How mobile phones harm human health. Cell phone: benefits and harms

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Electromagnetic radiation from cellular communications. Truth and fiction.

1. First, let’s get acquainted with the concepts encountered when assessing the factor “electromagnetic radiation” (hereinafter referred to as EMR) in professional activities to which I have some connection (a certified medical expert in a medical and preventive profile):

1.1. MPL (maximum permissible level) is a factor level established and approved by the state, the excess of which leads to diseases. For cellular communication facilities in Russia, a PDU has been approved - 10 μW/cm2 for stationary devices and 100 μW/cm2 for subscriber devices of mobile land communications, directly at the user’s head.

If you adhere to a different point of view, you can safely close the page; you will not need the information.

1.2. Cellular EMR frequency is 850/900/1800/1900 MHz.

1.3. The restricted development zone is a spherical space created by electromagnetic radiation from base stations, the outer boundaries of which are an EMR level equal to the maximum permissible level. The placement of residential and other facilities with people inside the restricted development zones is prohibited.

1.4. Sanitary protection zone is a zone exceeding the EMR maximum limit, created by electromagnetic radiation from base stations at a height of 2 m from the ground surface. The placement of residential and other facilities with people inside sanitary protection zones is prohibited.

Electromagnetic radiation in the frequency range from 300 MHz to 300 GHz is characterized by: changes in the functions of cellular and humoral immunity (their suppression), development of cancer (gliomas, etc.), endocrine dysfunctions, reversible and irreversible chromosomal aberrations, etc. A reliable relationship between the development of diseases is associated with three components of EMR: frequency, power, exposure time. The higher the frequency and the higher the power, the more pronounced the damaging biological effect. The longer the exposure time, the more pronounced the dose load. This means that diseases from EMR from cellular communications have the same dependence as from the well-known gamma radiation. For both factors, the exposure dose of radiation is important, i.e. the total radiation power over a certain period of time.

The radiation power of cell phones varies and the fact that it can exceed the remote control either constantly or periodically during a conversation is proven by measurements taken by me and my colleagues (the reasons are different, including depending on the manufacturer, year of manufacture of the phone, settings, quality of network operation base stations). Peak levels differ several times (sometimes up to a dozen) from the average (5 μW/cm2 – 60 μW/cm2). Since the vast majority of people do not instrumentally check the EMR levels of their phone, we draw a banal conclusion: a cell phone is a source of harmful EMR radiation (the principle of doctors: “it’s better to overdo it than to underdo it”).

I see publications on the Internet that cellular phones emit EMR with a power of 1 W and higher, WITHOUT DECODING THIS INDICATOR IN RELATION TO THE UNITS OF STANDARD MEASUREMENT. This power is comparable to a small base station if it is applied to Russian remote control systems (10 μW/cm2 for stationary devices and 100 μW/cm2 for land mobile subscriber devices). PEOPLE CONFUSE THE INDICATORS: effective radiated power - µW/cm2 (Russian indicator) and the SAR level (absorbed energy, W/kg per second) for which the standard actually approaches 1 W (no more than 0.8 W; previously the standard was 2 W thermal energy per 1 kg of “living tissue” per second, for Europe).

It is not realistic to give up cell phones at present, so it is important to reduce the dose load when using them. The recommendations are banal:

1. When talking on a cell phone, use a headset (headphones) or speakerphone, if the situation allows, keep the phone at a distance from your body. Know that the intensity (power) of radiation is inversely proportional to the square of the distance.

2. While dialing (waiting for connection), do not bring the phone to your head.

3. Reduce cell phone talk time. If you have the opportunity to call a landline phone, do not miss this opportunity.

4. When buying a phone, be interested in information about the SAR level; the lower it is “0.8”, the better.

And now about the topic of placement of cellular base stations and their influence.

In my practice, there have been repeated cases of unfair placement of base stations by cellular operators. Let's start with the most common situations:
1. Placement of additional equipment and antennas to legally existing base stations, without taking into account the total radiation power of existing and installed new equipment. Such installation of additional equipment requires the development of design documentation with the calculation of EMR levels and the definition of restricted development zones and sanitary protection zones. Subsequently, calculations must be confirmed by field measurements of EMR levels.
2. Placement of new multi-storey residential buildings without taking into account existing base stations. At the stage of land allotment, Administrations of municipalities do not take into account the radiation of existing antennas (as a rule, there is no information, or such information is not requested), the reason is that the legislation has changed, in light of which, at the stage of land allotment, the examination of pre-design materials by Rospotrebnadzor authorities was excluded.
3. At the stage of engineering and environmental surveys and development of design documentation, designers hide information about the presence of base stations in the vicinity of the designed high-rise buildings. Project documentation is examined without taking into account the existing electromagnetic environment.

