Radiation is energy that comes from a source and travels through space and may be able to penetrate various materials. Light, radio, and microwaves are types of radiation that are called nonionizing. The kind of radiation discussed in this document is called ionizing radiation because it can produce charged particles (ions) in matter.
Ionizing radiation is produced by unstable atoms. Unstable atoms differ from stable atoms because unstable atoms have an excess of energy or mass or both. Radiation can also be produced by high-voltage devices (e.g., x-ray machines).
Atoms with unstable nuclei are said to be radioactive. In order to reach stability, these atoms give off or emit, the excess energy or mass. These emissions are called radiation. The kinds of radiation are electromagnetic (like light) and particulate (i.e., mass given off with the energy of motion). Gamma radiation and x rays are examples of electromagnetic radiation. Gamma radiation originates in the nucleus while x rays come from the electronic part of the atom. Beta and alpha radiation are examples of particulate radiation.
Interestingly, there is a "background" of natural radiation everywhere (ubiquitous) in our environment. Ubiquitous background radiation comes from space (i.e., cosmic rays) and from naturally occurring radioactive materials contained in the earth and in living things.
Want to know what mobile phone radiation is and whether or not you need to worry about it? Our guide will tell you all you need to know.
As any A-Level scientist will tell you, there are various types of radiation. But this isn't the time or place to get into the physics of atoms, neutrons and protons, so we'll offer a catch-all definition that keeps things simple.
Radiation and your mobile
The type of radiation emitted from mobile phones is electromagnetic radiation. It's present in mobiles because they use radio frequency (RF) waves to make and receive calls.
Mobile phone radiation doses are considered to be very small as the emissions are low power (short range).
Nevertheless, there are ways in which you can reduce exposure to these waves.
What are the dangers of mobile phones?
Despite extensive research on the subject, there has been no conclusive evidence that using a mobile phone causes long term harmful effects in humans.
The pace of mobile phone technology is advancing at a far quicker pace than the research required into the potential harm they can cause; much more research is needed (and is being undertaken) before we can know for certain the effects they have on human health.
Studies have shown that exposure to the RF waves emitted from mobiles can cause:
- Slightly raised blood pressure at the time of use, pressure returning to normal when use is stopped (to put this into perspective, our blood pressure changes regularly throughout the day and is even affected by tasks such as speaking)
- Direct brain warming after prolonged use, which disperses as soon as you stop using your phone and causes no harm
- Mild fatigue after prolonged use
- A recent study in Sweden suggested that acoustic neuromas (benign tumours of the acoustic nerve) are twice as common in mobile phone users than in those who do not use mobiles. There is no evidence that using a mobile phone causes:
- Tumours
- Memory impairment
- Cancer
- Brain damage
- Foetal damage
The health risk is considered to be very, very small, although some individuals may be more susceptible to radiation than others.
Whilst it's true that excessive exposure to RF waves causes heat to be generated, the spoof claims you may have heard about being able to cook an egg using a mobile phone are entirely false.
Nevertheless, mobiles do emit low doses of radiation so common sense dictates that precaution should be taken when using them.
How can I avoid phone radiation while sleeping?
This is the distance that should exist between you and your phone when you're about to sleep
Research has proven that keeping your phone close at night can be hazardous, but how far away should it be?
Your cell phone should be away from you when you're about to sleep
Sleeping next to your phone is a great way to be sure you’ll never miss a call, text, or email; however, you want to keep it away because of the danger it poses.
If your cell phone is near your head, under the pillow, or on the nightstand, you might want to find another place to keep it during the night. Why is this? The closer your phone is to you at night, the more effect it has on your health. You might be asking yourself how far should it be.
Your phone should be
at least three feet away
from your bed to limit exposure to radiofrequency energy. If you need to use your phone as an alarm, turn on airplane mode to prevent it from sending or receiving calls and text messages. During the day, carry your phone in a purse or bag, rather than in your pocket. This prevents you from being exposed to a higher level of radiation.
Why should you keep it way?
Your cell phone should be at least three metres away from you
Cell phones emit radio frequency energy, which is a form of radiation when they communicate with network towers. The radiation is supposedly harmless; however, having a phone next to your head regularly may cause headaches and trouble sleeping. Exposure is far greater when the phone is next to your head than it is a few feet away. Even if it’s just sitting there, not currently being used but connected to a network, it still emits a small amount of radiation.
