Are Smartphones Safe and Can We Trust SAR Testing?
Smartphones have become an essential gadget in modern life, serving as communication tools, diary management, and entertainment devices. Many feel they can't leave home without their phone and assume it is safe and adequately tested.
However, growing concerns about potential health risks have sparked debates over the adequacy of current testing protocols, particularly the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) tests used to evaluate radiation exposure.
Understanding SAR Testing
The Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) measures how much radiofrequency (RF) energy a device emits and how much the body absorbs. Regulatory agencies, including the UK’s National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), have set SAR limits. In the UK, devices must have SAR values below 2 watts per kilogram, averaged over 10 grams of tissue.
But how accurate are the SAR tests used? Testing involves using a mannequin called SAM (Specific Anthropomorphic Mannequin), which represents the dimensions of a large adult male.
The mannequin is filled with a liquid that simulates human tissue, while probes measure the energy absorbed during simulated usage. However, manufacturers like Apple and Samsung conduct SAR testing with phones that are not positioned directly on the body.
For example, Apple specifies in its current iPhone product documentation that SAR testing is conducted with the device placed 5 mm from the body. For earlier models, this distance was between 10mm and 25mm. Apple's iPads are still tested at 15mm from the body.
Similarly, Samsung’s SAR testing of smartphones is typically performed away from the body at a distance of 15 mm.
These distances are supposed to mimic real-world scenarios but don’t reflect actual usage patterns, such as carrying phones in pockets, holding the phone to the head/ear or holding the phone, watching videos and scrolling for long periods of time.
Questioning the Accuracy of SAR Testing
Dr. Joel Moskowitz from the University of California is among the critics of SAR testing, stating: “The testing often assumes ideal scenarios, such as the device being held at a specific distance from the body, but people use their phones in a variety of ways, including directly against the skin.”
Daniel DeBaun, author of Radiation Nation: The Fallout of Modern Technology, highlights another issue: “SAR measures thermal effects, but non-thermal biological effects are equally concerning and largely ignored.”
These effects include oxidative stress and potential cellular damage. A 2021 animal study in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences linked prolonged RF exposure to oxidative stress, a condition that can lead to cellular damage and cancer.
The World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified RF radiation as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” reinforcing the need for caution.
Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS)
Electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) is a condition in which individuals report symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, tinnitus, and cognitive difficulties linked to electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure.
Dr. Erica Mallery-Blythe, a UK doctor and founder of the Physicians’ Health Initiative for Radiation and Environment (PHIRE), stated: “Many patients with EHS present consistent symptoms correlated with EMF exposure. EHS is a physiological condition and not a psychological one!”
While Sweden classifies EHS as a functional impairment - providing accommodations such as EMF-free environments - countries like the UK and the US largely treat it as psychosomatic.
The Phonegate Scandal
Dr. Marc Arazi exposed the “Phonegate” scandal, revealing that many smartphones emit radiation levels exceeding regulatory limits. In 2016, documents from the French National Frequencies Agency (ANFR) showed that manufacturers manipulated SAR tests to underreport radiation exposure.
During his investigation, Dr. Arazi found that certain iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones had SAR values up to five times the regulatory limit.
His book, PHONEGATE: Overexposed and Deceived, details these revelations, media censorship and corruption, and regulatory inaction. Dr. Arazi continues to campaign through the non-profit, Phonegate Alert, advocating for transparency and consumer protection.
In Disconnect: The Truth About Cell Phone Radiation, epidemiologist Dr. Devra Davis further exposes how the mobile phone manufacturers have systematically downplayed radiation risks and manipulated safety testing to make their devices appear safer than they actually are.
She describes how industry-funded studies often find no harm from mobile radiation, while independent studies showing health risks are dismissed or discredited.
Dr Davis founded the Environmental Health Trust (EHT), which promotes safer technology use and stricter regulations.
Five Billion Phone Users Deserve Better Testing
As smartphones evolve with technologies like 5G operating on higher frequencies, the debate over safety testing becomes more critical. Current SAR testing is insufficient to address real-world risks, emphasising the need for rigorous and realistic testing protocols, as well as long-term studies to understand cumulative impacts.
Raising public awareness of the risks and promoting practical steps to reduce exposure is equally important to empowering consumers to navigate potential health risks in an increasingly connected world.