The levels of influence of base stations are characterized by the following values averaged by me (based on my experience) and depend, of course, on the amount of equipment, its power, and antenna characteristics; I’ll make a reservation - these are average statistical values and this is not a dogma: the radiation of cellular antennas depends on their characteristics and has both a circular direction and a sector direction (much more often); the length of the electromagnetic lobe with a level exceeding the maximum permissible limit (10 μW/cm2) varies on average from 30 meters to 70-80 meters (sometimes reaching 120 meters). The lower boundary of the horizontal axis coming from the center of radiation is usually 2 - 4 meters below the axis (sometimes 6 meters).

Advice: if you see antennas of cellular base stations located approximately at the level of the windows of your apartment (for example, on the roof of a neighboring house) at a distance of 100 m or less, it makes sense to think about measuring the EMR energy flux density. Measurements must be carried out by an accredited laboratory, without informing the owner of the base station equipment and Rospotrebnadzor authorities (at the first stage). If excesses are identified, feel free to submit a complaint and copies of research protocols (the originals are in your hands) to the territorial Rospotrebnadzor. Communication with supervisory authorities and asserting your rights is a separate topic.
In my practice, there have been cases when equipment was turned off while EMR control measurements were being carried out (by law, the owner of the equipment must be informed in advance), accordingly, the radiation decreased and the results were not reliable.

Since the mobile phone has taken the place of an ordinary and even obligatory item for adults and children in our everyday life, a kind of Must Have device, attentive users and scientists have compared some facts and raised the question of its safety. And this is not surprising: a modern person does not part with his mobile phone even in bed; a huge number of men, women and even children sleep with a mobile phone under their pillow! And even more so they spend the whole day in his company. A family gathered at home in the evening consists of 3-5 people and the same number of telephones: at least one for each adult and child who has reached the age of at least 5-6 years.

But is it safe? Let's find out what the effect of the phone on the human body is: what exactly does it emit, what organs and systems of our body it affects, what it leads to, and most importantly - how to protect yourself from it?

Phone radiation - what is it?

The radiation from the phone is electromagnetic, these are microwave waves that are absorbed by the human body when using the gadget. The maximum specific power of this radiation is measured using SAR (Specific Absorption Rate), and all manufacturers must indicate this indicator among the characteristics of their products. Basically, modern phones have SAR at a level of 0.5 to 1 watt per kilogram, and the maximum permissible value adopted in the USA is 1.6 W/kg, in Europe - 2 W/kg.

Please note that when drawing up the standards for maximum permissible values, the characteristics of operation at maximum power were used. However, in reality, most of the time the phone operates in standby mode, that is, at the minimum power. Yes, even in this mode, the phone periodically sends and receives data from the base station, but this lasts literally half a second.

The next level of power is the operation of the phone in talk mode. In addition, it is at this time that we put the phone to our ear, that is, we bring it as close as possible to all vital organs: the brain, eyes, ears, heart (the latter happens to those who keep the phone in their breast pocket and at the same time use a headset).

The maximum power in the phone's radiation is in the mode of transmitting and receiving data via GPRS/EGDE or 3G protocols (when the phone is used as a modem for free access to the Internet from anywhere, wherever the owner of the gadget is located). If you use your phone to “surf” the Internet, place it on the table, and not on your knees or stomach, as many are used to.

The impact of cell phones on human health: who is at risk?

Experts have still not reached a consensus on whether mobile phones are harmful or not. Experiments and theoretical calculations on this topic have become a fashionable trend, grants are readily given for them, research is sponsored by both phone manufacturers and their opponents, and therefore there is a lot of information in the public domain (over 10 thousand works, as Wikipedia tells us), but all of it basically too controversial to be able to confidently say about the unequivocal harm or complete harmlessness of cell phones.

The truth, as usual, lies in the middle: the more we talk on the phone and “sit” on the Internet, the greater the negative effect it has, especially since it has a cumulative property, that is, the consequences accumulate in the body.

If you are a healthy and active person who does not tend to spend hours talking and online, since there is something to do without it, and you only need your phone at certain times for communication, it will do you more good than harm. But if you are at risk, then you should very soberly evaluate the pros and cons in order to make the most of the advantages and minimize all the negative aspects. The same applies to those who literally “live” on their phone, never letting it go for a minute, constantly talking or communicating on the Internet.

