FAQ
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Frequently Asked Questions about Cell Phones
- What needs to be done to protect people from cell phone radiation, and how can I help?
- Do cell phones cause cancer?
- Are cell phones safe for children?
- Is cell phone radiation the same as radiation from an X-ray or a nuclear power plant?
- How can I find a low-radiation cell phone?
- You list phones by model number in your cell phone guide — where can I find my phone’s model number?
- What can I do to reduce my radiation exposures besides buying a low-radiation phone?
- Do cordless home phones give off radiation, too?
- Does radiation from cell phone transmission towers cause cancer?
- Are wireless or wired headsets better for reducing cell phone radiation exposures?
- Does the government regulate cell phone radiation?
- If cell phones cause cancer, why do only some studies show increased cancer risk for cell phone users?
- Does cell phone radiation affect sperm count?
- Would a radiation shield help reduce my exposures to cell phone radiation?
- The phone I am searching for is not in your database. Where can I find its SAR value?
- Do cell phones emit radiation when they are on but not being used to text or talk?
- Can radiation emitted from one person’s cell phone affect people nearby, like second-hand smoke does?
- Is cell phone radiation the same as radiation from a microwave?
- Will using my phone in speaker mode reduce my radiation exposures?
- Does texting emit as much radiation as talking?
Still have questions? Ask EWG.
Answers
1. What needs to be done to protect people from cell phone radiation, and how can I help?
What should the government do? EWG recommends that the government review the latest science on cell phone radiation risks, update its regulations, and require that radiation emissions be posted with each phone at the point of sale so consumers can make informed decisions.
Recent studies suggest that cell phones may cause health problems. The government has been lax in evaluating the rapidly developing science and slow to reexamine the radiation limits. Current cell phone radiation standards were adopted by the FCC from 1992 recommendations issued by industry (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE). These standards allow 20 times more radiation to penetrate the head compared to the rest of the body, do not account for risks to children, and fail to consider the recent research findings on health risks. The FCC should close these gaps and ensure that cell phone radiation standards protect children and others who are most vulnerable.
Concerns about cancer and other health problems have spurred government agencies in 6 countries to issue warnings to consumers to reduce cell phone radiation exposures, especially for children. But the U.S. government provides no such information for the public and does not even require that cell phone radiation emissions be posted where phones are sold. EWG recommends government action requiring phones to be labeled with their radiation emissions at the point of sale, so consumers can make informed decisions about the phones they buy.
What should cell phone manufacturers and retailers do? The cell phone industry should offer consumers phones that operate with the least possible radiation, and should provide consumers with easy access to information on each phone's radiation emissions at the point of sale.
What can cell phone users do? You can protect yourself and your family by adopting straightforward precautionary steps to reduce exposures to cell phone radiation. You can switch to a low-radiation phone. Our cell phone radiation buyer's search tool lists radiation output of more than 1,000 cell phones. Your can also reduce exposures by using your phone in speaker mode or with a headset, and making phone calls only when the connection is good [see all 8 safety tips]. And please help us tell the government to update its cell phone standards.
2. Do cell phones cause cancer?
Several research teams from different countries report a higher risk of developing brain and salivary gland cancer among high-volume, long-term cell phone users compared to people who use cell phones less often. Other researchers have found that cell phone radiation may cause attention problems in children, spur neurological changes in adults, and damage sperm.
But not all studies find health problems among cell phone users. Questions about cell phone radiation safety are considered unsettled.
Cancer normally takes a long time to develop, often 20 years or more from the time a person is first exposed to something that causes cancer. People began using cell phones about 20 years ago, so if cell phone radiation can cause cancer, studies may only now be able to detect the disease among long-time cell phone users. This may explain why a greater number of recent studies are finding more cancers among cell phone users. Children may face even greater risks than adults, since their brains are still developing and may be especially vulnerable.
3. Are cell phones safe for children?
Research groups around the world have concluded that current cell phone radiation standards may not protect children. These concerns have prompted the governments of Switzerland, Germany, France, Finland, Israel and U.K. as well as the European Parliament to recommend limiting cell phone use for children, and encouraging children to keep phone calls short and send text messages instead of calling.
In 2008 the National Academy of Sciences published a comprehensive review of available studies on biological effects from cell phone radiation. Hundreds have been published. Many more are needed, some quite basic, the Academy found.
"Perhaps the single most important question concerning the health effects of exposure to [cell phone radiation] is the possible link between such exposures and cancer risk," said the Academy. They recommended a study of childhood brain tumors for one, "owing to widespread use of mobile phones among children and adolescents and the possibility of relatively high exposures to the brain..."
Radiation exposures are higher for children than adults because of children's thinner skulls and their brains' higher water and ion (charged particle) content, all factors that enhance radiation penetration. Researchers in the U.S., France and Japan have reported that children's brains absorb twice more radiation compared to adults'. Higher exposures combined with sensitive, developing brain tissue leave children at a greater risk for damage from cell phone radiation.
Baby monitors also use radiofrequency radiation, the kind emitted by cell phones. To ensure the safety of a newborn child, it is best to call the manufacturers to find out the radiation emissions (called SAR values) for these devices.
