Are cellular phones dangerous?

There has been tons of research done on the interaction of the cell phone on the human body. Many have come to believe that a cell phone is harmful. Cell phones are designed to be safe for both the user and anyone that many by chance standing nearby the user. Cell phones are actually small radios that transmit signals to and from base-station antennas located on towers or buildings in the nearby neighborhoods. Cellular phones use low-power radio signals, even weaker than CB, police, or fire radios.

Cellular phones and cellular phone base stations have been shown to meet these RF safety standards. A cell phone is always on whether you are using it to talk or not it’s constantly communicating to nearby base stations. These are similar to the waves that go to your radio so that you can hear your favorite songs while driving. The cell phone produces very low frequencies of Radiofrequency energy exposure to the user.

The FDA does have the authority to take action if cell phones are shown to emit radiofrequency energy (RF) at a level that is hazardous to the user. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) sets safety standards for human exposure to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic energy in the United States. Government agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and many states recognize and accept the ANSI RF safety standard. Also the United States standard for RF energy is comparable to those set in other countries. With all the information and technology that we have currently we cannot prove that the RF energy used by cell phones pose any health threat to the public.

I would like to further indicate that nothing is "completely safe" everything has some associated risk. Although science has been reasearching EM (electromagnetic) feilds for over 50 years, they still have not answered wether these EM feilds casue cancer. The question you should be asking yourself is if the risk is worth the benifit.

Consider checking the Motorola cell phone sight below to see what they have to say about this topic.



http://www.motorola.com/staticfiles/Business/Corporate/US-EN/corporate-responsibility/consumers/wireless-communications-and-health.html

EPA Map of Radon Zones

 

This map doesn’t include the Puerto Rico (this is under development)

The purpose of this map is to assist National, State, and local organizations to target their resources and to implement radon-resistant building codes. This map is not intended to be used to determine if a home in a given zone should be tested for radon. Homes with elevated levels of radon have been found in all three zones. All homes should be tested regardless of geographic location.



Zone 1 counties have a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L (pico curies per liter) (red zones) Highest Potential

Zone 2 counties have a predicted average indoor radon screening level between 2 and 4pCi/L (orange zones) Moderate Potential

Zone 3 counties have a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L (yellow zones) Low Potential

-If you have any problems seeing the words on this Radon Map of Idaho, just click to enlarge.

How to get your house tested for Radon

About 7% of homes in the U.S. have unsafe Radon Gas levels.

There are four types of Radon Test Kits. Long Term, Short Term, Private Well Water Radon Test Kits and an Electronic Radon Gas Detector.

The Long Term Radon Test Kits (Accutar Alpha Track Test Kit AT 100)are used in situations where they are exposed to changes in seasons, temperature and humidity. These tests last from 3 to 12 months, it works by taking air samples from inside your house. The expected cost for a Long Term Radon Test is normally $28.

The Short Term Test Kits (AccuStar Charcoal LS CLS 100i Short Term Radon Gas Test Kit) is most commonly used when quick results are needed. When using this type of test it is recommended that you use 2 test kits and place them side by side about 4 inches apart to help rule out inaccuracy. This testing takes 48 to 96 hours. The anticipated cost of the Short Term Test Kit is also $28.

There are also ways to test the radon levels of your well water. The Accurstar WTR-100 Private Well Water Radon Test Kit The estimated cost of the Radon Water Test Kit is $36.

When the test is complete, you will need to send the test kit to the Radon testing Lab. Analysis should take only one business day to obtain your results.

If you are interested in continuing your tests you may look into obtaining a Safety Siren Pro Series 3 Electronic Radon Gas Detector with LED Digital Readout. This is the ideal product for homeowners & smaller business. This can be used for both short term and long term testing and monitoring. This is a very simple device that plugs into a standard AC house outlet and displays a digital reading in approximately 48 hours after being plugged in. The reason for the long delay is due to the fact that the EPA considers a test less than 48 hours to be invalid. The projected cost of this Electronic Radon Gas Detector is $165.

If you would like to order one of these Test Kits I received the majority of my information and prices from this web site.

http://www.4radon.com/

The following question came up during our Radiation Protection Class. "If a pilot was to fly a night would this reduce the amount of radiation that the pilot and crew would be exposed to?" In my search to answer this question I contacted Richard Brey, a Professor of Physics at the Idaho State University and this was his reply.

Ben,

To answer your question directly; no, there is little anticipated difference in the ionizing radiation exposure received during the day or at night. Very little of the cosmic ionizing radiation exposure received by humans is associated with solar radiation. Although our sun does produce ionizing radiation that source of ionizing radiation is greatly deflected by the Van Allen Belt which surrounds the earth. The Van Allen radiation belt is a torus of energetic charged particles (plasma) around Earth, which is held in place by Earth's magnetic field. Cosmic radiation exposure on the surface of the planet is related to extremely high energy particles and waves generated by other stars in our universe. This radiation sometimes serves as a source of direct exposure, and it frequently generates secondary radiation when it interacts in the earth's atmosphere. Some of the radiation exposure we receive is associated with the secondary particles generated by spallation reactions in the atmosphere. Some of the exposure is associated with the so called cosmogenically produced radioactive material such as C-14, H-3, and Be-7. A good reference on this subject is NCRP Report No. 160 which was published in 2009 and is entitled Ionizing Radiation Exposure of the Population of the United States (ISBN : 978-0-929600-98-7). This may be purchased on-line from NCRP (The National on Radiation Protection and Measurements). The NCRP web-page may be found at: http://www.ncrponline.org/. To find a copy of the report described above simply click on the Publications tab. I hope this is helpful.

Richard Brey, Ph.D., C.H.P.
Professor of Physics
Director, ISU Health Physics Program