For whom is the harm of cell phones especially relevant? There are several vulnerable groups of people:

heart patients (especially those with implanted pacemakers);
women expecting a child;
children under adolescence (the younger, the more susceptible they are to radiation from the phone);
suffering from disorders of the central nervous system (neuroses, psychasthenia, epilepsy);
persons with mental disorders;
people with weakened immunity, with low protective abilities of the body.

Moreover, it is necessary to say something about children separately. They are much more vulnerable than adults: their skulls are smaller, their skull bones are thinner, and their tissues are more conductive, so their brains absorb at least twice as much energy from cell phone radiation. In addition, the main body systems that are affected by phone radiation are in the stage of growth and formation, which means that the risk of disrupting these processes is high. And most importantly, children grow up surrounded by mobile phones, they literally use them from birth (because if a mother feeds her baby and at the same time talks or communicates on the Internet, the baby is also exposed to radiation). And what the consequences will be, no one knows yet, because the generation of children who have not lived a minute of their lives outside the electromagnetic fields located throughout the apartment have not yet grown up and have not acquired their own offspring. We are talking about the negative impact of radiation on adults, but at least they managed to grow up in a “clean” environment. How the current situation will affect the health of children who grow up - only time will tell.

What's in the crosshairs: the body as a target for radiation

What exactly is negatively affected by phone radiation in our body? So far, the WHO identifies it only as a “possibly carcinogenic” factor for human exposure. This conclusion was made based on the final report of the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2011 (the study was conducted for 12 years). The negative impact on the body is noted not so much during telephone conversations, but as a result of the accumulation of these consequences over many years.

Also, scientists from the University of Essex have proven the negative impact of phones on the sphere of human communication. Actually, this fact is obvious even without evidence: since mobile phones have become an integral part of our lives, the ability to communicate “live” is falling catastrophically, especially among children and teenagers who can no longer imagine communicating without them.

All other spheres of influence of radiation from phones are considered controversial, and it is certainly a myth that some “radiation from a phone” is harmful (unless you went with it to a contaminated area). However, we provide you with information with arguments for and against - but the decision is up to you.

Brain. Many researchers have attempted to establish a connection between the use of mobile phones and the occurrence of brain cancer due to long-term exposure to electromagnetic fields. However, a clear correlation (as, for example, when assessing the relationship between smoking and cancer) is not observed. However, from the moment a person starts talking on a mobile phone, scientists note a decrease in the alpha rhythm and theta rhythm of the bioelectrical activity of the brain in a person (however, this factor has a significant effect only during long conversations, more than 20 minutes).
Hearing. Long-term (many hours in a row) use of mobile phones reduces hearing. However, whether radiation is to blame for this, or whether there is too much load on the hearing organs, has not yet been objectively proven. Heating is also noted in the outer and inner ear and the area of the brain closest to them (but whether the heating occurs due to radiation, or due to the combined operation of all components of the phone is also not yet known for certain).
Vision. Under the influence of the electromagnetic field created by the phone, the blood supply to the eye deteriorates, which means that the tissues receive less oxygen and nutrients, which can lead to clouding of the lens. In addition, by constantly looking at small text and pictures on small gadget screens, people overload their eye muscles, which can result in blurred vision and headaches.
Heart. Research into the effects of mobile phones on the human body began when users in the UK with heart disease began to complain of heart pain. The reason was that in the early days of cell phones, it was fashionable to carry them in the breast pocket (many still do so) - that is, in close proximity to the heart, which was already having problems. Currently, patients wearing pacemakers are strongly advised not to use mobile phones at all.
Potency. Disturbances in this area are closely related to changes in the nervous and endocrine systems under the influence of electromagnetic radiation, however, there are also specific aspects: information overload, preoccupation with affairs and problems to which your mobile phone constantly “ties you”, the inability to fully relax and get distracted do not allow men to tune in on pleasure and intimacy, and thereby contributes to a decrease in potency.
Reproductive function. With prolonged active use of mobile phones by men (more than 4 hours a day), the number of motile sperm in their semen decreases and their quality deteriorates. Such negative consequences occur even when simply carrying the phone in standby mode in a trouser pocket or in a case that is attached to the front of the belt. For women, the influence of electromagnetic radiation is also significant: they increase the risk of spontaneous abortions with intensive constant use during pregnancy, so it is better to minimize the use of this gadget while expecting a baby.
Dream. Even in standby mode, a mobile phone negatively affects the rapid and slow phases of sleep, changing their depth and duration. This is why it is not recommended to place your phone under your pillow at night.
Nervous system. WHO states a connection between the occurrence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease in old age with exposure to electromagnetic radiation, but there is no convincing information about whether the phone's power is sufficient for such a side effect. But in case of epilepsy, the use of mobile phones is really recommended only in extreme cases, since the radiation from phones changes the electrical activity of the brain and can provoke an attack.
Cognitive sphere (cognitive function). Whether electromagnetic radiation from phones has a negative impact on a person’s ability to understand the world is unknown. However, constant conversations and “surfing” on the Internet simply do not leave time to understand the world around us. This is especially true for children and teenagers, so parents should think three times about the need for a gadget for their child. Here the negative impact is really visible, although radiation most likely has nothing to do with it - it’s the very essence and capabilities of phones that replace the real world.
Reaction, attention and ability to concentrate. The number of accidents that occur due to the fault of drivers or pedestrians concentrating on communicating on a mobile phone is enormous. That is why in many countries around the world the law prohibits talking on a mobile phone while driving. The number of deaths caused by this cause makes it mandatory to include it in the list of “influencing factors”.
Psyche in general. There is also a deterioration in memory and attention, resistance to stress, accumulation of fatigue and irritability, and the appearance of headaches. However, is it really the radiation that has this effect, or is it the total consequences of the overload of information that a mobile phone supplies us with? There are no clear studies.

