What are the SAR values for Samsung’s Galaxy S6
and Galaxy S6 Edge?
What is the manufacturer's recommended minimum body separation distance?
How should consumers use this information?
Be sure to read the latest Consumer Reports safety warnings about cell phone use.
Oct 5, 2015 (updated)
The Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) for the Samsung Galaxy S6 on the Verizon cell phone network is 0.33 watts per kilogram (w/kg) at the head for cellular transmission. The body SAR is 0.57 w/kg for cellular transmission; the wireless router SAR is 0.91 w/kg, and the SAR for simultaneous transmission (cellular plus Wi-Fi) is 1.13 w/kg.
According to Samsung, the SAR for the current version of this phone is 1.09 w/kg at the head and 1.16 w/kg at the body. Samsung reports that, "Earlier versions may have different measured SAR values, which are detailed in the User Manuals that accompany those handsets."
The Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) for the Samsung Galaxy S6 on the Verizon cell phone network is 0.33 watts per kilogram (w/kg) at the head for cellular transmission. The body SAR is 0.57 w/kg for cellular transmission; the wireless router SAR is 0.91 w/kg, and the SAR for simultaneous transmission (cellular plus Wi-Fi) is 1.13 w/kg.
According to Samsung, the SAR for the current version of this phone is 1.09 w/kg at the head and 1.16 w/kg at the body. Samsung reports that, "Earlier versions may have different measured SAR values, which are detailed in the User Manuals that accompany those handsets."
For the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge on the Verizon cell phone network, the head SAR is 0.40 w/kg for cellular transmission. The body SAR is 0.55 w/kg for
cellular transmission; the wireless router SAR is 0.96 w/kg, and the simultaneous transmission SAR is 1.17 w/kg. According to Samsung, the SAR for the current version is 0.88 w/kg at the head and 1.17 w/kg at the body.
The SARs for these models may also vary depending upon your specific cell phone carrier. All SARs reported above are averaged over one gram of body tissue (US standard).
According to Samsung, "Body-worn SAR testing has been carried out at a separation distance of 1.5 cm" (i.e., 15 mm or about 0.6 of an inch). "To meet RF exposure guidelines during body-worn operation, the device should be positioned at least this distance away from the body."
The Samsung Mobile Phone Health and Safety and Warranty Guide for the Samsung Galaxy S6 provides the following information on page 4: (http://bit.ly/1aWb0rB):
The SARs for these models may also vary depending upon your specific cell phone carrier. All SARs reported above are averaged over one gram of body tissue (US standard).
According to Samsung, "Body-worn SAR testing has been carried out at a separation distance of 1.5 cm" (i.e., 15 mm or about 0.6 of an inch). "To meet RF exposure guidelines during body-worn operation, the device should be positioned at least this distance away from the body."
Although the SARs for the Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are somewhat higher, the body-worn SAR test was conducted at a separation distance of 5 mm (about 0.1 of an inch) so the body SAR values are not comparable to those reported for the Galaxy S6. The SAR values can be found in my article on Apple smart phones.
The Samsung Mobile Phone Health and Safety and Warranty Guide for the Samsung Galaxy S6 provides the following information on page 4: (http://bit.ly/1aWb0rB):
"For body-worn operation, this device has been tested and meets FCC RF exposure guidelines when used with an accessory that contains no metal and that positions the mobile device a minimum of 1.5 cm from the body. Use of other accessories may not ensure compliance with FCC RF exposure guidelines."
"This device has a FCC ID number: A3LSMG920T [Model Number: SM-G920T] and the specific SAR levels for this device can be found at the following FCC website: www.fcc.gov/oet/ea/.
The SAR information for this device can also be found on Samsung’s website: www.samsung.com/sar."
The Samsung SAR test reports have the following caveat from the testing laboratory:
“Please note that the absorption and distribution of
electromagnetic energy in the body are very complex phenomena that depend on
the mass, shape, and size of the body, the orientation of the body with respect
to the field vectors, and the electrical properties of both the body and the
environment. Other variables that may
play a substantial role in possible biological effects are those that
characterize the environment (e.g. ambient temperature, air velocity, relative
humidity, and body insulation) and those that characterize the individual (e.g.
age, gender, activity level, debilitation, or disease). Because various factors may interact with one
another to vary the specific biological outcome of an exposure to electromagnetic
fields, any protection guide should consider maximal amplification of biological
effects as a result of field-body interactions, environmental conditions, and
physiological variables.” (p. 66)
What do SAR values mean to the consumer?
