Reply #33: There are various issues involved with the dangers of cell phone usage. [View All]

[AdHocSolver]

Electromagnetic radiation can be dangerous. The microwave oven that cooks your food uses EM radiation.

The EM radiation penetrates the molecules of the material being heated and "vibrates" them to produce heat. This is what happens in a microwave oven, which produces anywheres from 500 watts to 800 watts depending on the size of the oven.

Microwave ovens use door seals to prevent radiation leakage and safety switches to turn off the oven when the door is open, because, at those power levels, the escaping energy could literally "cook" a part of anyone standing near enough to the oven.

Cell phones use microwave energy to communicate with the phone company's "base" stations. They operate at anywhere from a half watt to about two watts. The depth of penetration into a person depends on the frequency and power level being emitted by the phone.

Normally, this low of a wattage would be benign, since the energy level of the signal dissipates rapidly with distance. However, most people hold the cell phones right next to their heads. This is where the problem occurs. The person's head is right within the strongest part of the radiation field.

I suggested a long time ago that people who use cell phones a lot should get an earphone so that they can keep the cell phone away from their bodies. The effects of radiation exposure are accumulative. Using a cell phone infrequently and for only short periods of time should not pose a health hazard. Unfortunately, observation indicates that many people keep their cell phones "glued" to their heads.