Radiation protection: how to reduce the burden on the body

As you can see, the influence of the telephone on the human body is significant. But how to reduce radiation, are there any methods of protection? Let's discuss.

When choosing a phone, choose the model with the lowest SAR ratings among the options considered.
Use your mobile phone more outdoors than indoors.
In buildings, the best place to talk on a cell phone is by the window.
In a car, the radiation level will also be higher, so try not to use your phone on the road too much (and if you are a driver, then not only common sense, but also traffic rules require this of you).
In those places where the signal is weakest (for example, in the subway, in underground passages, outside the city), the phone has to work at maximum power to ensure communication, so it emits much stronger. Hence the conclusion: if the phone “barely catches”, it is better not to use it unless absolutely necessary.
When using the phone, do not cover the antenna with your hand; hold it by the bottom.
It is best to carry your phone not in pockets (of any kind), but in a bag or briefcase, preferably with the display facing you (and therefore the antenna away from you).
When there is a call, do not bring the phone to your ear - this is the peak of its power, start listening only after the connection is established.
Do not lean the phone close to the skin - just a centimeter of distance reduces radiation absorption by about 4 times.
You can use headphones (hands free headset) as a “lesser evil,” but hands-free communication is much safer: in this case, you do not have to lean any radiation sources directly against yourself and bring them closer to vulnerable areas - the brain, organs of hearing and vision. Therefore, wherever you can afford it, prefer this particular option for using a mobile phone.
Don’t talk for a long time: any urgent problem can be solved in 10-15 minutes, and if you need more time, a personal meeting will be both more effective and useful.
Give preference to SMS messages: they are much safer.
If you use your phone to access the Internet, do not abuse it, in this mode it emits at maximum power.
Turn off your phone at night and don't put it under your pillow. Well, if you are afraid of oversleeping, then keep in mind that the alarm clock goes off even when the device is turned off: as long as you reach the place where it lies to remove the signal, you are guaranteed to wake up.
If you do not want to interfere with radiation from other people (your children, for example), when talking, move away at least half a meter.
In places where provider repeater antennas are installed, it is better not to buy an apartment: they emit a powerful signal that is very difficult to shield.
People at risk (especially pregnant women, heart patients and children) are not recommended to use the phone unless absolutely necessary.
Remember that any “protective” cases and stickers on phones protect you from radiation by no more than the power of your imagination and gullibility: do not become victims of scammers who sell similar products on the Internet. Better use all the recommendations that we gave you above - they are much more effective.

Modern sensible people understand that a complete rejection of phones in our society is impossible: even if you throw away all your gadgets, every day you will inevitably find yourself next to people who use them, so “life without phones” is only possible far from civilization.

But how intensively and competently you will use your mobile phone, how significantly you will put your own body at risk, depends entirely on you. We hope our review will help you maintain your health and reduce the harm and negative impact of a mobile phone on human health to a minimum. Good luck!

Smartphones have become an integral part of our lives; without them it is difficult to imagine our existence. It is no longer just a media hub through which we consume most of the content, but also a means of work for many. And today we learn not about how wonderful our smartphones are, but about how they harm us.