4. Is cell phone radiation the same as radiation from an X-ray or a nuclear power plant?
Cell phones, X-rays machines, and nuclear waste all emit electromagnetic radiation — energy in the form of electric and magnetic waves that travel together. The high-energy waves of X-rays and certain nuclear waste emissions can tear apart the body's molecules, including cellular DNA. The damage from this "ionizing radiation" leads to cancer and other illnesses if doses are high enough. Cell phone radiation is different — its lower energy, "non-ionizing" waves penetrate deeper into the body but lack the energy to break apart molecules. Scientists do not fully understand why these lower energy waves would cause cancer and other health problems. Some hypothesize that the body may be damaged by cell phones' ability to heat tissues or to produce reactive oxygen species (free radicals) that can kill cells and cause disease. More research is needed to pinpoint the ways that cell phone radiation could damage the body.
5. How can I find a low-radiation cell phone?
Our cell phone radiation buyer's search tool lists radiation output of more than 1,000 cell phones. Look for phones with low radiation emissions (called SAR values).
6. You list phones by model number in your cell phone guide – where can I find my phone’s model number?
Your owner's manual should list your cell phone's brand and model number. If you don't have the manual close by, look for a manufacturer's label inside the battery compartment — the label should list 2 numbers, the model number and FCC identification number, which is typically longer and not used in our guide. Getting to the battery compartment normally requires carefully peeling off the back panel of the phone, lifting up the battery, and finding the label sticker underneath.
7. What can I do to reduce my radiation exposures besides buying a low-radiation phone?
EWG's researchers have developed 8 simple safety tips to help you reduce your cell phone radiation exposures. Among the most important — use your phone in speaker mode or with a headset, hold the phone away from your body when you're using it, and make phone calls only when the connection is good.
8. Do cordless home phones give off radiation, too?
Cordless home phones do give off radiation. Similar to cell phones emitting signals to a tower, a cordless home phone handset emits signals to the base station in your home. And like a cell phone, the cordless phone handset emits peak levels of radiation during a call.
Some base stations emit radiation continually when the phone is off the base, whether you're on a call or not. Exposures to these sustained signals have raised health concerns.
While a Swiss government assessment found that emissions from the base station and handset are generally low, the German Federal Office of Radiation Protection found that emissions are high enough to warrant action. They recently issued a requirement that base stations for cordless home phones cease emitting when the phones are in standby mode or not in use.
To find out more about the emissions of your cordless home phone, look in the owner's manual or call the manufacturer.
9. Does radiation from cell phone transmission towers cause cancer?
Cell phones communicate via radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation. Cell phone towers send high-power outgoing signals that travel hundreds of meters to establish contact with individual cell phones. These signals essentially bathe the body in low levels of sustained radiation. Risks from these whole-body exposures may be very different from risks associated with concentrated, intermittent cell phone radiation that penetrates a small area of the head. Scientists do not yet understand the effects of long-term exposure to cell phone tower radiation — the necessary studies have not yet been completed.
Certain cities and countries, such as Italy and the cities of Brussels, Salzburg, and Christchurch have proposed protective limits for total radiation emitted by cell phone towers in a given area.
10. Are wireless or wired headsets better for reducing cell phone radiation exposures?
The jury is out on whether a wireless or wired headset is better for reducing radiation exposures — but either is preferable to a phone held to the ear.
The governments of Switzerland, Germany, Israel and Finland, the European Parliament and the city of Toronto all recommend using a headset or an earpiece as a precautionary measure. But expert recommendations differ on the type — some recommend wired, some wireless.
A wireless headset, such as Bluetooth, uses radiofrequency radiation to communicate with a cell phone. This is the same form of radiation emitted by cell phones. But the signal travels only a short distance from the ear to the phone, so wireless headset emissions are lower than emissions for a cell phone, which transmits to a distant tower.
Some wireless headsets emit continuously, even when you're not on a call. EWG recommends that you take your headset off between calls.
Multiple research teams have found that corded headsets also reduce the overall radiation exposure to the head. But some scientists report that the wire of a corded headset can act as a secondary antenna, transmitting some small amount of radiation toward the head of a user.
Whether you choose a wired or a wireless headset, don't keep the active transmitting phone near the waist (such as in a front pocket or clipped to a belt) — in this case, radiation will be transmitted towards the torso and absorbed by internal organs.
11. Does the government regulate cell phone radiation?
The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) is responsible for cell phone certification, which means ensuring that cell phones on the market comply with the FCC standards described in Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
But the radiation limits laid out in FCC standards were adopted from 1992 recommendations issued by industry (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE). These standards allow 20 times more radiation to penetrate the head compared to the rest of the body; do not account for risks to children; and fail to consider the latest science on health risks. FCC has never updated these standards, even though a significant body of data indicates that they may not fully protect the public from radiation risks, especially children.
Government agencies in Germany, Switzerland, Israel, United Kingdom, France, and Finland, the European Parliament, and multiple national and international organizations and scientific expert groups have recommended adopting a precautionary approach by taking steps to limit exposures to cell phone radiation, especially for young children.
