What are the SAR values for Apple’s
iPhone SE smart phone?
What is the manufacturer's recommended
minimum
body separation distance?
How should consumers use this
information?
Be sure
to read the latest
April 18, 2016
iPhone Radio-Frequency information
Here is the one-page info sheet that comes with a new iPhone. The third paragraph instructs consumers about how to find RF exposure information for their new cellphone.
Does Apple really want consumers to see this information?
March
23, 2016
According to test reports filed with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission
(FCC), the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) for the iPhone SE for cellular
transmission is 1.14 watts per kilogram (w/kg) at the head, and 1.14 w/kg
when worn on the body. The wireless router SAR is also 1.14 w/kg. The SAR
for simultaneous transmission (cellular plus Wi-Fi) is 1.59 w/kg at the
head, 1.58 w/kg when worn on the body, and 1.56 w/kg when the phone is used as a hotspot.
All SARs reported above are averaged over one gram of body
tissue corresponding to the U.S. standard. According to the testing service, “The
results documented in this report apply only to the tested sample, under the
conditions and modes of operation as described
herein.” The minimum separation distance for body-worn testing and hotspot exposure was 5 mm (about 0.2 of an inch). The SARs that the user experiences may vary depending upon the user's cell phone carrier.
The SARs for the iPhone 6 models can be found at http://bit.ly/iphone6radiation.
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 of
tissue).
The 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 w/kg 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 body-worn
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. However, 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. This prompted the city of Berkeley, California to adopt landmark legislation that requires cellphone retailers to inform
their customers about the manufacturer’s safety information.
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 almost all 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. could 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) Recent evidence suggests that brain tumor incidence is increasing inthe U.S. and other countries
and exposure to cell phone radiation may be contributing to this increase.
(17) Two hundred and twenty (220) scientists who have published peer-reviewed
research on electromagnetic fields and biology or health have now signed a petition, the International EMFScientist Appeal,
calling for more protective limits on radiation from wireless devices including cellphones.
For tips on how to reduce your exposure to wireless radiation, see "Some Tips to ReduceYour Exposure to
Wireless Radiation". (18) 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).
References
(1) UL Verification Services, Inc . SAR Evaluation Report for Cellular Phone with Bluetooth and
WLAN Radios. FCC ID: BCG-E3042A. Model Name: A1723, A1724. Report No.
15U21635-S1V2. Fremont, CA. Issue Date: 2/2/2016.
(2) Skipped.
(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
(13)
Joel Moskowitz. “Cell Phone Use and Prenatal Exposure to Cell Phone Radiation
May Cause Headaches in Children.“ http://www.prlog.org/12269207
(17)
Joel Moskowitz. Brain Tumor Rates are Increasing in the U.S.: The Role of Cell
Phone and Cordless Phone Use. http://bit.ly/risingtumors