Thanks to smartphones, we waste too much time, just think about how many times you go to social networks, Instagram, VKontakte, Twitter and Facebook accounts simply eat up your time in droves. In fact, 90% of the content on social networks is absolutely useless. You give the best years of your life to funny films.

Despite the constant increase in screen diagonal, their size still forces the user to hold the display quite close to his eyes. The effect of smartphones on vision impairment has been scientifically proven. Research has found that people's vision overall has deteriorated by 35% since 1997, when smartphones first began to enter our lives. Myopia has now begun to develop more often among us.

When reading from a smartphone for a long time, your eyes get tired, because the backlight is located behind the screen and is directed directly into your eyes. For long and comfortable reading, it is better to use electronic readers that have special screens, the so-called E Ink electronic paper.

Pay attention to the behavior of people in companies. You can often observe how groups of people sitting at a table in a cafe or on a bench in a park, instead of communicating live with each other, stare at their smartphones. I don’t consider the loss of communication culture a big problem among young people and I won’t say that things were better before.

Rather, our communication online only vaguely resembles us in real life. In real life, we don’t have time to prepare; we can’t answer a question in 10–15 minutes and appear smarter than we actually are using Google. Our real life can be radically different from the one we lead online. The most avid Instagram users show signs of narcissistic personality disorder, expressed in an overly inflated sense of self-importance, a constant need to post about themselves, and a need for others' approval and admiration.

People develop a dependence on likes, the absence of which causes stress, however, beautiful photos often hide fragile self-esteem and many complexes.

Mental disorders from a smartphone

Phantom vibrating phone syndrome, that's what it's called. If you have ever felt this, then know that medicine regards this as one of the branches of obsessive-compulsive disorder. You can also safely include the imaginary ringing syndrome, when users allegedly hear their ringtone or a signal about an incoming message. But the peak of the problem is considered to be dependence on a smartphone, the so-called namophobia, that is, the fear of being left without a mobile phone.

This is not yet the worst harm a smartphone can do to you. Modern mobile phones are jam-packed with wireless communication modules. This is Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and many other gadgets. And all these are essentially radio waves.

The Internet is full of articles that both refute the harm of radio waves and confirm it. Perhaps this is paranoia, but I adhere to this position: mobile operators and smartphone manufacturers around the world are quite a powerful force, which in theory could influence the results of research on the dangers of mobile phones and lobby for their interests financially, and it is better to be wary of smartphone radiation.

And here's a fun fact: most microwave ovens use radio waves with a frequency of 2450 MHz to heat food. Now let's remember at what frequencies most telecom operators operate in 3G and 4G standards. In the CIS, the most popular frequencies among operators are from 1800MHz to 2700MHz, but most often it is 2400MHz. We are simply irradiated from everywhere.

Our heads don't explode from talking on the phone for one simple reason, because of the radiation power of mobile phones. If a microwave oven uses radiation up to 800 W, then a smartphone uses it several hundred times less.

There is an indicator by which the harmfulness of smartphone radiation is determined; it is measured in Watts per kilogram of weight, it is called SAR. This stands for the specific absorption coefficient of electromagnetic radiation by the human body. In the European Union, radiation is considered acceptable at a level of two W/Kg, and in the USA it is 1.6 W/Kg. Smartphone manufacturers indicate the SAR in their smartphones and it can be easily found in the device specification. In fact, almost all modern smartphones emit very little radiation, about 0.2 W/Kg, which is about 10 times lower than normal. But I repeat, the safety of even such small radiation over the course of decades has not yet been proven.

The screen of a smartphone can have a bad effect not only on vision, the light emitted by it can lead to a malfunction in a person’s biological clock. The body has a mechanism called the circadian rhythm, which is sensitive to the temperature of the surrounding light. At sunset, the light has a warm red hue, this color gives a command to the circadian rhythm and it starts the sleep process in the body. At dawn, cold or blue shades of light predominate, by which the body understands that it is time to switch to wakefulness mode.

Smartphones, with the constant light from their screens, disrupt our biorhythm and this leads not only to insomnia. There is a risk of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, kidney disease and even cancer. In fact, the problem is very underestimated and few people know about it.

But it’s good that manufacturers have begun to realize it and introduce a mode into their firmware in which the screens gradually switch to warm shades in the evening. Thereby simulating natural lighting at sunset.

But the last danger that awaits you is bacteria. Did you know that your smartphone contains 18 times more bacteria than a public toilet? Researchers at the University of Surrey have found that the surface of the average smartphone is inhabited by quite dangerous organisms, ranging from common E. coli to dangerous Staphylococcus aureus.

