Research reports | STUK-A reports
JOKELA, Kari, LESZCZYNSKI, Dariusz, PAILE, Wendla, SALOMAA, Sisko, PURANEN, Lauri, HYYSALO, Petri. Radiation safety of handheld mobile phones and base stations. STUK-A161. Helsinki 1999. 76 pp.
ISBN 951-712-285-3
ISSN 0781-1705
Keywords: mobile phones, radio-frequency radiation, microwaves, specific absorption rate, health risks
The recent expansion of personal telecommunications has led to a rapid
increase in the exposure of people to the radio-frequency (RF) radiation.
Although the mobile phones are low power devices, the antenna is so close to the
head that the local exposure may slightly exceed 2 W/kg, the current exposure
limit for the local specific absorption rate SAR for the general public. The
increase in the temperature is, however, too small to have any physiological
significance. On the basis of experiments with cell cultures it is possible that
other biological
effects caused by some unknown non-thermal mechanism exist, but thus far there
is no conclusive biological or epidemiological evidence to suggest any diseases
or adverse physiological changes below the thermal threshold.
The use of a mobile phone by a person wearing a pace-maker, is not recommended,
if the immunity of the pace-maker has not been assured.
The exposure caused by the base stations is in all practical cases well below
the power density limits for general public.
Report STUK-A161, pp.
1-24
(pdf)
Report STUK-A161, pp.
25-49 (pdf)
Report STUK-A161, pp.
50-76 (pdf)