The Cell Tolls for Thee
By Ausaf Ahmad • Aug 4th, 2008 • Category: Misc • 18 Commentsi WAS GOING THROUGH THIS ARTICLE ON MSN AND WHICH I FOUND INTERESTED TO SHARE WITH ALL OF YOU .
“The truth about the cell-phone–cancer link and what it means for you and your kids
By Julie A. Evans, Best Life”
“
When Vini Khurana, PhD, an Australian (and Mayo Clinic–trained) neurosurgeon, announced that the link between cell-phone use and cancer was irrefutable–the result of his analysis of more than 100 studies–it set off alarm bells around the world. Use a cell phone, he said, and you increase your risk of developing a malignant brain tumor by two to four times. Until recently, the majority of research indicated little or no link between cell phones and cancer (the World Health Organization and the American Cancer Society maintain that cell phones pose no threat), but several new long-term studies have cast doubt about their safety. Given that cell phones and PDAs serve as lifelines for so many people–24 percent of 10- and 11-year-olds carry them–it raises urgent questions. To find out what precautions you should take when using your cell phone, we dialed the nation’s leading experts.Do cell phones cause cancer?
Maybe…with extended use. Mobile-phone users are twice as likely to develop malignant, difficult-to-treat brain tumors called gilomas, according to a first-of-its-kind study that analyzed the effects of cell-phone use over 10 years or more and was published last year in the journal Occupational Environmental Medicine. The Bioinitiative Working Group, an international coalition of scientists and public-health experts, recently published a hefty report detailing the link between the nonionizing radiation caused by a cell phone’s electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and cancer, DNA damage, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases. “The cells in the body react to EMFs in cell phones just like they do to other environmental toxins, including heavy metals and chemicals,” says Martin Blank, PhD, a professor in bioelectromagnetics at Columbia University and one of the report’s authors. The study found that risk from cell-phone use starts at 260 lifetime hours.
Do cell phones emit radiation only when you are talking?
No. “Cell phones give off radiation any time they’re turned on so that they can communicate with base stations,” says Lou Bloomfield, PhD, professor of physics at the University of Virginia and author of How Everything Works: Making Physics Out of the Ordinary. “The radiation emitted, however, is stronger and more frequent when you’re talking or messaging.” Also, the greater distance you are from a base station, the more radiation your phone must emit in order to get a signal, which is why your phone feels hot when you have low reception. That heat you feel is radiation. The Bioinitiative study found that adverse effects to DNA can also occur before the phone heats up. To reduce your exposure, make calls only when you have strong reception, hang up before your phone heats up, and store your phone away from your body when it’s not in use.
What is a phone’s SAR value and why does it matter?
SAR stands for specific absorption rate, and it refers to the rate of radiation exposure from radio frequency and microwaves measured in watts per kilogram of tissue, says Bloomfield. The FCC limit on any cell phone sold in this country is 1.6 watts per kilogram. To find the SAR value for your phone, go to fcc.gov/cgb/sar/. At press time, the phone with the lowest radiation was the LG KG800, at 0.135 w/kg. The highest: Motorola V195s, at 1.6 w/kg. The Apple iPhone is in the middle, at 0.974 w/kg.
What is the range of the radiation?
Exposure to radiation from your cell phone drops off slowly for the first three to four inches from your body, and then it falls dramatically, says Bloomfield. To reduce your exposure, invest in a hands-free headset and limit the amount of time you spend talking on the phone. Khurana recommends using the speaker mode and holding the phone about eight inches away from you. Also, limit your use of Bluetooth devices. While it’s true that they emit the least amount of radiation (one study found they can operate as low as 0.001 watts per kilogram), even that can add up fast.
s it risky to carry a cell phone in your pants pocket?Maybe. One 2006 study found no link to testicular cancer, but other researchers suspect a link to male infertility. Ashok Agarwal, PhD, director of the Center for Reproductive Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, recently completed a study in which cell phones were set down for one hour in talk mode, next to sperm samples in test tubes. He found that the sperm’s motility and viability were significantly reduced, and levels of harmful free radicals increased after exposure. Agarwal suggests storing the phone in your jacket pocket to reduce exposure to cell-phone radiation. Pregnant women need to take precautions too, because a recent study found that cell-phone use while pregnant is linked to behavioral problems in children.
Are kids more at risk?
“Yes, since children’s nervous systems are still developing, and they have thinner scalps and skulls than adults, they should use cell phones only in emergencies,” says Gene Barnett, MD, professor and director of the Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center at the Cleveland Clinic. The association between childhood leukemia and exposure to EMFs like those from cell phones has led the International Agency for Research on Cancer to classify them as a “possible human carcinogen.” The medical establishments in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom all recommend severe restrictions on children’s cell-phone use, with some experts going so far as to say that children under 16 shouldn’t use cell phones at all. Make sure your kids opt for landlines when they’re at home, and if you must buy them a cell phone for emergencies, get one with a low SAR number.
What about texting?
It’s actually a safer way to communicate, says David O. Carpenter, MD, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany. Since kids hold phones away from their bodies when texting, they’re exposed to less radiation than when they have the phones to their ears. “We are very concerned about teen cell-phone use, fearing that we face an epidemic of brain tumors 10 to 20 years from now, and there are so few who are raising warning flags,” says Dr. Carpenter. Make sure your teen keeps his cell phone turned off and stored in his backpack when it isn’t in use, which will dramatically reduce exposure.