This pathogen is very dangerous, as it is resistant to many antibiotics; it can cause furunculosis, pneumonia, meningitis and even sepsis. Tests have shown that the average mobile phone carries 18 times more bacteria than a public toilet flush handle. But even toilets are washed and disinfected several times a day.

Have you ever cleaned your smartphone with saline solution? Remember that even if your gadget looks clean, this does not mean that there are no bacteria on it, after all, you use your smartphone everywhere and always. That's all, take care of yourself and your gadgets and, most importantly, look after your health.

About the influence of mobile communications on our lives or Cell phone - friend or foe

According to medical statistics, people are increasingly turning to doctors because they are worried about headaches, skin rashes, ear pain, poor vision, nausea and dizziness. It is worth noting that all people today use mobile phones and cellular communications. We have already found out from previous materials that with prolonged exposure to EMFs on a person, his memory, sexual activity, immunity deteriorate, and fatigue and stress increase sharply.

With all the conveniences of mobile communications, this modern technological device (mobile phone) manifests itself as hostile to human health. Of course, when buying a mobile phone, we will definitely find certificates and papers in it that refute this negative impact. But, let's not forget - we live in an age of commerce and business. And companies - mobile phone manufacturers - need to sell in order to make a profit.

How do cell phones and mobile communications affect human health?

Independent studies at medical centers have found a direct link between chronic cell phone use and the occurrence of a brain tumor in such a person.

Medical researchers from Foggy Albion have concluded: after just 6 minutes of talking on a mobile phone, the skin temperature (in the head area next to the phone) increases by 2-3 degrees. Moreover, the properties of the air inhaled through the nose somehow change; it becomes less suitable for healthy saturation of the body with oxygen.

In Germany, experts have identified another type of impact of cell phones on the human body - when using the phone blood pressure increases. Also, prolonged use of cellular communications can impair kidney function..

Cell phone radiation affects the red blood cells in the blood. This is a harmful effect, because if you weaken the electrical properties of blood cells, this will affect the functioning of many organs, and first of all, the kidneys.

The influence of a cell phone on children is even more merciless...

Cell phones have an even more aggressive and merciless effect on children. The main problem here is that in children (compared to adults), the body and, in particular, the immune system that protects it are not yet fully formed.

Any sane person today no longer doubts that a mobile phone negatively affects human health. First of all, this influence means "active" radiation from a mobile device, that is, when the phone is operating in “receive-transmit” mode. It was in this mode that studies were conducted on the effects of electromagnetic radiation on the human brain and his body as a whole.

If you don't make phone calls, is there any harm from a mobile phone?

But these are not all the problems that a mobile phone gives us. In standby mode, the cell phone also emits radiation. But it creates “non-thermal”, that is, “informational” EMFs. Such an impact also cannot be neutral, or even more so, beneficial for a person. Therefore, keep this thing as far away from you as possible. Don't put your phone by your bed (or under your pillow) while you sleep.

How can you help reduce the radiation from a phone to a person?

We remember from the physics course that radiation of an electromagnetic nature has a radial distribution. This makes it difficult to reduce the negative effects of radiation on the human body. Yes, you can put your mobile phone in the pan and close the lid. But along with harmful radiation, cellular communications will also disappear.

What is the radiation power of a mobile phone?

Modern mobile phones can automatically change the radiation power depending on environmental conditions. So, from 0.2 to 2 watts, the radiation power of a mobile phone can change.

In standby mode, the phone actually emits a minimum signal strength. But what if you are traveling in the subway or elevator? Or you simply live in a building with thick walls (monolith) - then the connection may be lost due to which the phone will automatically emit a much stronger signal. This duration of work can be 4-5 hours a day.

At the same time, the phone is still in close proximity to a person for many many years. This cannot but leave a negative impact on human health.

And yet, the phone most strongly affects a person in its active mode, and the brain cells are primarily exposed to this effect.

Mobile phones emit EMFs that are harmful to the brain

The human brain functions using microcurrents that transmit signals. It is also well supplied with blood for its functioning. An interesting fact: despite the fact that the brain makes up approximately 2% of the body's weight, in its calm state it requires 20% oxygen and 60% glucose.

The human brain is the most important organ that coordinates the vital functions and metabolic processes of the entire organism. These processes occur due to the generation of temporary electronic impulses in the body, which form bioelectric circuits in the tissues and organs of the body.

While talking on a mobile phone, we are exposed to a radiation source on the brain, resulting in a negative impact on the main functionality of the brain - thought processes. It also interferes with the transmission of signals throughout all organs of the body.

