project and the reporter of the results, won a Pulitzer Prize in 2008 for his superb investigative journalism, and has been a Pulitzer Prize finalist on four other occasions.

The phones tested included four Apple iPhone models, three Samsung Galaxy models, three Motorola Moto phones and one BLU Vivo, all purchased new for the sole purpose of testing. Several iPhone 7s were tested, as the initial results were so high that they wanted to double-check, just in case the first was a faulty phone.

Before testing, Moulton reviewed the exact data and test variables that each company had used in its initial compliance tests, which are publicly available on the FCC website, and replicated exactly the original test conditions for each phone model. This means that the authorized band, frequency and channel were tested for each phone. Next, each phone was placed under a vat of liquid specially formulated to mimic the tissues of the human body. A nearby base station simulator was used to make a call to the phone, then the settings were adjusted until the phone was operating at full power. A robotic arm then moved the phone to different positions in the liquid, all within 5 to 15 millimeters of the surface (or 2 millimeters for the second test), and a probe took 276 separate measurements of the liquid to determine absorbed radiation, which was then used to determine the SAR rate for that phone.

This is exactly how all new phone models are tested for FCC approval. "We're not doing anything extraordinary or different here," Moulton said. Any qualified lab "should be able to take a phone off the shelf and test it to see if it meets the requirements."

Phone companies don't like results

The 100-page lab report on the test results was sent to Apple, Samsung, Motorola, BLU and the FCC. Apple disputed the results, claiming that the tests had not been carried out in such a way as to properly evaluate the iPhones, but when asked, did not say exactly what was wrong with the methods, or how it measured RF radiation from its own phones. Nevertheless, in response to their findings, the lab decided to retest the iPhones (including one other) under slightly modified conditions, with the intention of ensuring that the phone's built-in proximity sensors are activated, which is supposed to reduce power when in contact with human tissue. For some reason, for most iPhones (including the iPhone 7), the SAR came back with even higher results from this modified test!

Apple went on to say that it had personally examined and validated all the phone models in the Tribune test, though it didn't explain exactly what it meant by the term "scrutiny and subsequent validation".

The problem with Samsung's tests is that all the compliance tests carried out were at 10-15 mm from the body, a measurement distance that is within the guidelines of the FCC test procedure, but further away than the distance of exposure from the head and into the pocket by real users. When measured at a closer, more realistic distance for everyday use, their phone models far exceed SAR safety levels. Samsung declined to comment on the individual phone test results, and simply stated that their devices sold in the US "comply with FCC regulations".

Motorola disputed the very high results of its Moto e5 Play, stating that the tests must not have triggered the proximity sensor. This raised the question in Moulton's mind that Motorola's sensors may not work consistently, which could expose users to much higher levels of radiation, due to the unpredictable operation of the sensors. Motorola says that, since their power management techniques are highly confidential, Tribune's independent lab didn't have access to the right information to produce accurate results on their phones.

However, the rules established by the FCC require that radiofrequency radiation tests be carried out "in a manner that permits independent evaluation". Withholding information that could affect independent test results is not permitted.

Motorola followed up later, saying that they had re-tested their phones in a lab of their choice, and found them to be within appropriate limits. When asked, they refused to share how they tested their phones, and would not share their lab reports.

The FCC didn't bother to comment on the test results, saying only that it would examine some of the phone models as part of the investigation.

What's wrong with current government radiation standards?

The FCC's current SAR regulations were established in 1996 and have not been changed since, even in the face of new cell phone technology and the new ways people use their cell phones. The maximum distance at which a phone could be tested for compliance was 25 millimeters, which is much further from the body than the distance at which today's users keep their phones. The 25 mm distance was set because in the 90s, people often carried their flip phones on belt clips, which were about an inch away from their bodies. No one uses belt clips anymore, and more often than not, the phone is carried in an ordinary pocket, which is usually only 2 mm from body tissue! The guidelines have not been updated to reflect users' new habits, and users have not been adequately warned of the potential dangers of keeping their phones so close to them.

In 2012, the Government Accountability Office (the research arm of Congress) suggested that the FCC re-evaluate exposure limits and testing requirements, because the phones were not measured against the body. The FCC took seven years to reach its conclusion that the current safety limits are still adequate and that no changes are necessary.

Another concern about current regulations is that they fail to take into account vulnerable populations: children, teenagers and pregnant women. According to a 2019 report, 29 p. 100 of American teenagers sleep with their cell phones in bed! The SAR safety limit was established based on the head and body of a very large man (they used army personnel). Children have smaller heads and thinner skulls, and the developing brain is very vulnerable to non-ionizing radiation, which many studies have already demonstrated.

Nor are long-term exposures taken into account. Regulations are based on immediate effects, ignoring the many decades of constant exposure to cell phones and other non-ionizing radiation that most modern people, especially young people, will experience over the course of their lives.

Last but not least, SAR safety standards are based on the (proven wrong) assumption that the thermal effect of phones, which is measured by SAR tests, is the only way cell phones can cause damage. There are several other proven mechanisms by which radiofrequencies cause more damage than the thermal effect alone!

How can we protect ourselves?

Clearly, the cell phone companies and the FCC don't have our health and best interests in mind, so we're left to our own choices to protect ourselves. Most people won't give up their cell phones completely, but there are things you can do to dramatically reduce your exposure.

First of all, never carry your cell phone in your pocket (unless it's set to airplane mode), never sleep with your cell phone near you (or turned on), and never hold your phone to your head when you're talking. It's best to use a speaker phone or AirTube headset to make calls. Limit your children's exposure to cell phones, and be careful during pregnancy and around babies.

The most effective protection remains our globally patented technology (the only one to date) which has proven its effectiveness. Buy a Body Guard bracelet to protect you against all waves of all frequencies, and get a free patch to stick on your phone. You'll no longer suffer the effects of waves on your body, and your phone won't heat up when you use it. And no more headaches after a conversation lasting more than 10 minutes.