The legal limit for the SAR in the U.S. is 1.60 w/kg (averaged over one gram).
The Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) requires that all cell phone models be tested
for their Specific Absorption Rate or SAR. The SAR is a measure of the maximum
amount of microwave radiation absorbed by the head or the body. It is measured
in a laboratory using an artificial model of a large adult male with different
fluids to simulate human tissue. The SAR, which is measured in watts per
kilogram, represents the maximum amount of energy absorbed in any one gram of
tissue in the test model. Phones sold in the U.S. typically range in SAR values
from about 0.20 up to the 1.60 legal limit. (3, 4)
The SAR test, adopted
in 1996 by the FCC, was criticized by the U.S. Government Accountability Office
in 2012. (5) The test does not reflect those who currently use cell phones, nor
does it correspond to the way people use them. Today many children are cell
phone users -- the child’s brain absorbs twice the radiation as the adult’s
brain. Moreover, the artificial head does not contain any metal (e.g., dental
fillings, earrings, or eyeglass frames) which could increase the radiation
absorption beyond the measured SAR in the laboratory. (5)
The FCC assumes that
consumers will carry their cell phones in a manufacturer-approved holder that
keeps the phone a minimum distance away from the body. However, most people do not keep their phone in a cell phone holder. For the
SAR test, the FCC allows the manufacturer to choose the separation distance
between the cell phone and the test model as long as consumers are informed
about the minimum distance tested. Few consumers are aware of the
manufacturer’s recommended minimum body separation distance from their cell phone
because this information is often difficult to find. Thus, most consumers are
in the dark about precautions they can take to keep their exposure to microwave
radiation below the legal limit.
To ensure that the
cell phone does not exceed the legal limit, consumers should never keep their
cell phone in their pockets or next to their skin. The cell phone is not tested
directly against the body because most cell phones would fail the SAR test as
the radiation absorption increases dramatically when the cell phone is close to
the body.
Is the legal limit
sufficient to protect the cell phone user’s health?
Federal policies in the U.S. would lead the public to believe that all legally-marketed cell
phones are safe, and that a cell phone's SAR doesn't matter as long as it meets
the legal limit: 1.6 watts per kilogram. (3, 4)
However, the Environmental
Working Group and experts point out that the SAR only measures
the maximum microwave absorption from cell phone use that perfectly matches
laboratory conditions. The SAR is not a good indicator of one’s cumulative
microwave exposure under naturalistic conditions. The research evidence suggests that
how one uses the phone (e.g., hands-free) and one’s cell phone carrier actually
matters more than the phone’s SAR level. (4, 6, 7)
The SAR standard was
developed to protect users only from the acute effects of the heat generated by
microwave radiation (i.e., the thermal effect). (5) The SAR limit
does not protect users from the non-thermal effects caused by the cumulative exposure
over time to cell phone radiation.
Yet, thousands of
laboratory studies with animals and cell samples have found deleterious
biologic effects from short-term exposure to low intensity cell phone
radiation, including development of stress proteins, micronuclei, free
radicals, DNA breakage, and sperm damage. (8) Human studies have also found
that brief exposure to cell phone radiation alters brain activity and can open
the blood-brain barrier which could enable chemical toxins in the circulatory system
to penetrate the brain. (9)
Major studies with
humans have found increased cancer risk, including a three-fold increase in
brain cancer among those who used wireless phones (cell phones and cordless
phones) for 25 or more years. (10) Based upon this research, the
World Health Organization in 2011 declared radiofrequency radiation "possibly
carcinogenic" in humans (Group 2B). (11)
Other risks from cell
phone use include reproductive health damage and male infertility, and
neurological disorders (e.g., impaired cognitive functioning, headaches and
migraines, and ADHD [attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder]) in children. (12, 13)
Based upon the weight
of the evidence from several decades of research including thousands of
peer-reviewed published studies, many experts worldwide have signed
declarations calling upon government to adopt stronger radiation standards to
protect consumers from low intensity, non-thermal exposures from radiation
associated with wireless communications, and to alert consumers about how to
reduce their risk of harm. (14 -16)
For tips on how to
reduce exposure to wireless radiation, see "Some Tips to Reduce Your Exposure to Wireless Radiation". (17) In short, limit your use of the phone, keep the phone away from your body whenever it is powered on, use the phone hands-free, and turn off transmitters not in use (e.g., shut off Wi-Fi or use airplane mode).
