Electromagnetic Radiation in Cordless Phones?

Guest

The December 2002 issue of alive featured a story about the electromagnetic radiation given off by cell phones. Do cordless phones pose the same risk?

Milt Bowling · alive Expert Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 5

Very few studies have been carried out on the health effects of cordless phones. One such study, however, Hardell, Lennart, et all,. showed harm from analogue cell phones, but not from cordless household phones. (The difference between analogue and digital cell phones lies in their wavelength and frequency. Analogue phones transmit at about 900 MHz using a round, sine wave while digital cell phones transmit pulses of data at around 1.9 GHz, often having a sharp, saw-tooth wave). In the study's summary, the observed ation was made that those interviewed had not used cordless phones for a long enough period of time to show demonstrable health effects. AThe analogue cell phone users, on the other hand, had used their phones for more than over 10 years.

Adverse health effects reported in studies of cell phone users include leakage of the protective blood-brain barrier, suppression of the immune system, memory loss, tumour promotion, chronic fatigue, and other problems. The science is not clear yet on what causes these effects. Some scientists say that the frequency of the microwave signal is the key factor, while others say the signal strength is more important.

Cordless phones have a frequency of either 900MHz [900 million oscillations per second] or 2.4 GHz [2.4 billion oscillations per second]. These digital signals are in the same general range as cell phones. If the frequency is the problem, then long term use of cordless phones could yield the same health problems.

Signal strength of cordless phones is lower than that of cell phones but consideration should also has to be given to the amount of time spent on cordless phonesthese phones. People who spend hours on end talking on a cordless phone might not do the same on a cell phone, given that people feel head tissue heating up when using a cell, particularly the ear.

Some cordless phones can receive a signal 6100 metreers or more from their base–more with a booster antenna. This requires a strong signal of about 5.8 GHz. Some manufacturers offer head jacks, which should tell you something. AThe 2.4 GHz cordless signal is the same frequency as a microwave oven.

If you use a cordless phone, try to keep the phone on the side of your head nearest the base. Otherwise, the signal radiating from the base may pass through your head to get to the phone.

As nobody knows for certainsure what are the long-term health effects of using cordless phones–I only use a landline.

Ring-a-ding · Guest

There is a new - of course, controversial - book out on cell phone usage and effects. It's apparently very powerful.

Does anyone remember the name?

Ed Taylor · Joined: 24 Nov 2008 Posts: 3

When I worked for NASA years ago the maximum allowable RF electromagnetic field in the US was 10 milliwatts per square centimeter. The smaller the transmitting antenna aperture, the stronger the electromagnetic field for a given power level. So if a phone was transmitting only one milliwatt via its almost indistinguishable antenna the radiated electromagnetic field could easily exceed allowable limits. This was 20 years ago, I don't know if the allowable levels have changed or what the power output of cell and portable phones is, and few seem to be talking about it.