SAR level and radiation of modern phones. SAR and Phone Radiation Index

Each mobile phone contains a radio transmitter and receiver and is designed to meet RF exposure limits. These requirements (they determine the permissible limits for safe exposure of a person, regardless of his age and state of health) are established by an international standard developed by an independent research organization ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection). This standard operates with the concept of SAR.

What's happened SAR

SAR (English) Specific Absorption Rates) – specific absorption coefficient, indicating the maximum specific power absorbed by the human body when using a mobile phone.

SAR measured in W/kg.

Ratio measurements SAR are performed in the standard operating position of the device in the maximum transmitter power mode specified in the technical specifications in all operating frequency ranges.

In Europe the radiation limit is 2.0 W/kg.

In the USA, restrictions are more stringent: Federal Communications Commission (FCC – Federal Communication Commission) certifies only those cell phones that SAR which does not exceed 1.6 W/kg.

How to reduce harmful radiation exposure

1. When talking, hold the phone (smartphone) so as not to block the antenna with your hand (in mobile phones with a built-in antenna, it is located in the upper third of the phone body).

2. Try to keep the duration of conversations to a minimum; if possible, replace voice communication with SMS-communication (especially in weak signal areas).

3. When talking from indoors - if possible - go to the window.

4. Try to make fewer calls from your car. If possible, install an external car antenna (the metal body of the car significantly worsens the conditions for transmitting the signal from the mobile phone to the base station, so the phone transmitter operates at maximum power).

6. To reduce the radiation power, it is recommended to use accessories "hands-free".

7. When a connection is established, the mobile phone operates at a higher power than during a conversation, so when making an outgoing call, do not put the handset to your ear immediately, but a few seconds after dialing the number (the moment the connection is established on the phone can be determined by the indication on the display).

Notes

1. Most modern phones have SAR from 0.5 to 1.0 W/kg.

2. Actual level value SAR for a working mobile phone may be lower than the maximum value (this is due to the fact that the design of the phone allows you to use the minimum power sufficient to establish a connection with the cellular operator's network).

3. By the amount SAR(except for the phone model) are influenced by various factors, for example, the distance to the cellular network base station, the use of accessories.

4. In the Russian Federation, hygienic regulation of the electromagnetic field created by elements of the cellular radio communication system is determined Hygienic standards GN 2.1.8./2.2.4.019-94 “Temporary permissible levels ( ) exposure to electromagnetic radiation generated by cellular radio communication systems.”

SAR is an important indicator of the harm of phones

Hello, dear readers! I’ll ask you one question now... Just don’t rush to answer it. Think...

What is SAR?

Well, what are the possible answers? There may be several of them:

The monetary unit of Saudi Arabia is the Saudi Riyal (abbreviated as SAR).

The indicator of the parabolic time/price system is terrible, how difficult it is...

The code for the public airport in Sparta, Illinois, USA - who would have thought...

What nonsense! - you say, - How does all this relate to the topic of the site?

Okay, I won't torture you. I'll tell you the correct answer!

SAR is the Specific Absorption Rate. This indicator determines (attention!) the magnitude of the HARMFUL IMPACT OF A MOBILE PHONE on a person.

SAR is an important indicator!

This means that the indicator is important. And it will also be useful to know him.

It would be useful to first read the articles about radiation from the phone and the harm of the phone.

As we know, there is a signal receiver and a transmitter in the phone (articles about the sensitivity of the phone and the power of the transmitter). They are the sources of electromagnetic radiation. International organizations have established maximum permissible SAR levels. This value is measured in W/kg.

In the USA, the limit is 1.6 W/kg, in Europe - 2 W/kg. As we see, there is no unity here. In the UK this value is generally 10 W/kg. But this does not mean that if you come to the UK, your phone will become less harmful to you. In all this confusion with the maximum permissible SAR figures, only one thing is clear - the lower the better.

In Russia, studies on the effects of mobile phones on the human body were not conducted until 1997. Only later, in the course of research, it was found that the electromagnetic field of mobile phones has some effect on the brain.

In different countries over the years, all kinds of studies have been carried out on the effect of cell phones on humans. Here are some results:

1) The subjects were exposed to a cell phone for 30 minutes. During this time, their intelligence increased. The time required to complete agility tasks was reduced due to improved blood circulation in the brain caused by slight heating.

2) Canadian scientists have found that mobile phones cannot cause serious health complications.

3) Their German colleagues discovered that blood pressure increases while talking on the phone.

4) Mobile phones interfere with pacemakers. More than a million people live with them in the world.

There is only one conclusion: scientists around the world cannot come to a consensus about the dangers of mobile phones. Hence the differences in determining the safe SAR level. I repeat, THE LESS IS THE BETTER! You certainly can't argue with that.

SAR – how does it affect our health?

