How cell phone radiation works

With the increasing popularity of mobile phones around the world, it is no wonder that people have started questioning the safety of these devices. Here, we explain what you need to know about phone radio waves. Bear in mind that researchers everywhere are themselves still trying to understand the full effects of cell phone use.

Mobile phones are two-way radios that transmit and receive information via radio waves, also known as radio frequency (RF) energy. Whenever the user makes a phone call, his voice is encoded into radio waves and transmitted through the antenna to a nearby base station. These radio waves are at the heart of the controversy over cell phone safety.

Radio waves are just one of the many forms of electromagnetic energy that form the electromagnetic spectrum. Other types, including gamma rays, x-rays and light, also belong to this spectrum. They differ from radio waves in terms of wavelength and frequency.

Gamma rays and x-rays, which contain very high levels of electromagnetic energy, are called ionizing radiation. According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), such energy can ionize and damage biological tissues by causing electrons to be stripped away from their normal locations in atoms and molecules.

On the other hand, cell phone radio waves, visible light and ultraviolet are non-ionizing radiation, and generally considered safe. However, high-energy radio microwaves can damage tissue through heating, while intense ultraviolet can cause blindness and superficial skin burns. These exceptions have festered continued doubt about the safety of mobile phones.

What are radio waves?

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Measuring SAR

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Potential health hazards?