Taking major concern to public health, India Government through Department of Telecommunication (DOT) has issued Precautionary Guidelines for using mobile handsets by the mobile users in the country. India has around 965.52 million mobile subscribers (according to latest TRAI report) and probably 75% of those would have a mobile handset. By issuing this guidelines Govt tries to educate the mass mobile users in the country about keeping away from radiation effect caused while using mobile handsets. Here the complete list of guidelines issued by Govt –
- Keep distance – Hold the cell phone away from body to the extent possible.
- Use a headset (wired or Bluetooth) to keep the handset away from your head.
- Do not press the phone handset against your head. Radio Frequency (RF) energy is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source — being very close increases energy absorption much more.
- Limit the length of mobile calls.
- Use text as compared to voice wherever possible.
- Put the cell phone on speaker mode.
- If the radio signal is weak, a mobile phone will increase its transmission power. Find a strong signal and avoid movement – Use your phone where reception is good.
- Metal & water are good conductors of radio waves so avoid using a mobile phone while wearing metal-framed glasses or having wet hair.
- Let the call connect before putting the handset on your ear or start speaking and listening – A mobile phone first makes the communication at higher power and then reduces power to an adequate level. More power is radiated during call connecting time.
- If you have a choice, use a landline (wired) phone, not a mobile phone.
- When your phone is ON, don’t carry it in chest/breast or pants pocket. When a mobile phone is ON, it automatically transmits at high power every one or two minutes to check (poll) the network.
- Reduce mobile phone use by children as a younger person will likely have a longer lifetime exposure to radiation from cell phones.
- People having active medical implants should preferably keep the cell phone at least 15 cm away from the implant.
India Govt recently only Stringent Radiation Standards for Mobile Towers and Handsets, so next time when purchasing a mobile handset check the SAR value of the mobile phone (it can be searched on internet if its model number & make is known) and ensure that its value are under the Govt recommended rate.
Govt has also tried to provide information on various Myths about Mobile Handsets and Mobile base stations:
Myth | Fact |
| Mobile phone use cause headaches | Headaches are not related to Mobile phone use and there is no scientific evidence. |
| It is safer using a mobile phone in a car as the car shields from the radiation. | The RF radiation is increased by Mobile phones when used in a car to overcome the shielding. |
| Mobile phones cause brain cancer to the people who use it. | There is no scientific evidence that Mobile Phone can cause brain cancer. |
| Mobile Base stations are dangerous and one should have the distance from it. | It is the antenna from which we should keep distance not from tower and that too if we are positioned facing antenna at comparable height. At the ground level, the intensity of RF radiation from base station is much less. |
| Nobody is investigating the health effects of RF radiation. | The World Health Organization, many national & international organizations and independent expert groups are coordinating to investigate health effects of RF radiation. |
Do share this guidelines with your friends and also help them to avoid various misconception on mobile radiation.