Are you using your cell phone safely?

STUK, or the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, Finland, tests cell phone models to find the amounts of radiation they emit. To do this, they turn on the phone at full power and take into account where it will be placed on the head. They test the SAR (specific absorption rate) of the cell phones both when it is transmitting speech and data to find how much radiation someone would absorb from using them. The maximum SAR is 2 watts per kg. At this SAR, your brain tissue could be affected and heat up.
Many phone models come close to this 2 watts per kg. The top ten phones for their emission of radiation are as follows:

Highest radiation levels:

1. Motorola Droid Maxx  SAR: 1.54

2. Motorola Droid Ultra  SAR: 1.54

3. Motorola Moto E  SAR: 1.5

4. Alcatel One Touch Evolve  SAR: 1.49

5. Huawei Vitria  SAR: 1.49

6. Kyocera Hydro Edge  SAR: 1.48

7. Kyocera Kona  SAR: 1.45

8. Kyocera Hydro XTRM  SAR: 1.44

9. Nokia Asha 503  SAR: 1.43

10. Blackberry Z30  SAR: 1.41

If you use one of these models, it is best to take precaution and distance yourself from your phone when possible. This is because when you are closer to your phone, the strength of radiation increases. I conducted a lab which showed me that the amount of radioactive beta particles measured from strontium-90 decreased when the distance from it increased. This is known as the inverse square law.
The graph below shows those results:

This means that anything you can do to keep your phone farther away from your body is better. I've comprised a list of steps you can take to limit the amount of radiation you absorb.

1. Do not carry your phone on your body.

2. Do not sleep with your phone next to you. Across the room or even in a different room is best.

3. If you are carrying your phone on your body, turn it off or put it on airplane mode.

4. Speak to someone using speakerphone and keeping the phone away from you rather than holding it up to your ear.

5. Use a wired headset or Bluetooth emitter to make calls.

6. Use your phone when it has good reception so that it doesn't have to use as much radiation to work.

7. Text instead of call whenever possible. It doesn't use as much radiation.

8. Try not to use your phone in a car, elevator or other closed metal spaces. Cell phones require more radiation in those areas.

9. Don't buy an anti-radiation device for your phone. They make it hard to receive or make calls.

10. Buy a phone model that emits less radiation. 
Before, I gave you a list of the ten phones with highest radiation levels. Here is a list with the ten lowest radiation levels.

Lowest radiation levels:

10. Samsung Captivate SAR: 0.42

9. Samsung Evergreen SAR: 0.41

8. Samsung Haven SAR: 0.41

7. LG Quantum SAR: 0.35

6. T-Mobile Sidekick 4G SAR: 0.34

5. Huawei Ideos X5 SAR: 0.34

4. Samsung Replenish SAR: 0.3

3. Samsung Acclaim SAR: 0.29

2. Samsung Infuse 4G SAR: 0.2

1. Samsung Blue Earth SAR: 0.196

The awareness for the dangers of cell phone radiation is increasing in the general public. This means that more phones will most likely try to decrease their radiation in the future. Until then, to play it on the safe side, it is best that you take the steps of precaution for your health.




Sources:


"Electromagnetic Radiation Safety." : IPhone 6 SAR: Radiation Levels & Separation Distance.

          Blogger, 9 Oct. 2014. Web. 19 July 2015.

"Is Your Cell Phone Harming Your Health?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc, 5 May

           2014. Web. 19 July 2015.

Lauren. "5 Ways to Reduce Cell Phone Radiation Exposure." Empowered Sustenance. Empowered

             Sustenance, LLC, 14 June 2014. Web. 19 July 2015.

"The WORST Place to Store Your Cell Phone | EMF Dangers." Mercola.com. Dr. Joseph Mercola, 16

           June 2012. Web. 19 July 2015.

Grussi, Rachel. "The Top 10 Highest Radiation Cell Phones (and What to Do about It): |

            GaiamTV." Gaiam TV. N.p., 13 June 2014. Web. 19 July 2015.