I've been reading more articles lately on the safety of cell phones. There are a few studies that show possible harmful effects of cell phone use. In 2008, a group of 23 international experts on brain cancer released a warning that cell phones may increase the risk of brain tumors- both benign and malignant. The head of the University of Pittsburg Cancer Institute, Dr. Ronald Haberman, put out a warning to his own staff regarding the dangers of cell phone use. We are exposed to EMF (electromagnetic field) and radiation through electricity running through our homes and electrical wires outside, WiFi, cell phone signals, radio, TV, and microwave. Even if we stop using cell phone, we are exposed to Wireless signals all around us.

Although the government states that the evidence against cell phones is unsubstantial, I would still like to be cautious until the safety is absolutely determined. I am not willing to wait until we have the evidence. I use my cell phone daily, but have begun to make changes. The suggestions put forth by the international experts are pretty easy to implement.

1. Do not allow children to use a cell phone, except for emergencies.

2. While communicating using your cell phone, try to keep it away from your body as much as possible. Whenever possible, use the speaker-phone mode or a wireless headset which has 1/100th of the EMF emission of a normal cell phone

3. Avoid using your cell phone in places such as buses, where you can passively expose others to your phone's electromagnetic fields.

4. Avoid carrying your cell phone on your body at all times. Do not keep it near your body at night, such as under your pillow or on a bedside table, particularly if pregnant.

5. If you must carry your cell phone on you, make sure the keypad is positioned toward your body and the back is positioned toward the outside so the transmitted EMF move away from you rather than through you.

6. Only use your cell phone to establish contact or for conversations lasting a few minutes, as the biological effects are directly related to the duration of exposure. For longer conversations, use a landline with a corded phone, not a cordless phone, which uses electromagnetic emitting technology similar to that of cell phones.

7. Switch sides regularly while communicating on your cell phone to spread out your exposure. Before putting your cell phone to your ear, wait until your correspondent has picked up. This limits the power of the EMF near your ear and the duration of your exposure.

8. Avoid using your cell phone when the signal is weak or when moving at a high speed, such as in a car or train. This automatically increases power to a maximum as the phone repeatedly attempts to connect to a new relay antenna.

9. When possible, communicate via text messaging rather than by making a call, limiting duration of exposure and the proximity to the body.

10. Choose a device with the lowest SAR possible (SAR- specific absorption rate, which is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field absorbed by the body). SAR ratings of contemporary phones by different manufacturers are available online. Here's one website that lists SAR: http://reviews.cnet.com/cell-phone-radiation-levels/

For the full article written by Dr. Ronald Haberman, please go to this website: www.environmentaloncology.org/node/201