Such exposure to radiation from a mobile phone on the human brain can lead to irreversible processes that interfere with the normal functioning and activity of the brain. Memory may deteriorate, attention may wander, irritability may increase, and stress may occur.

In the continuation of my work, I will talk about methods of protection against exposure to radiation from a mobile phone.
If you have any questions, ask in the comments, I will answer.

You and I are so accustomed to always “being in touch” that we don’t even remember and don’t want to remember how we lived 20 years ago without this very connection. We stood in lines at telephone booths, always had two kopecks in our pockets, and knew the phone numbers of friends and colleagues by heart. But technological progress got us hooked on cellular communications, and now literally everyone uses mobile phones, from first-graders to pensioners. But is everything so good and safe? Isn't there a great danger hidden in a small device for us and, first of all, for our children?

To whom do we owe the appearance of the mobile phone?

In the 30s of the 20th century, the Detroit police first tried to use one- and then two-way telephone mobile radio communications to transmit information. During the Great Patriotic War, in 1943, the Soviet electrical engineer and inventor Babat G.I. created and tested the “great-grandfather” of the modern mobile phone – a monophone that works wirelessly.

In 1946, Soviet engineers Shapiro and Zakharchenko and, in parallel with them, the American company Bell Laboratories tested radiotelephone communications from a car. In 1947, the Americans developed the operating principle of mobile telephony - hexagonal cells. And in 1957, Moscow engineer Kupriyanovich L.I. introduced to his compatriots the first telephone that could be carried with you, and a base station for it. It weighed almost 3 kg, worked within a radius of up to 30 kilometers without changing batteries during the day.

Thus began the era of mobile phones. In Russia, cellular communications became firmly established in 1991, when the Delta Telecom company was created in St. Petersburg.

What is SAR and what is it for?

Modern mobile phones have become completely different. They are light, beautiful, compact, multifunctional. Only one thing has not changed: the “mobile phone” was and remains a source of electromagnetic radiation dangerous to humans. Since mobile communications cannot be taken and erased from the life of modern society, it became necessary to clearly (in numerical terms) explain to people that there are dangerous cell phones, and there are very dangerous ones. In order to assess the harmful effects of mobile phones on the body, a special indicator was introduced - the specific absorption rate of electromagnetic energy (SAR). It shows how much electromagnetic field energy (in Watts) was absorbed by one kilogram of the human body in one second.

SAR- this is the first thing you need to ask when buying a new cell phone, looking at the instructions included with it. If the SAR does not exceed 0.2 W/kg, the phone has a very low irradiating ability. If this indicator falls within the range of 0.2–0.5 W/kg, it is low, and if it is more than 0.5, but less than 1.0 W/kg, it is average. The irradiation capacity is considered high for devices with SAR exceeding 1.0 W/kg. Unfortunately, the world has not yet developed a unified method for determining this coefficient, so the results of identical studies conducted in different laboratories differ significantly from each other.

The impact of a cell phone on the human body consists of two components: thermal and non-thermal.

Thermal or temperature effects are the ability of the device to heat objects adjacent to it. In this case, these are organs and tissues, especially those that contain large amounts of water: the brain, salivary glands, thyroid and parathyroid glands, pituitary and pineal glands, eyes. When talking on the phone, which is usually always near one ear, the blood vessels on one side of the head dilate due to an increase in local temperature. Compensatoryly, on the other side, the vessels narrow, causing hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) of the tissues.

The non-thermal effect is based on the fact that the mobile phone generates low-frequency electromagnetic waves. The frequency of some of them coincides with the frequencies of bioelectric impulses recorded on the EEG in the brain, and this threatens the onset of resonance, the consequences of which are difficult to predict. Convulsive seizures, mental disorders, etc. cannot be excluded.

It is impossible not to mention rare, but very real cases from life when cell phones exploded in the hands of their owners, causing damage to their health of varying degrees of severity.

Consequences of a child's first acquaintance with a cell phone

For the first time, a child is exposed to radiation from a “mobile phone” while still in the womb. For the baby, the mother’s addictions to chat for an hour or two with a friend, to “sit” on social networks on the phone, or, which is not excluded, to watch a movie that was missed on TV, do not go unnoticed. And electromagnetic radiation at this time “does its dirty work”:

“interferes” with the structure of the fetal chromosomes, provoking the formation of malformations and anomalies;
causes a narrowing of peripheral blood vessels, due to which the fetus experiences oxygen deficiency;
disrupts the metabolism in cells, they lack oxygen, and they lose the ability to divide normally;
“shatters” the hormonal balance of the female body, which can result in a miscarriage;
affects the central nervous system of the unborn baby, which may manifest itself in the future as increased excitability and inappropriate behavior.