If you sleep with your cell phone, it’s possible to roll on top of it during the night. The device doesn’t get enough airflow and quickly heats up, possibly causing damage to the battery. Having the phone under the pillow during the night can potentially lead to a fire.
Cell phones emit blue light, which tricks your brain into thinking that it’s daytime. As you prepare for bed, the brain releases melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep cycles. Blue light affects these levels and throws off your sleeping pattern. This can lead to headaches, poor vision, and restless nights.
The mobile phone is omnipresent in our lives and is totally addictive. We use it to not only communicate with one another but also to chat, play games, see movies, read, follow news and so much more. We know and recognise it as a tool that has revolutionised how we communicate.
However, there is a lot of concern about the impact of mobile radiation on human health. Many doctors, researchers, and scientists all over the world suggest precautions to reduce the level of radiation you absorb from using your mobile phone. Cellphone manufacturers also have the warnings in their fine print.
Let us look at some of the major health issues caused by phone radiation:
- Fertility and reproduction: Prolonged exposure to radio frequencies (RF) has a negative impact on fertility and many researchers have associated RF with reduced sperm count, motility, and concentration.
- Neurotoxic effects: Prolonged exposure to wireless can reduce brain cells, causing brain cell death in the memory and learning centres of the brain. Cellphone radiations also alter brain activity in humans.
- Cognition and impaired memory: Many research papers have demonstrated that wireless signals can damage cognitive abilities such as learning, memory, attention and reaction.
- Hearing loss: Excessive use of mobile phones can result in high-frequency hearing loss and inner ear damage. Studies have also shown a significant risk of tumors on the auditory nerve in the brain.
Do Not Sleep With Your Smartphone
A study from Stanford University found that 75% of the 200 students surveyed slept with their cell phones next to them on a nightstand or under their pillow. Almost three-quarters of 18 to 44 year olds sleep with their phones within reach, according to a 2012 Time/Qualcomm poll. The odds are that you and most people you know are sleeping with smartphones.
Smartphones can be useful at night to send a text, check the time, set an alarm, look at the calendar, use as a flashlight, read a book, and so much more. However, does the small radiation that the phone emits warrant concern? Here’s some compelling evidence as to why sleeping with a smartphone may keep you from being your best the next day.
Why You Should Not Sleep Near Your Smartphone
Mobile phones use electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range. Sleeping with a phone nearby boosts your radiation exposure just a bit, which can prevent an optimal sleep cycle? Smartphones affect deep non-REM sleep, which leaves less time for blood flow to be directed to your muscles. Therefore in the morning, you may experience lack of concentration, soreness, and focused performance.
“Anything that disrupts the integrity of your sleep will potentially have adverse consequences in functioning during the day, such as grouchiness, difficulty concentrating, and in children hyperactivity and behaviour problems,” says Dr. William Kohler of the Florida Sleep Institute.
Five ninth-grade girls from Denmark observed these very consequences and noticed they couldn’t concentrate the morning after sleeping with their phones. So they performed a science experiment: Take 400 cress seeds (edible herb related to watercress) and split them into 12 trays, placing the trays in two rooms at the same temperature, six in each room. Give the trays the same amount of water and sunlight for 12 days, but expose six of the trays to mobile phone radiation. The girls had WiFi routers emit the same level of electromagnetic energy as a cell phone.
As you can see, the results are dramatic. The plants in the non-electromagnified room grew, while those situated next to the routers didn’t grow at all or died.
“None of us sleep with our mobile phones at our bedside anymore. Either we keep them at a distance or in another room,” said one of the students.
Taking Precautions with Cell Phone Radiation
Two years ago, the International Agency for Research on Cancer rated smartphones as “group 2B”, which means they may cause cancer in humans (study here – subscription required). Mobile phones are still a relatively new technology, so it will still take years to fully understand what, if any, adverse side effects cell phone radiation will have. Let’s take the “better safe than sorry” approach and take a few precautions:
If you must keep your phone nearby for a morning alarm or clock, put the phone on “airplane mode”, which will shut down the transceiver.
If you need to be on call and can’t put the phone in airplane mode, at least put the phone a couple feet away from your bed.
Text instead of talking whenever possible. Use a speakerphone, or a Bluetooth headphone device, instead of holding the phone to your ear whenever possible.
Try an experiment if you sleep with your smartphone. Put it in another room for a week, and don’t look at it immediately before bed. See if you notice any significant change in your mornings and please report back your findings.
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