Several recent letters have addressed the issue of the health effects of exposure to radio frequency (RF) radiation.

Cell phones and any WiFi-connected smart devices in your home receive and transmit data using RF energy. Consumer Reports says that all research carried out to date has been mixed, with no definitive proof that cell-phone radiation harms human health, but also unable to completely clear it of any potential risk. If you are concerned about the potential danger of RF radiation, what should you do?

Two factors that you should pay attention to are the power emitted, and the distance of the device from your body.

The intensity of radiation falls off rapidly with distance so keep devices as far away from your body as possible. Here are approximate numbers for the power emitted by common devices in units of microwatts/square cm. Cell phone at ear: 1000-5000. If you are in an area that has poor reception, your cell phone will send out power at the high end of this range. Microwave oven at 1 ft distance 200-800. Smart meter at 3 ft distance 20. WiFi router at 3 ft, 0.2-1. It is clear that cell phones emit by far the most radiation. Everything else other than your microwave oven is negligible by comparison.

Joel Moskowitz at UC Berkeley offers the following advice regarding cell phones: Use your speakerphone, text, or use a wired headset. Limit your conversations. Don’t carry your cell phone next to your body unless it is turned off or in airplane mode. Keep the phone away from your head and reproductive organs. Do not keep a cell phone near your bed when on. Use a wired landline whenever possible. Discourage use of wireless devices by children and have them use hard wired devices whenever possible.

Thomas Engel
PORT TOWNSEND