17/07/2001

MOBILE PHONE COMPANIES TO REVEAL RADIATION DATA

MOBILE PHONE manufacturers are to start publishing details of radiation levels in handset user manuals following increasing pressure from consumer groups over related health issues.

Motorola, Nokia and Ericsson have jointly announced that they will commence printing the details of radiation levels later this year, in a format which can be easily understood by customers. While the information will not be displayed in the format of a warning label, it will be included in the user manual alongside technical specifications.

Numerous scientific investigations have purported to have found evidence that the radio waves emitted from mobile phones can affect the human brain, interfering with short term memory, and potentially raising the risk of certain forms of brain cancer. In addition, concerns have also been raised over excessive mobile phone usage by children, following a UK government-sponsored scientific inquiry which found that the thinner skull density of children could make them more prone to absorbing radiation.

Levels of mobile phone radiation are measured according to Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), a universally agreed European method of standard measurement. The maximum safety limit is 2 SAR, with most current phones falling within the value range of between 0.5 and 1 SAR. (CL)

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