Limit your exposure to cell phone radiation

Most of us have wondered at least once if our cell phones are safe, whether it's OK for our kids to use them, whether we should do something different.

Yet, many of us are, well, addicted. And some of us no longer have a land line at home. My kids call their grandparents to chat on mine in the backseat of the car all. the. time. (it's free! it's convenient! it promotes family happiness!)

But is it all OK?

EWG is troubled by the existing science We, too, wondered whether cell phone radiation and the changing ways we use them is safe, so we analyzed the possible public health risks.

We recently completed a 10-month investigation of more than 200 peer-reviewed studies, government advisories and industry documents to reach our conclusion. Report author Olga Naidenko, Ph.D., EWG Senior Scientist, sums it up this way:

"We would like to be able to say that cell phones are safe, but we can't. The most recent science, while not conclusive, raises serious issues about the cancer risk of cell phone use that must be addressed through further research. In the meantime, consumers can take steps to reduce exposure."

EWG's top tips to reduce your radiation exposure As usual, we've paired it all down to a manageable number of tips that top our to-do list for using cell phones more safely.

Our top tip? Buy a low-radiation phone. And yes, they are different. Download EWG's guide to reduce cell phone radiation exposure to get useful links and the reasoning behind each.

Protect your family, then take action to protect everyone Current U.S. cell phone radiation standards, set by U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and based largely on 1992 cell phone industry recommendations, are outdated and allow 20 times more radiation to penetrate the head than the rest of the body.

Health agencies in six nations -- Switzerland, Germany, Israel, France, the United Kingdom, and Finland -- have issued warnings to limit cell phone use, particularly by children, whose softer, thinner skulls are less able to shield the brain from radiation. Scientists have found that children's brains absorb twice as much cell phone radiation as those of adults.

EWG urges the FCC to upgrade its standards to take account of the newest scientific evidence and also increasing cell phone use by children. Help us send the FCC a strong message that it's time to update its standards. It is 2009, folks.

Got questions? We've got answers. We've thoroughly answered 14 of the most common and important questions people have about cell phone radiation. In our FAQ, you'll find answers to questions like these:

  • Are cell phones safe for children?
  • Do cell phones cause cancer?
  • Does cell phone radiation affect sperm count?

Embed EWG's search widget for finding low-radiation phones You (and your readers if you're a blogger) can easily search for low-radiation phones - and see how yours measures up - on our free, online searchable database. Grab the embed code from Widgetbox.

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