In Germany, the network expansion to 5G has begun and with it a debate about the health consequences of mobile phone radiation. Stiftung Warentest has compiled all current studies and clarified the most important questions in a panel of experts with doctors, scientists and representatives of the authorities.
Table of Contents
The result of the studies
In many large animal studies, researchers exposed rats and mice to cell phone radiation for nine hours a day for two years. A connection with cancer could only be found in male rats, which in the study lived longer than unexposed animals. The cancer rates were also so low that no connection with mobile phone radiation could be established. The problem with the animal studies, however, is that they can hardly be transferred to humans, since the organism works differently. The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) therefore advises children to be exposed to as little radiation as possible.
Tips to avoid cell phone radiation
Stiftung Warentest recommends the following measures:
- Pay attention to reception
The weaker the cell phone network, the more cell phones have to transmit. Therefore, make sure that you only make phone calls when the reception is good and less on trains, in cars without an external antenna or in areas with poor coverage. - Using headphones to make phone calls
According to experts, it makes a big difference how close the cell phone is to the ear. With every centimeter of distance, the intensity of the electromagnetic fields also decreases. Therefore, use a headset or hands-free mode to make calls. - Check the SAR value
Before buying a mobile phone, you should check the specific absorption rate (SAR), which describes the amount of energy that is absorbed by the cell phone’s transmission to the closest part of the body. The BfS has published a list of test values for this . However, the product testers criticize the SAR value, since it is determined at maximum transmission power, which is often not even achievable in normal use. The value says little about the actual radiation exposure.