The SAR value for a phone is determined by the level of electromagnetic radiation (measured in Watts) per 1 kg of brain. Moreover, this value is determined for a mobile phone at maximum power. In reality, the radiation power depends on a number of parameters, one of which is the quality of communication. The rule applies here: THE BETTER THE QUALITY OF COMMUNICATION AT THE POINT OF LOCATION OF THE SUBSCRIBER, THE LOWER THE RADIATION POWER.

This leads to simple tips to reduce the impact of radiation on you and me.

1) When talking, do not block the antenna with your hand.

2) When talking indoors, try to approach the window where the connection is better.

3) If you are in an area of ​​poor reception, then do not talk on the phone for a long time.

4) At the moment of receiving/calling, the phone radiates to the maximum. Therefore, do not hold the phone to your ear immediately after dialing a number. Wait for the connection to be established.

Cell phones, in addition to the amount of memory, processor speed and megapixels in the camera, have another important indicator - the level of radiation. Typically, the characteristics give the SAR value - this “the level of radiation determines the energy of the electromagnetic field released in the tissues of the human body in one second” (quote from Wikipedia).

For example, the MagCom phone (MagCom model) has a SAR level of 0.04, and the iPhone 3GS has a SAR level of 1.20 (this is at the maximum). The norm is 2. By the way, marketers, here's an idea for you. “Eco-friendly” phone, green and made of wood. With minimal radiation levels. “Protect yourself from cancer” and all that.

The phone's radiation depends on what frequency it operates on (only GSM has several frequency ranges, but there is also WCDMA and so on), how high the signal level from the station is and whether WiFi and Bluetooth (all transmitters emit) and other radio modules are turned on.

Additionally, SAR is measured differently in different countries. In the USA and some other countries, the SAR value is measured per 1 gram of tissue (and this characteristic is often referred to as US SAR), the norm in these countries is 1.6 W/kg, in Europe and parts of other countries - per 10 grams, the norm in in this case - 2 W/kg (EU SAR). Russia has adopted its own SanPiN standards. The SAR value in them cannot be translated using simple mathematics, but it is known that Russian standards are, in general, more stringent.

Now, watch your hands. What happens if the phone has two or three telephone radio modules? It is logical that their radiation level will be higher. How long? Do SAR values ​​add up? I don’t know the answer to the last question, but you can look at the SAR for mobile phones with multiple SIM cards.

I looked at a few examples. Certified Samsung Duos SGH-D880 - 0.22 W/kg (per 10 g), Samsung Duos GT-C5212 - 0.62, and Fly does not disclose information about the SAR of its phones (sic!), but they are officially sold in Russia. Apparently, the level is the maximum permissible or very close to the upper limit.

For the “gray” Chinese, the characteristics are more difficult to find, but it is mentioned on the Internet that supposedly someone from Mobile-Review took measurements (I couldn’t find anything on their website) and the results were as follows: TV1000 - 1.63, N95 - 2, 08, F003 - 3.12, C5000 - 2.63. If this is true, then it doesn’t matter on what scale it was measured, it’s still a lot.

Based on the numbers found, there are three conclusions. First, everything is strict with certification in our country, otherwise the counters official stores would be filled with Chinese phones (it is clear that you can buy anything in the markets), the second - for certified phones with two SIM cards, SAR is within normal limits, but there are two emitters, hence the conclusion - the reception will be weak, which is what users of such phones often complain about ( Sometimes, however, it happens that one radio module is weaker than the second, which is also unpleasant). The bottom line is that it’s better not to buy phones with three radio modules at all.

The third conclusion is that manufacturers of phones with two SIM cards have to somehow reduce the level of consumption. I don’t know of a single certified cell phone with two SIM cards, where when calling with one SIM card, they could call the second one. But there are plenty of Chinese ones like that. This is probably due to the fact that the second radio module “falls asleep” in order to reduce radiation during a conversation on the first.

P.S. For starters, there is a cell phone with 4 SIM, produced, of course, in China.

When choosing a mobile phone, we pay attention to the range of different technical characteristics, but, for some reason, no one looks at such a value as SAR. Moreover, almost no one knows what it is.

For mobile phones, SAR is a measure of electromagnetic radiation affecting the human body. Literally, the abbreviation SAR stands for: Specific Absorption Rates. SAR is measured in the ratio W/kg (watts per kilogram) and is used to measure the effect of electromagnetic radiation from a mobile phone on the human body. In Europe, the acceptable value is 2 W/kg for 10 grams of human tissue (no more). The lower this figure, the better.

Recently, shortly after the release of the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the Internet was heatedly discussing a statement that Eldar Murtazin, an analyst at Mobile Research Group, made on Twitter. He writes about the new iPhone 6: “Emits three times more than its counterparts, and even more than the unknown Chinese.” Also: “using the new iPhone without a headset can simply be unsafe.”

