Is using cell phones bad for your health?

O using cell phones can be harmful to health? No, as cell phone radiation is emitted at safe levels. Despite this, we do not know the effects of exposure to radiation emitted by these devices over the years.

Cell phones have established themselves in our society as something far beyond a means of communication, as they are used to carry out the most diverse activities and we spend a good part of our days close to their. O electromagnetic signal received and issued by these devices is composed of radio waves, similar to the signal emitted by the broadcasters of radio and television. this is the radiation any lessenergetic of all electromagnetic spectrum, being also considered as a non-ionizing radiation, that is, it is not capable of producing damage at cellular levels.

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Effects of radio waves on the human body

The main effect of the interaction of this type of radiation with matter is the increase gives temperature through a process called dielectric heating

, as do the microwave, the latter being a type of electromagnetic radiation of frequency one littlemorehigh and that, therefore, it is capable of carrying more energy.

At frequencies of the radio waves used by modern cell phones extend between 450 and 2000 MHz (Mega Hertz – 106 Hz), which may vary according to the characteristics of the local network in each country. The most common operating frequencies for mobile telephony are in the range of 800 to 900 MHz.

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SAR: The specific absorption rate

The popularization of mobile telephony gained strength around 1990, a time relatively small to identify the possible effects of exposure to longdeadline to radio waves. Therefore, there are safety standards to be followed when building radio wave receivers and transmitters. The level SAR (specific absorption rate) measures how much radiation is absorbed when a cell phone placed next to the ear originates a call, emanating your potencymaximum. O SAR of cell phones cannot exceed 4 W/kg (Watts per kilogram), since during an interval of 30 minutes, radiations of this intensity are capable of raising the average temperature of the human body by more than 1°C and affect your ability to thermoregulation, may cause effectsirreversible the health.

For this reason, modern cell phones have levels SAR well below the limit. Some of the latest models leave the factory with levels SAR in between 0.6 W/kg and 1.55 W/kg.

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How can we protect ourselves from the radiation emitted by cell phones?

One of the ways to protect yourself from radio waves is avoid the use prolonged from the phone, switch between the speakerphone and the handset's own phone when possible and opt for certified handsets that have low emission levels SAR.
By Rafael Hellerbrock
Graduated in Physics

Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:

HELERBROCK, Rafael. "Is the use of cell phones bad for your health?"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/fisica/uso-celulares-faz-mal-saude.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.

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