Mobile phone safe radiation guide published

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Child with mobile phone
Even if we're uncertain about their effects, we know enough to take precautions with mobile phones
US agency publishes radiation ranking for top brands including Motorola, Blackberry and Apple iPhone
 

A US environmental group has published a guide to radiation levels from mobile phones.

Motorola, T-Mobile and Blackberry handsets were ranked among the ten worst phones in terms of radiation exposure.

Although all the phones were below current international limits, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) said that until more is known about cell phone radiation, consumers should try to buy phones with the lowest levels of emissions.

UK guidelines

The UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) said it would not be putting out a similar ranking guide.

'As long as they are within the International Commission for Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines then there is no hard evidence that they affect personal health,' said a HPA spokesman.

All mobile phones have a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), which is a way of measuring the amount of radio-frequency energy that is absorbed by the human body.

The ICNIRP has set a safe exposure limit for the head and trunk area of SAR 2W/Kg, although many campaigners believe that this only protects against the heating effects of radiation, and not against potential damage to cells and DNA.

Highest radiation levels

1. Motorola MOTO VU204 - 1.55 W/kg
2. T-Mobile myTouch 3G - 1.55 W/kg
3. Kyocera Jax S1300 - 1.55 W/kg
4. Blackberry Curve 8330 - 1.54 W/kg
5. Motorola W385 - 1.54 W/kg
6. T-Mobile Shadow - 1.53 W/kg
7. Motorola C290 - 1.53 W/kg
8. Motorola i335 - 1.53 W/kg
9. Motorola MOTO VE240 - 1.52 W/kg
10. Blackberry Bold 9000 - 1.51 W/kg

Lowest radiation levels

1. Samsung Impression (SGH-a877) - 0.35 W/kg
2. Motorola RAZR V8 - 0.36 W/kg
3. Samsung SGH-t229 - 0.38 W/kg
4. Samsung Rugby (SGH-a837) - 0.46 W/kg
5. Samsung Propel Pro (SGH-i627) - 0.47 W/kg
6. Samsung Gravity (SGH-t459) - 0.48 W/kg
7. T-Mobile Sidekick - 0.50 W/kg
8. LG Xenon (GR500) - 0.52 W/kg
9. Motorola Karma QA1 - 0.55 W/kg
10. Sanyo Katana II - 0.55 W/kg

The Apple iPhone 3G came out with a maximum figure of 1.19 W/kg.

Useful links
ICNIRP
Enivronmental Working Group (EWG)
Mobile radiation levels - full list of brands

See also

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