The U.S. government is being asked to update its 16-year-old cell phone radiation standard to bring it in line with the way we use smartphones.
Government considers new rules on cell phone radiation
WASHINGTON -- Do you want even more radiation coming from your cell phone?
The U.S. government is being asked to update its 16-year-old cell phone radiation standard to bring it in line with the way we use smartphones.
With many people already concerned about the potential link between our cell phones and cancer, anew Government Accountability Office report is asking the Federal Communications Commission to consider boosting the amount of radiation a phone emits. The report recommended following an international standard, which would allow U.S. cell phones to emit up to 20% more radiation than currently allowed.
When the RF exposure limit of 1.6 watts per kilogram specific absorption rate was established in 1996, phones were bigger, bulkier, and carried in holsters outside of clothes and not in pockets, said Marcia Crosse, director of health care at the U.S. Government Accountability Office and co-author of the report.
Doing nothing could impact your wallet. The GAO noted: "Maintaining the current U.S. limit may result in additional costs for manufacturers and impact phone design in a way that could limit performance and functionality." To comply with the FCC's limit, some manufacturers also may have to disable features on phones sold in the U.S., according to the GAO.
As for the studies of harm from RF exposure,the report says adverse health effects have not been demonstrated conclusively at this point. But this could be because of limitations in the studies, including design flaws.
