Cell Phones Radiation - Essay Example

Cell Phones Radiation Cell phones are everywhere. They are part of our everyday experience of life. We carry them wherever we go. They are extremely useful in many areas of communication. Their presence has become ubiquitous. Depending on the cell-phone model, we can make and receive telephone calls, store contact information, make task or to-do lists, keep track of appointments and set reminders, use the built-in calculator for simple math, send or receive e-mails, get information (news, entertainment, stock quotes) from the Internet, play simple games, integrate other devices such as PDAs, MP3 players and GPS receivers, send and receive text messages, do internet browsing, play music (MP3), use them as personal organizers, watch/alarm, built-in cameras, have ringtones, use their security measures (e.g. pin codes), SIM blocks, radio, use them with infrared and bluetooth connectivity, and call registers (Wikipedia, 2005; Layton et al, 2005). The uses and features of cell phones keep growing as cell phones are becoming a very important device in our everyday life. Speaking about how cell phones work, Layton et al (2005) said: "On a "complexity per cubic inch" scale, cell phones are some of the most intricate devices people use on a daily basis. Modern digital cell phones can process millions of calculations per second in order to compress and decompress the voice stream." When dealing with all the features and uses of a cell phone, Layton et al (2005) stated the following: "What is amazing is that all of that functionality -- which only 30 years ago would have filled an entire floor of an office building -- now fits into a package that sits comfortably in the palm of your hand!" But there are certain inconveniences regarding them. Many places like worship houses or churches, cinemas, theaters, hospitals, and other public places prohibit their use in order to avoid their distracting noises. There is legislation in many states against driving while talking on a cell phone (so hands-free cell phones are encouraged, and they are becoming more popular now). However, the most relevant concern against cell phones is related to radiation problems. In order to understand with certain depth this issue we have to know the basics of radiation, cell phones operation and the research that it is going on in the scientific community. Cell phones are a combination of a radio and a telephone. As a telephone we can talk and listen to other people. As a radio it sends and receives messages through a transmitter-receiver using an antenna. The difference between a walkie-talkie or CB radio and a cell phone is that the cell phone uses two frequencies, one for transmitting and one for receiving, so people can talk and listen at the same time. The cell phones are called as such because "cell" is the term used by engineers to talk about the relatively small hexagon or area where a base station sends and receives the signals of cell phones in order to accomplish communication among them. A city, for example, is divided into many "cells" or "hexagons" with a base station for each cell so the cell phones operate at a low power level and the battery can be pretty small. In case we are talking on a cell phone while moving in a vehicle, the cells keep changing and the communication area also changes accordingly, so we have a continuous conversation without noticing the change in the cells. In case there are different signal providers, then we have what is called "roaming" and the charges to our bills can be very high. The parts of a cell phone are the following: A circuit board containing the brains of the phone, an antenna, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a keyboard, a microphone, a speaker, and a battery. The transmitter-receiver in the circuit board produces the radiation associated with the cell phones when it encodes the voice into a signal or radio frequency wave. Radiation is the creation of electromagnetic fields of energy. There are two kinds of radiation: natural and artificial or man-made radiation. Natural radiation is everywhere. Light is a form of natural radiation and light is everywhere. Artificial or man-made radiation comes from all the electrical or electronic devices created by man. During the period of the last century all the technological advances have incremented the sources of man-made radiation. There are also two types of radiation: ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation has enough energy to break the molecular bonds. X-Rays are an example of ionizing radiation. Non-ionizing radiation doesn't have the energy necessary to break the molecular bones so they are considered to be safe. Radio Frequencies (RF), which are the frequencies used in cell phones, have non-ionizing radiation. There is an ongoing debate over the effects of radiation produced by cell phones. There are negative results from recent research (IraCast, 2005; Morgan, 2003). But there is no definitive consensus as there is uncertainty about most of the negative research. Bonsor (2005) said the following about it: "What is being debated in the scientific and political arenas is just how much radiation is considered unsafe, and if there are any potential long-term effects of cell-phone radiation exposure." Bonsor (2005) also explained the effects of Radio Frequency radiation in one of his articles on "How Stuff Works": "RF radiation has the ability to heat human tissue, much like the way microwave ovens heat food. Damage to tissue can be caused by exposure to RF radiation because the body is not equipped to dissipate excessive amounts of heat. The eyes are particularly vulnerable due to the lack of blood flow in that area." Some of the illnesses and ailments that have potential links to cell-phone radiation are the following: Cancer, brain