The 10 worst cell phones according to their SAR numbers:
| 1. Motorola V195s | 1.6 |
| 2. Motorola Slvr L6 | 1.58 |
| 3. Motorola Slvr L2 | 1.54 |
| 4. Motorola W385 | 1.54 |
| 5. Rim BlackBerry Curve 8330 (Sprint) | 1.54 |
| 6. Rim BlackBerry Curve 8330 (Verizon) | 1.54 |
| 7. Motorola Deluxe ic902 | 1.53 |
| 8. T-Mobile Shadow | 1.53 |
| 9. Motorola i335 | 1.53 |
| 10. Samsung Sync SGH-C417 | 1.51 |
The 10 best cell phones according to their SAR numbers:
| 1. LG KG800 | 0.135 |
| 2. Motorola Razr V3x | 0.14 |
| 3. Nokia 9300 | 0.21 |
| 4. Nokia N90 | 0.22 |
| 5. Samsung SGH-G800 | 0.23 |
| 6. Samsung Sync SGH-A707 | 0.236 |
| 7. Nokia 7390 | 0.26 |
| 8. Samsung SGH-T809 | 0.32 |
| 9. Bang & Olufsen Serene | 0.33 |
| 10. Motorola Razr2 V8 | 0.36 |
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About Myself ... Well My name is Ausaf Ahmad which all you can see I have been working in the field of IT for almost 10 years now and have been through from many ups and downs during my career . Being an Electronics Engineer my passion turned me towards Computers and Alhamdulillah I am very much successful in it . During passing through of mid career transition I have done Masters in Computer Sciences and Masters in Business Administration(Management) . Working for one of the leading Automotive Manufacturing Company of Pakistan as Deputy Manager- MIS . I Have worked intensely on the current market "in products" of the IT industry from Linux to Windows - ERP Implementation Project to Desktop / Service Desk Support Implementation . All have done through shear hard work and the blessing of ALLAH and my Family .. Been Certified on IT Governance, ITIL and CoBIT so currently working on the project related to it .
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Technology has to have minus points also
Yes everything has its plus and minus points .. and i think we should know about them
Ausaf, I just have one question; who sponsored this study?
These are baseless arguments that cell phones cause cancer. The only way a person can have this much radiation from these devices is if the cell phones were affixed in their bodies and even if that was the case, it will take many years for the cancer cells to develop. Please read up on how cancer cells actually develop before spreading fear among people.
Now how many of you have cell phones surgically implanted in your bodies? Okay, this is my second question… sue me…:)
Come on people, please get original with your articles!
It is good to have you here Doctor sahib, thank God!
Salamu Alaikum Aftab Bhai,
I just really ticked when people start rumors, and above all baseless arguments. These rumors of cell phones causing cancer are nothing new and have been around for a long time. Not one patient, I have seen or heard of has actually been a victim of cancer from cell phones. Now if this person shared of the evil of smoking and the harm it causes, yes, no argument. People want to talk about things, that they have no clue about. It is a shame that I had to even read the garbage presented here.
I hope you are well.
Regards
Jenaab! Walaikum Salam. Bhai Sahib, have heart! you know this way you are helping us grow up, finally. I mean someone must take this extra pain and provide this much needed guidance and I am honestly glad to notice you doing this so patiently. Jazaak Allah.
I am sure in his next article / post the author will take his time and do a bit of serious reading / research and come up with some thing of better value. Believe me you are helping.
My dear brother if these are the baseless things then go to the website of MSN and read there …. i do mentioned about the author and site on which i was going through .. i do respect your views . if you have something to share with us on this matter do share with us …….
Dear Aftab bhai, welcome back. How are you and your health? Be in touch and have a nice time. May Allah keep every body safe and relax.
Ausaf,
Please do not take news bits from MSN as an authority on science. Here in the USA, news that comes from MSN, Yahoo and AOL, is for the general masses. The worst that comes out of this is that, patients come running to their doctors and asking these same silly questions. Then patients wonder, why some doctors diagnose them with hypochondria.
Regards
Aftab Bhai, I will see you another time. I must take leave now. I believe I have already started a few fires here today.
Enjoy and have a wonderful day!
Saleem Bhai, you are so kind!
Blessings.
There is no firm evidence to date that RF emissions from cell phones cause ill health. Only you can decide if you can live with the possibility of an unknown risk from cell phone use. If you are concerned, you can reduce your risk by limiting the length of your cell phone calls and using “hands-free” devices that keep cell phones away from your head and body. Also, because of the risk of traffic accidents, do not use your cell phone while driving.
DEAR DR. ALSHAER,
Thanks for the information and your comments , related to the news bits taken from the MSN OR YAHOO OR GOOGLE OR ANY other news source information . Its good to see those kind of information there on those websites and specially for general masses … My dear I want to ask you dont those organizations like MSN /YAHOO/GOOGLE has the social and ethical responsiblity to tell these kind of stuffs to the general masses and i guess they dont publish these kind of information without certain authentication about the use.. They must reconfirm it before giving it on the Internet …… They must have those Alerts in their minds that they might get sued for this kind of information which they published which is not authenticated …….. I am asking you again please do share your knowledge with all of us related to any topic and specially on the above if you have ….
Please ATTENTION
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The one who is a decent can contact me for friendship
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please aap ess website k ghalat use ki bijahay acha use ker sakty so
e.g for making friends
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