SAR values of cellphones and its affect on our body

Whenever we go to buy a smartphone we are much bothered about the performance of the cellphone like the processor speed,the storage capacity and especially the cameras.But in the meanwhile we forget to check a very important feature of the smartphone which is the SAR value of that equipment or cellphone.

What is SAR?

SAR stands for the Specific Absorption Rate of the mobile equipment. It means that what value of the radiated electromagnetic emission from your device gets absorbed by your body.

Whenever you make or receive a call, your mobile antenna radiates electromagnetic energy which is almost omnidirectional .Some of this radiated energy is absorbed by the body either in the head or in the waist, wherever you put your mobile device.

Practically SAR value is mentioned by the mobile manufacturer and they put that value on the mobile cover ,most probably on the backside. Its also is mentioned in the user guide.

How is SAR calculated?

SAR calculation is a measure of the amount of radiation absorbed in Watts/kg by the body tissues.It is generally calculated by putting a human model and checking for the amount of radiation absorbed when it is kept in conjunction with the mobile and at different angles. This value is then tabulated for different parts of the body such as head,waist etc.

How SAR affects us?

Whenever we keep our mobile very close to us or even at a distance of 1.5 cm the radiation of the mobile is absorbed by our body.This radiation has a thermal effect which may cause our body tissues to burn in a very gradual way. This might not be very much visible but in the long run an MRI test can detect that.

The picture here depicts an MRI of a human head when exposed to continuous radiation.

A very long exposure to this continuous radiation can also be cancerous.

Studies have found out a direct link of SAR radiation to biological effects on our body such as : DNA single or double strand breaks,disruption of cell metabolic rate,generation of stress proteins,disruption of cell glucose metabolism and increase permeability of cell tissues.

SAR values specified by countries.

Every country has a put a limit on the SAR values of any communicating device.The SAR values may vary for different countries. In India our Ministry of Communication has put a more stricter limit.The SAR guidelines in India puts a limit of 1.6W/kg when the mobile is placed very close to our head in a normal position.

How to check for SAR?

You can directly check the SAR of your mobile by dialing *#07# from your mobile.

Safety from harmful SAR radiations.

1.It is always better to hold your mobile at a distance rather than firmly attaching your mobile into your head.

2.When not in use keep your mobile below the waist region where SAR values are usually less.

3.While talking for long hours, its better to use an ear piece or any other attachment which helps to keep our mobile at a distance from us.You can also use a Bluetooth device which radiates only 10% of the radiated emission of our mobile.

4.Keep your mobile away from yourself when you are sleeping as the EM radiation is a continuous process.

5.You may use a simple phone rather than a smartphone as the SAR values are very less compared to today's smartphone.

6.Keep smartphones which has a low frequency range.As the operating frequency range increases the SAR value also keeps on increasing.

7.Avoid using cellphones when the signal is weak.Because when the signal is weak the cellphone emits even stronger EM power to connect to a newer relay antenna.

8.Always try to keep your cellphone with the keypad touching your body rather than the backside of it.

9.Try to use a cellphone having minimum SAR value. Most of the cheap phones have highest SAR. On the other hand mobiles from big brands try to stick to the specified SAR. The best cellphone company in terms of following a stricter SAR guideline is SAMSUNG but it is not with its every model.

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