Joel M. Moskowitz,
Ph.D.
School of Public
Health
University of
California, Berkeley
References
(1) PCTEST Engineering Laboratory,
Inc. SAR Evaluation Report. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Galaxy S6). FCC ID: A3LSMG920V. Submitted to FCC. March 1, 2015.
(2) PCTEST Engineering Laboratory, Inc. SAR Evaluation Report. Samsung
Electronics Co., Ltd. (Galaxy S6 Edge). FCC ID: A3LSMG925F. Submitted to FCC. March 1, 2015.
(3) FCC. Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) for Cellular Telephones. Undated. http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/specific-absorption-rate-sar-cellular-telephones
(3) FCC. Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) for Cellular Telephones. Undated. http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/specific-absorption-rate-sar-cellular-telephones
(4) FCC. “Specific
Absorption Rate (SAR) For Cell Phones: What It Means For You.” Undated.http://www.fcc.gov/guides/specific-absorption-rate-sar-cell-phones-what-it-means-you
(5) Joel
Moskowitz. “"Comments on the 2012 GAO Report: 'Exposure and Testing
Requirements for Mobile Phones Should Be Reassessed'.:” http://www.saferemr.com/2013/01/commentary-gao-2012-report-on-mobile.html
(6) Wolchover N.
Radiation Risk: Are Some Cellphones More Dangerous Than Others? Life's Little
Mysteries. June 23, 2011.
http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/1550-radiation-risk-some-cell-phones-more-dangerous-than-others.html
(7) Environmental Working Group. EWG’s Guide to Safer Cell Phone Use: Where is EWG's cell phone database? August 27 2013.
http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/where_database
(7) Environmental Working Group. EWG’s Guide to Safer Cell Phone Use: Where is EWG's cell phone database? August 27 2013.
http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/where_database
(8) Giuliani L.
Soffritti M. Non-thermal effects and mechanisms of interaction between
electromagnetic fields and living matter. ICEMS Monograph. Bologna, Italy:
National Institute for the Study and Control of Cancer. 2010.http://www.icems.eu/papers.htm
(9) Joel Moskowitz. “LTE
Cell Phone Radiation Affects Brain Activity in Cell Phone Users.” Sep 20, 2013.http://www.prlog.org/12215083
(10) Joel Moskowitz.
“Brain Cancer Risk Increases with the Amount of Wireless Phone Use: Study.http://www.prlog.org/12216483
(11) Joel Moskowitz.
“Most Significant Government Health Report on Mobile Phone Radiation Ever
Published.”http://www.prlog.org/12125230
(12) Joel Moskowitz.
“Cell Phone Radiation, Pregnancy, and Sperm.” Nov 19, 2012. http://www.prlog.org/12026867
(13) Joel Moskowitz.
“Cell Phone Use and Prenatal Exposure to Cell Phone Radiation May Cause
Headaches in Children.“http://www.prlog.org/12269207
(14) Joel Moskowitz.
“Part I: Why We Need Stronger Cell Phone Radiation Regulations--Key Testimony
Submitted to the FCC.” Aug 4, 2014. http://www.saferemr.com/2014/08/why-we-need-stronger-cell-phone.html
(15) Joel Moskowitz.
“Part II: Why We Need Stronger Cell Phone Radiation Regulations--Key Research
Papers Submitted to the FCC.” Aug 4, 2014. http://www.saferemr.com/2014/08/why-we-need-stronger-cell-phone_43.html
(16) Joel Moskowitz.
“Part III: Why We Need Stronger Cell Phone Radiation Regulations--98 Scientific
Experts Who Signed Resolutions.” Aug 4, 2014. http://www.saferemr.com/2014/08/why-we-need-stronger-cell-phone_4.html
(17) Joel Moskowitz.
Some Tips to Reduce Your Exposure to Wireless Radiation (one page
handout). Undated. http://www.saferemr.com/2015/03/some-tips-to-reduce-your-exposure-to.html