cell-phone-radiation-skeletonWe all know wireless signal radiation is everywhere and there is no way for us modern people to actually avoid it altogether. However, after some serious reading, I found out that the radiation coming out of our mobile phones is many times higher than WiFi or Bluetooth. As a simple illustration, staying in a home covered by WiFi for a year will expose us to a similar radiation compared to using our mobile phone for voice call for 20 minutes, with the phone touching our ears directly without speakerphone or hands-free, Bluetooth or cable.

What about Bluetooth radiation? Is it dangerous? Just line mobile phone signal and WiFi, Bluetooth also does emit radiation. The level of exposure, however, is significantly lower than mobile phone radiation. Here’s the simple logic. A mobile phone needs to continuously connect to a tower that could be miles away. A Bluetooth device only needs to connect to another paired device few meters away. Naturally Bluetooth will emit significantly less energy, thus less radiation.

Did you know that all mobile phones’ reported “safe” radiation was tested by holding the phone 15 to 25 mm away from ears? That’s how the mobile phones got their “safe” certificate from FCC. In other words, the FCC’s testing protocol does not test for phones that are broadcasting at full power while inside our pants pocket or pushed up against our ear, two of the most likely ways cell phones are actually used.

Separating our body from the receiver of mobile signals matters. Even keeping 15mm distance from our mobile phones reduce our radiation exposure to the safe level. Putting our mobile phones near our body when we sleep also increased the radiation exposure unnecessarily.

Living without mobile phones are highly unpractical in modern days. So after being exposed to the radiation for a day, I made a new habit of NOT allowing iPhone in my bedroom (it stays outside). I try to use speakerphone whenever possible, or at least use hands-free when the situation allows. I prefer sending email and text messages rather than making voice calls. I fully know these won’t fully protect me from exposure, but that’s about the least we can do.

For further reading:
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency – WiFi and Health
Public Health England – WiFi – the HPA research project
World Health Organization – Electromagnetic fields and public health
Forbes: Why Scientists Say Wi-Fi Signals Won’t Give Your Kids Cancer