But the SAR value of iPhone 6 phones is: 0.99 W/kg at the head, 0.91 W/kg at the body. Eldar Murtazin explains this simply: the bend of the radio module is at its limit in order to break through the aluminum body of the phone.

Of course, this does not prove that using this phone is dangerous for you, but still, for such a well-known and beloved brand by many, it’s not good. I would not recommend this phone to a child.

The situation is noticeably better for Samsung. After a short search for phones with minimal SAR levels, it turns out that the list is dominated by Samsung Galaxy phones. The table of telephones of different brands is given below. Here are not all the phones, but only those that I managed to find and those that are on sale as of 2014.

How to find out the SAR level of a phone?

Sometimes this information is on the company’s official website, in the technical specifications of the phone. Also often listed in the user manual. An online store can also indicate the SAR value on the product page (although this rarely happens). In any case, if you want to find out the SAR of any mobile phone model, Google or Yandex can help!

In standby mode, the phone emits almost no electromagnetic waves, only occasionally, for a fraction of a second, to communicate with the base station. So there is no need to be afraid to carry your mobile phone in your pocket. But a continuous bend occurs during data transmission or conversation.

And finally, two simple tips for those who like to talk on a mobile phone for hours:

1. Do not press the phone to your ear and do not hold it to one ear all the time (move it to the other ear every ten minutes).

2. Use a headset.

Recently, when discussing mobile phones, smartphones and other wireless devices, the term “SAR level” has increasingly appeared. For example, this term can be found in the technical characteristics of devices or in articles reviewing these gadgets. At the same time, it is not always explained what the SAR level is, what it affects and what it should be.

The abbreviation SAR stands for Specific Absorption Rate, which can be translated into Russian as specific absorption rate. The SAR level is an indicator that indicates the level of electromagnetic field energy that is absorbed by the human body in one second. This indicator is used to determine the magnitude of the dangerous influence of the electromagnetic field emitted by a smartphone or phones during its operation.

Typically, SAR levels are measured in watts per kilogram. For example, in the European Union the permissible SAR level is 2 W/kg per 10 grams of body. In the USA, the permissible SAR level is even lower - 1.6 W/kg for 1 gram of body. It should be noted here that while determining the SAR level, the smartphone or telephone operates at its maximum power. Whereas in real conditions, the radiation level is usually much lower and depends on the quality of communication at the point where the user of the device is located. If the user is close to the mobile operator's base station, the radiation level can be 100 times lower than the maximum possible. On the other hand, some scientists note that the permitted SAR levels are significantly higher than the levels needed to cause .

What is the SAR level of modern smartphones?

Older mobile phones that used the NMT (Nordic Mobile Telephony) cellular standard could emit such a strong signal that their SAR level reached 5 W/kg. Fortunately, with modern devices this indicator is within more acceptable limits.

For example, we give 20 modern smartphones with the highest SAR levels

Now for comparison 20 modern smartphones with the lowest SAR levels(values ​​for the user's head).

And one more example - SAR levels for all iPhone models(values ​​for the user's head).

As you can see, in modern smartphones the SAR level fluctuates around 1 W/kg. This may raise the question of why models from some manufacturers have such low SAR levels. In particular, there are many models from Samsung in the ranking of the safest smartphones.

The main reason for this result is the antenna design. If the antenna is located at the bottom of the phone, then it will irradiate less of the user’s head and more of his body, and if the antenna is located at the top of the phone, then the head will receive more radiation. Many Samsung models have the antenna at the bottom, so their head SAR value is significantly lower.

How to find out the SAR level for your phone

If you're interested in the SAR level of your phone, it's easy to find out. All you need to do is enter your phone model name into any search engine and find the specifications page.

If a simple search in a search engine does not produce results, then you can contact the site. Go to this site and use the site search to find the model you need.

On the specifications page, go to the “SAR” tab.

Then scroll down the page a little.

Here you will see your smartphone model and its SAR level.

How to reduce the impact of high SAR levels

If you are unlucky and it turns out that your smartphone has a fairly high SAR level, then you can take a number of simple measures to reduce the harmful effects on your body.

• Hold the phone by the bottom of the case. This way you won't obscure its antenna and the phone won't increase its transmit power.

• When talking indoors, try to approach the window. This will improve call quality and reduce the transmission power your phone uses.
• Don't get carried away with conversations if you are far from the mobile operator's base station. Because the further away you are, the higher the transmission power.
• Do not get carried away by conversations in a car or other transport. The metal body of the vehicle degrades the quality of communication, which leads to an increase in transmission power.
• Do not use covers or cases, as they also reduce the quality of communication.
• If possible, use a headset or speakerphone to avoid holding the phone next to your ear.
• When dialing a number, bring the phone to your ear only after a successful connection.