Mobile Phones:
Hands-free wiring does not reduce
radiation emissions claims a new study

CNN
November 02, 2000
Hands-free wiring does not reduce
radiation emissions claims a new study
Hands-free sets on mobile telephones
could triple the amount of rays beamed
into the head says a consumer watchdog.
The British Consumers' Association told
CNN.com it was "concerned" by its
findings, which directly contradict
government research, and is recommending
users spend as short a time as possible
using their phones.
The CA's principle researcher Antonia
Chitty said that even though the
hands-free sets appeared to increase the
delivery of radiation beams the levels
were still below those considered safe
by international guidelines.
"(But) if you are worried about
radiation levels you should adopt a
precautionary approach and limit the
length of time you are using the phone."
An initial CA report on the issue was
published in April and sparked the
British Department of Trade and Industry
to carry out its own research.
Its findings, published in August, were
that "hands-free kits reduce exposure
for mobile phone users."
A DTI spokeswoman told CNN.com: "Apart
from this Consumers Association report,
no-one has criticised our report." She
said the DTI believed the methodology
used in the tests by the CA may be
throwing up the different results.
But the DTI is taking the new study
seriously and says it will consider all
the factors. E-Minister Patricia
Hewitt's has pledged to provide the
public: "clear and unambiguous advice."
The CA tested five different kinds of
mobile phone and 10 kinds of hands-free
kits including those by Nokia, Ericsson,
Panasonic, Philips and BT Cellnet.
It found the critical factor determining
the radiation emissions was the length
between the earpiece and the mobile
phone antenna.
"Although these kits can reduce
radiation, they can also increase it
significantly, depending on where you
position the phone and kit," said editor
of the CA magazine Which?, Helen Parker.
"Unfortunately there is no way that
consumers can work out the best position
to reduce radiation."
The National Radiological Protection
Board, which sets safe levels of
emissions for the industry to follow,
says it is still studying mobile phones
and pointed to differences in research
methods.
Scientific spokesman for the NRPD, Dr
Michael Clark, told CNN.com: "We would
like to see an international standard
for the precise measurement of radiation
because we feel different scientists are
measuring different things."
The NRPD recently agreed to adopt the
International Commission on Non-Ionising
Radiation Protection guidelines on
radiation emission which is three watts
of phone radiation per kilogramme of
human tissue.
The actual biological effects of
radiation from phones have yet to be
determined.
Scientists know that the brain "heats
up" from the use of mobile phones, but,
said Clark: "You can't stick a
thermometer inside a human brain."
Swedish-based strategic press relations
officer for Ericsson, Mikael Westmark
told CNN.com said the company had not
yet had time to digest the report, but
it appeared different measuring methods
were being used.
"The last time these test were done
people were very frightened, then there
was a report from the UK government
which contradicted their findings and
people wondered 'what was that all
about?' It is very confusing."
Nokia referred CNN.com to the Federation
of Electronic Industries for a company
comment.
"Hands-free equipment was never designed
to reduce radiation emissions, but to
allow people to write to type while
listening to their phone," the FEI
spokeswoman said.
She said the CA survey used different
equipment "or parameters" to the DTI
tests but the manufacturing industry
would be studying the new report
thoroughly.
Panasonics spokeswoman, Mahafrid Jamooji,
said she had not read the CA report
herself but understood it had used a
different methodology to reach its
conclusions and advised mobile phone
users wanting more information to
contact the FEI.
Celenec, the EU body for setting
standards on mobile phone usage, is
currently working on an international
harmonization method for measuring
radiation emissions which is to be
published early next year.