So that mobile communications can work, high-frequency electromagnetic fields are used to transmit voice and data. When you carry a mobile phone close to your body or use it to make a call, some of the energy from these electromagnetic fields is picked up by nearby parts of the body, such as the head or thigh. The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) explains this on its website. The proportion of energy that the body absorbs is measured using the so-called specific absorption rate (SAR).
Double check: radiation exposure is measured on the ear and on the body
To be absolutely sure that no health damage occurs when using mobile phones, the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) recommended a maximum SAR value of two watts per kilogram (2 W/Kg) as early as 1998. The German Radiation Commission followed suit in the same year, followed by the European Commission in 1999. Since then, the two standards EN 62209-1 and EN 62209-2 have been developed, which serve to measure the SAR value. The EN 62209-1 standard provides a guideline for measuring radiation at the ear, the second standard serves as a guide for measuring on the body (if you carry the device in your trouser pocket, for example). When measuring on the body, since 2016 it has been ensured that the devices must be exactly 0.5 centimeters away from the body. If the distances differ only slightly, the SAR values also change significantly.
Even the worst values are well below the SAR limit
Among the devices that are currently available on the market in Germany from common manufacturers, the Samsung – Galaxy Note10+ performs particularly well when measured on the ear (0.19 W/kg), with the value for the measurement on the body being 1 .4 is worse. There are only two non-Samsung devices in the top 10 when measured on the ear: the LG G7 ThinQ (0.24 W/kg) and the Gigaset 185 (0.19 W/kg). HTC’s U12 life has the worst readings on the ear (1.48 W/kg and 1.6 W/kg on the body), although these values are still well below the maximum permissible limit of two watts per kilogram.
The Samsung – Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G (0.29 W/kg) has the best measured values on the body, while the measured value on the ear is 0.86 W/kg. The Samsung – Galaxy J3 (2016) DUOS has the second best measured value on the body. Here the measured value on the body is 0.43 W/kg, on the ear it is 0.48 W/kg. The LG K41S has the worst value on the body with 1.558 W/Kg. Here too, however, it must be said that the value is still more than 0.4 W/kg below the limit value.
The list does not reveal any manufacturers who consistently produce devices with particularly good or bad values.
Apparently all the phones on the market are below limit
The BfS clarifies that, according to the manufacturer, all mobile phones currently available on the market fall below the guideline value of 2 W/Kg. For active protection against radiation, the BfS points out that the electromagnetic fields are particularly strong when reception is poor. Accordingly, for special protection, it is advisable to only use the phone a little when reception is poor. In addition, headsets are a good solution to keep the device away from your head.
By the way: Different sources are always valuable – especially when a second opinion can be included in addition to the manufacturer who wants to sell his product. However, you should always make sure that the SAR value was determined according to the standards EN 62209-1 and EN 62209-2. Other methods can be outdated and give incorrect values.
Olga Rogler / Editor finanzen.net
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