12. If cell phones cause cancer, why do only some studies show increased cancer risk for cell phone users?
Most kinds of cancer have a long latency time, the period between exposure and onset of symptoms. Even for asbestos, a well-known and highly potent carcinogen, scientists find increased incidence of lung cancer only among people exposed 10 to 14 years prior to the studies. The widespread popularity of cell phones goes back only about a decade. If cell phone radiation causes cancer, studies may only now be able to detect it.
Recently researchers from several different countries have reported an association between high-volume, long-term cell phone use and brain and salivary gland cancer. But not all studies have found these problems.
In the late 1990s, the International Agency for Research on Cancer developed a multinational case-control study, INTERPHONE, to address growing concerns about cell phones and cancer. The final results of the INTERPHONE study have not yet been published, although the study has been completed and many regional teams have already released their results.
Even for shorter exposure periods of less than 10 years, several INTERPHONE teams have observed an association between cell phone use and the risk of brain tumors. Of greatest concern are 2 recent meta-analyses of all the currently published data from cell phone-brain tumor studies. This comprehensive analysis found that for people who used cell phones for longer than 10 years, the risk of developing a brain tumor on the primary side of cell phone use increased by 90% for glioma and 60% for acoustic neuroma compared to the risk of developing these tumors among people who did not use cell phones.
13. Does cell phone radiation affect sperm count?
The effects of radiofrequency (cell phone) radiation on biological tissues span a wide range, from tissue heating to the production of reactive oxygen species (oxidative stress) and cell death. Both heat and oxidative stress are damaging to sperm cells. Studies conducted in two U.S. research centers, the Cleveland Clinic Center for Reproductive Medicine and Medical College of Wisconsin, as well as other studies from around the world (Australia, Japan, and Europe) have found that cell phone radiation can lead to a significant decrease of sperm numbers, motility and viability.
Although it remains to be determined to what extent typical cell phone use may affect reproductive health in men, many scientists — and the Swiss Federal Office of Radiation Protection — recommend avoiding keeping a cell phone in talk mode in the front trouser pocket.
14. Would a radiation shield help reduce my exposures to cell phone radiation?
Radiation shields such as antenna caps or keypad covers reduce the connection quality and force the phone to transmit at a higher power with higher radiation. At the moment, public health agencies in the U.S. and other countries unanimously recommend against the use of such devices since they are untested and don't undergo government review.
15. The phone I am searching for is not in your database. Where can I find its SAR value?
You can contact the phone’s manufacturer and ask. Or you can look up a phone’s SAR value on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) website. You will need the phone’s FCC ID number, which can be found on the label sticker under the battery. This requires peeling off the back cover and lifting the battery out. There is a cumbersome process on the FCC website which includes: 1) entering the phone’s FCC ID number, 2) downloading the resulting set of documents (3-5 documents in pdf format), 3) searching the documents for the SAR value.
It would be far more efficient and help consumers make informed choices if SAR values were made available at the point of sale. You can join us in speaking up for such changes by emailing the FCC and the FDA now.16. Do cell phones emit radiation when they are on but not being used to text or talk?
When the phone is on and not in use, it does send out an intermittent radiation signal to check on what towers are in the vicinity - that's how we can tell how good the reception is, by looking at the number of "signal bars" on the cell phone screen. This level of signal is lower than the level of radiation used for actual conversation, but it is a signal nevertheless. EWG recommends avoiding keeping a cell phone on the body – a handbag is probably a better place for a cell phone in the "on" position than a pocket.
17. Can radiation emitted from one person’s cell phone affect people nearby, like second-hand smoke does?
Yes, it is very similar to second hand smoke. By standing next to a person who is speaking into her phone, I am getting some radiation. The dose is significantly smaller than the dose that would be absorbed into the cell phone user's head directly - but there is some degree of exposure.
18. Is cell phone radiation the same as radiation from a microwave?
Microwave ovens use the same form of radiation as cell phones. Most microwave ovens operate at a frequency of 2.45 gigahertz (GHz; 2450 megaherz), which is the frequency range also used by Bluetooth and many cordless phones. They are designed not to leak radiation, but some does escape (less from more recent models).
But your exposure to radiation from cell phones and microwaves is very different. People typically hold a cell phone directly next to their ears, so radiation is absorbed directly into the head and brain. In contrast, when you stand near your microwave oven, the radiation is spread across a large area and is significantly less than what you absorb while using a cell phone or even while standing next to a person talking on a cell phone (see #17 above for more about second-hand radiation exposure).
Distance does matter - that's why EWG recommends you hold the cell phone away from your body when talking, whether with a headset or in the speaker mode.
19. Will using my phone in speaker mode reduce my radiation exposures?
Using the speaker mode is a good option for reducing radiation exposure. In general, holding the phone away from the body (head or torso) is a safer choice. EWG recommends against holding a phone against the ear, in a pocket or on the belt where nearby soft tissues would absorb radiation.
20. Does texting emit as much radiation as talking?
Cell phones use less power and emit less radiation to send text than voice signals. And unlike when you speak with the phone at your ear, texting keeps radiation away from your head.