Pregnant women who are responsible for the health of the child should use cellular communications only when absolutely necessary.

Even after birth, a child is an easily vulnerable object for electromagnetic radiation. Why? An adult is a fully formed organism with a reliable defense system. A child's body continues to grow and develop until the age of 16–18. Imperfection of the musculoskeletal, nervous, immune, endocrine, hematopoietic and other systems in a growing body turns a child into an easy target for harmful environmental factors. The younger the child, the higher the likelihood that electromagnetic waves from a cell phone will “hit the target.”

Possible consequences of a child being exposed to a mobile phone:

Numerous studies and experiments conducted by scientists from different countries confirm that sooner or later the following happens in the human body, constantly exposing itself to electromagnetic waves:

In brain cells, the content of reactive oxygen species increases, which causes oxidative damage to DNA. And this leads to an increased risk of developing cancer, feelings of fatigue and headaches;
the risk of developing glioma, one of the common primary brain tumors, increases;
the risk of developing salivary gland cancer and epilepsy increases;
in the brain, the alternation of the phases of slow and fast sleep, periods of wakefulness and sleep is disrupted;
the risk of developing cataracts and myopia increases;
bone density decreases in the area of the body that is constantly in contact with the “mobile phone”;
Blood pressure steadily rises.

Psychological dependence on a cell phone is another problem in childhood. Some children merge with the device into a single whole, not letting it out of their hands day or night. Attempts by parents to separate their child from their mobile phone result in hysterics and even attacks of rage and aggression. Neither persuasion nor threats help. And then you have to resort to the help of specialists: a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a neurologist.

Another danger of a cell phone (especially an expensive one) is that, having such a device, a child can become a victim of fraud at any time. Dishonest people go to any lengths and tricks to force a child to voluntarily give up his cell phone. If they fail, they are able to use force and not only cause moral trauma to the child, but also cause physical harm to his health.

The desire of parents to always know where their child is, how he feels, and what he is doing is quite natural. But if a child attends a preschool, he will definitely get by without a cell phone. The teacher has all contact phone numbers to contact parents.

It’s another matter if you often have to leave your child under the supervision of a neighbor or nanny. These are strangers, no matter how well they know their parents. In this situation, you can buy your baby a “mobile phone,” but only a special one, not “the same as dad’s.” Phones for preschoolers resemble bright toys in appearance; they have only the most necessary buttons (7 pieces): answering a call, hanging up, an “SOS” button and four buttons for communicating with parents and two more relatives. The built-in GPS navigator is an opportunity to monitor where the child is. Such “mobile phones” are programmed via SMS, so the baby will not be able to change the settings.

Parents, when sending their child to first grade, include a cell phone in the list of required school supplies. Only a few of them will hear advice to buy a simpler and cheaper model, while the rest will make a choice based on their financial capabilities. It’s good if they ask about the SAR value. Therefore, today's schoolchild without a mobile phone is nonsense. And there is no need to convince anyone - the 21st century is just around the corner.

After purchasing a phone, parents must use any means to convey to the child and instill in him that a cell phone is a means of communication, and not a game console or a camera. This is difficult to do, but necessary.

Parents should also teach schoolchildren how to use a mobile phone and handle it correctly. . Here are the points on which they should focus their child’s attention:

at school during lessons, in the theater, in the hospital, in the library, switch the phone to “silent” mode;
do not forget to return it to normal mode if there are no restrictions;
carry your phone in your briefcase and not in your pocket;
do not use a mobile phone in transport;
during a conversation, do not cover the phone with your entire palm, but hold it with three fingers by the lower part of the case;
when talking with a subscriber, move the “mobile phone” from one ear to the other;
do not leave the device on the desk, in the hallway on the windowsill or in any other place unattended;
do not answer calls from unknown numbers;
while walking, do not talk on the phone or write messages;
do not give your mobile phone to strangers, even if they ask;
do not wear a cell phone on a neck lanyard;
do not use a wireless headset;
write a message instead of a call, if possible;
do not put the phone to your ear while connecting with a subscriber;
do not talk to the subscriber for more than two minutes;
turn off your cell phone at night and wake up when your regular alarm clock rings;
remember that someone else’s phone is an inviolable thing.

Zaluzhanskaya Elena Aleksandrovna, pediatrician