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Researchers have never found conclusive evidence that using or charging a mobile phone generates harmful radiation to health. Additionally, using a phone while it charges is possible, but it’s crucial to use high-quality chargers and make sure the phone doesn’t overheat. Using an old or low-quality battery in this situation can cause it to catch fire.
What type of radiation does the phone emit?
Mobile phones emit electromagnetic radiation, including during normal use and charging. This type of radiation is known as electromagnetic radiation.
Some types of electromagnetic radiation can pose a threat to health, depending on the amount of energy they contain. The energy level of radiation varies with wavelength, with shorter waves carrying more energy.
Visible light, which is the light that can activate the light-sensitive proteins in our eyes, cannot alter the structures of molecules in our bodies due to its energy level.
The visible spectrum includes red, which has the longest wavelength. Beyond the visible spectrum is a region of non-ionizing radiation that carries little energy and includes infrared radiation, perceived as heat, as well as microwaves and radio waves, which are emitted by mobile phones.
Non-ionizing radiation cannot initiate photochemical reactions in our bodies due to its low energy level. This means that using a phone cannot cause cancer or other diseases.
The impact of radio wave radiation on the human body.
The manner in which both phone radio wave radiation and microwave radiation from a microwave oven impact the body is through internal heating. Non-ionizing radiation can penetrate the body, much like how heat from a battery does.
Microwave ovens operate on the same principle, using power ranging from 0.5-2 kW. If radio wave radiation from a phone held against the head reaches similar levels of power, it can potentially cause the brain to cook like food in a microwave.
Microwave oven radiation is not hazardous due to its shielding cover that directs waves solely towards food, preventing them from entering the kitchen. On the other hand, phone radiation is not harmful as household appliances’ radio wave power levels are too low.
Radar can generate up to 1 kW of power, while microwave ovens can produce between 0.5-2 kW. Only industrial and military radars are sources of unshielded radio wave radiation capable of reaching 1 kW of power. If a person’s head is exposed to the radiation zone of a functioning radar, they could die from brain overheating.
In contrast, mobile phones operate differently and do not function like microwave ovens or radars. Most modern mobile phones conform to the GSM standard and operate simultaneously in two frequency ranges: 900 and 1800 MHz. The maximum power output of phones in GSM 1800 MHz mode is 1 watt, while in GSM 900 MHz mode it is 2 watts. Phones that exceed the specified power output cannot be sold as they do not meet safety regulations.
The power emitted by phones is too low to cause heating of the human brain, as it is a thousand times less than that of a microwave oven. Moreover, the human body absorbs slightly more than half of the energy received from radio waves, leading to even less heating of the brain when in contact with a phone.
A study conducted in 2003 found that a 20-minute phone call in GSM 900 MHz mode could increase the brain’s temperature by a maximum of 0.5 °C, which is inadequate to cause any damage to the brain. To cause damage, the brain’s temperature would need to increase by at least 4 °C.
What science knows about the effects of cellphone radiation on people
In my opinion, the fear of mobile phones persists because people who are unprepared to understand the details perceive a threat.
The fact that low-power radio waves do not negatively affect humans has been known for a long time, even before the invention of mobile phones. In the 30 years since their invention, we have had ample opportunity to study the effects of mobile phones on human health due to their widespread use. As a result, it has become necessary to demonstrate their safety.
Despite numerous attempts to detect adverse effects, none have been found, leading us to conclude that a functioning mobile phone cannot harm human health.
Is it harmful to sleep near a phone that’s charging?
There is no conclusive evidence that the radiation generated during charging can harm your health, regardless of whether you use a wired or wireless charger to charge your phone.
USB charger
A USB wall charger transforms power from an outlet into direct current (DC) and reduces voltage from 220 volts to 5-8 volts required for phone battery charging. The charger dissipates excess energy produced during this process mainly through non-ionizing long-wave radiation, including heat, microwaves, and radio waves. There is no harm associated with this exposure. Similar to heating any other object close to us daily, like batteries or incandescent lamps.
However, the magnetic field generated by the alternating current (AC) used for phone charging always exists. Some individuals worry that this field may negatively impact their health. I will explain below whether this is actually true.
