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You’ve heard
the warnings--turn off your cell phone on an airplane; don’t
use your phone inside a hospital--and the horror stories of
car accidents and brain tumors caused by cell phones. So,
how real are the risks of cell phones?
Cell
Phones and Brain Cancer
Cell phones produce
electromagnetic radiation of a frequency somewhere between
what comes out of a television and what comes out of a leaky
microwave oven. This radiation penetrates the brain, a short
distance from the phone's antenna, and could theoretically
cause damage by heating up the brain’s cells.
The heating is
slight, however, as the electromagnetic radiation from cell
phones is different from the ionizing radiation, found in
X-rays, which damages DNA and is linked to cancer.
According to researchers,
studies have shown that the radiation from cell phones does
not cause cancer.
Cell
Phones Interfering With Hospital Equipment
The chances of
your cell phone causing a major problem in a hospital are
slight, according to one study.
The study examined
the affects of cell phones on heart and lung monitoring devices
used in hospitals. While the phones did cause interference,
the interference was not enough to cause concern.
However, the tests
were conducted on devices that were not being used on patients.
Researchers say that more tests need to be done to determine
the extent of cell phone interference on these devices when
patients are actually connected to them.
Cell
Phones and Airplanes
NASA's Aviation
Safety Reporting System's "Passenger Electronic Devises
Database Report Set" contains several reports of incidents
"personal electronic devices" seemed to create disturbances
in aircrafts' electronic systems.
Controlled tests
have also shown that cell phones can, indeed, interfere with
avionics equipment on airliners. In the tests, the exact position
of the cell phone on the aircraft made a big difference, as
levels of interference varied significantly as cell phones
were moved throughout the fuselages of test aircraft.
Another fear is
that cell phones may interfere with navigation and other aircraft
systems.
Aside from interference
to airplanes, the Federal Communication Commission bans the
use of cell phones on airplanes because they could interfere
with cell phone systems on the ground.
Cell phones were
designed for use on the ground, where the nearest node will
pick up the call’s signal. From the air, moving at several
hundred miles an hour, your cell phone’s signal could
reach miles and hit many nodes at the same time, causing a
disruption.
Cell
Phones and Driving
One state, and
many cities, requires that drivers use a hands-free headset
if they want to use a cell phone while driving. However, although
the devices leave hands free, the driver may still be distracted.
According to research,
having a telephone conversation while driving hinders driving
ability. One study found that using a cell phone while driving
increases the risk of crashing by four times, and a hands-free
device didn’t change the risk.
Another study,
which evaluated the driving abilities of college students
while talking on cell phones, found they students missed traffic
signals and reacted more slowly to events when they were using
either a cell phone or a hands-free device. Comparatively,
when the students only listened to the radio or an audio book,
there driving was less affected.
CNN
Money January 30, 2003
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