tumors, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, fatigue, headaches, etc. Speaking about the radiation levels, Bonsor (2005) states the following: "Radiation levels are tested based on the specific absorption rate (SAR), which is a way of measuring the amount of radio-frequency energy that is absorbed by the human body. In order to gain an FCC license, a phone's maximum SAR level must be less than 1.6 watts per kilogram (W/kg)." CNET (2005) gives a list of the ten top cell phones with the highest and the lowest levels of radiation as follows: Ten highest-radiation cell phones (U.S.) Manufacturer and model - SAR level (digital) 1a. Motorola V120c 1.55 1b. Motorola V265 1.55 3. Motorola V70 1.54 4a. Motorola P8767 1.53 4b. Motorola ST7868 1.53 4c. Motorola ST7868W 1.53 7a. Motorola A845 1.51 7b. Panasonic Allure 1.51 7c. Treo 650 GSM 1.51 10. Sony Ericsson P910 1.50 Ten lowest-radiation cell phones (U.S.) Manufacturer and model - SAR level (digital) 1. Audiovox PPC66001 0.12 2. Motorola MPx200 0.2 3. Motorola Timeport L7089 0.22 4. Qualcomm pdQ-1900 0.2634 5. T-Mobile Sidekick 0.276 6a. Samsung SGH-S100 0.296 6b. Samsung SGH-S105 0.296 8. Sony Ericsson Z600 0.31 9. Mitsubishi G360 0.32 10. Siemens S40 0.33 In Wikipedia we find the next idea: "It is generally thought, however, that RF is incapable of producing any more than heating effects, as it is considered non-ionizing radiation, in other words that it lacks the energy to disrupt molecular bonds such as occurs in genetic mutations." (Wikipedia, 2005). The authoritative organizations in the United States are the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Their verdict so far is not conclusive as there is needed more research about the effects of radiation produced by cell phones. The world organization in charge of this issue is the World Health Organization (WHO). These three institutions positions are summarized as follows: "The available scientific evidence does not show that any health problems are associated with using wireless phones. There is no proof, however, that wireless phones are absolutely safe. () Some studies have suggested that some biological effects may occur, but such findings have not been confirmed by additional research." (FDA, 2003). "There is no scientific evidence to date that proves that wireless phone usage can lead to cancer or other adverse health effects, such as headaches, dizziness, elevated blood pressure, or memory loss. However, studies are ongoing, and key government agencies such as the FDA continue to monitor the results of the latest scientific research on this topic. Cell phones have been shown to have an indirect effect in one health area, in that they potentially can cause interference to implanted cardiac pacemakers under certain conditions." (FCC, 2002). "From sophisticated computer modeling and measurements using models of heads, it appears that the energy absorbed from a mobile phone is not in excess of current guidelines. Concerns about other so-called non-thermal effects arising from exposure to mobile phone frequencies have also been raised. These include suggestions of subtle effects on cells that could have an effect on cancer development. Effects on electrically excitable tissues that may influence the function of the brain and nervous tissue have also been hypothesized. However, the overall evidence available to date does not suggest that the use of mobile phones has any detrimental effect on human health." (WHO, 2005). The World Health Organization has taken a step forward in the creation of the International EMF Project. EMF stands for ElectroMagnetic Fields. More research is needed, so we have to keep on the alert about this topic. I do believe that cell phones are here to stay. They offer a lot of benefits in communications, and their features are expanding more and more each day as new technologies evolve and get better. Cell phones are everywhere, and I think that their number will keep growing as time passes by enriching our lives with a greater degree of communication. References Bonsor, K. "How Cell Phone Radiation Works". (2005). In How Stuff Works. (World Wide Web page). Available: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cell-phone-radiation.htm 8 Nov 2005. CNET. "Cell phone radiation levels" (2005, October 7). (World Wide Web page). Available: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6602_7-5020355-1.html 7 Nov 2005. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). "Cell phones and your health". (2002, February 25). (World Wide Web page). Available: http://www.fcc.gov/marketsense/cellphone-health.html 8 Nov 2005. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). "Do wireless phones pose a health hazard". (2003, July 29). (World Wide Web page). Available: http://www.fda.gov/cellphones/qa.html#22 7 Nov 2005. IsraCast. "Israeli Research: Cell Phone Radiation May Cause Visual Damage". (2005, July 29). (World Wide Web page). Available: http://www.isracast.com/tech_news/250705_tech.htm 8 Nov 2005. Layton, J., and Brain, M., and Tyson, J. "How Cell Phones Work". (2005). In How Stuff Works. (World Wide Web page). Available: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cell-phone.htm 7 Nov 2005. Morgan, K. "Hold the Phone Radiation from cell phones hurts rats' brains". (2003, February 22). In Science News. Vol. 163, No. 8, p. 115. (World Wide Web page). Available: http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20030222/fob1.asp 8 Nov 2005 Wikipedia. Mobile Phone. (2005, November 5). (World Wide Web page). Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone. 6 Nov 2005. World Health Organization (WHO). "Electromagnetic fields (EMF). Mobile phones and their base stations." (2005). (World Wide Web page). Available: http://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/index3.html 8 Nov 2005. Read More