Wireless charger
This device operates based on the capability of alternating electrical current to create a magnetic field and vice versa. When the wireless charger receives the alternating current from the power outlet, it generates a magnetic field. If the phone’s built-in receiving device makes contact with the charger, the magnetic field induces an alternating current in the device. Subsequently, the receiving device converts the alternating current into direct current to charge the phone’s battery.
A strong magnetic field can theoretically induce a weak electric current in the human body, which could interfere with the normal functioning of the body’s own electrical systems, specifically the neurons that use electrical impulses to transmit information between the body and the brain.
For this reason, many organizations, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, restrict magnetic field exposure for both workers and the general public. They forbid the use of devices that generate excessively strong magnetic fields in factories and households.
Nevertheless, to cause harm, a magnetic field must have a high intensity. Scientists measure the strength of magnetic fields in teslas. Humans and all other living organisms are exposed to the Earth’s natural magnetic field every day, which measures only 30 microteslas.
All living organisms on the planet have adapted to the effects of the Earth’s magnetic field over time. However, 30 microteslas is far from the maximum limit that we can tolerate without affecting our health. International organizations suggest that people can safely tolerate magnetic fields with an intensity of up to 200 microteslas in their daily lives, while factory workers may be exposed to as much as 1000 microteslas.
The magnetic fields in factories are powerful enough to demagnetize credit cards and harm mobile phones. However, workers are exposed to such conditions without any protection. Despite this exposure, they do not develop any illnesses over time and have a life expectancy similar to their peers who are not exposed to strong magnetic fields.
I couldn’t find information on the number of microteslas generated by a wireless charger, but it doesn’t matter. Unlike factory generators, which produce massive magnetic fields covering entire workshops, a charger’s magnetic field only spreads a short distance. You can easily see this by placing your phone next to the charger instead of on it – it won’t charge. Therefore, there’s no need to fear the impact of magnetic fields on someone sleeping next to a charging station.
Can using the phone while it is charging pose a risk?
According by the available data, using a phone while it’s charging is unsafe only in one case: if you’re charging it while taking a bath.
The voltage of a mobile phone battery rarely exceeds 5 V – this is too low to harm a person, even if the gadget falls into water. But if you drop a phone connected to the mains into a bathtub, a short circuit can occur – electric current with a voltage of 220 V will start to flow into the water. This is enough to kill a person.
In all other cases, it is safe to use a mobile phone.
Is there a risk of the phone exploding while it is being charged?
If you use your phone while it’s charging, part of the energy will go towards powering the phone while the other part will be used to charge the battery. As a result, the phone may heat up a little more than if it were simply left to charge. However, it won’t heat up enough to cause burns.
In theory, a phone can even explode while it’s charging, but in practice, such cases are very rare. For a lithium-ion battery to explode, there must either be problems with the battery management system responsible for charging, poor insulation in the phone, or the phone must be used extremely carelessly, which can also lead to insulation problems. These phones look normal on the outside, but they can heat up more and hold a charge for a shorter amount of time.
Insulation can also be compromised by severe overheating, but the overheating would have to be very intense – for this to happen, you would have to throw the phone into a fire.
Sources:
- FDA Bulletin: Can Cell Phones Be Hazardous to Health?
- Electronic Radiation Types – Bulletin of the National Center for Information on the Health Effects of Non-Ionizing Radiation in Israel, TNUDA
- Defining Non-Ionizing Radiation – US Department of Labor Bulletin, OSHA
- Phones Do Not Cause Cancer – U.S. National Cancer Institute
- Phones are designed so that they do not heat the human body – Bulletin of the International Commission on Protection against Non-Ionizing Radiation
- The Scientific Evidence of Cell Phone Safety – FDA Bulletin
- The increase in temperature of an object exposed to radio waves from a mobile phone – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Biomedical Engineering Protocols
- Electronic fields and public health: mobile phones – WHO Bulletin
- How Phone USB Cables Work – Bulletin of ABC Science Education Site
- The Electromagnetic Induction – An Electronics Manual Educational Resource
- The electromagnetic field from wireless chargers with magnetic resonance does not harm human health – Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
- Electrical and magnetic fields. Exposure Limits Bulletin by Canadian Electrical Network Engineers
- Magnetic Fields in the Workplace – US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Bulletin
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