What is the SAR standard? What is it based on? How is it tested? Can I test it myself? What was it made for? What is wrong with it? Does it mean anything? Is it relevant and for what? How can I test the Radiation from my smartphone and how to reduce exposure to radiation from my smartphone? let’s try to answer it all.
What is the SAR satandard?
SAR is a comparative value that supposes to reflect how much radiation can be absorbed into a flesh tissue when radiated by Radio Frequency (RF) radiation source like a cellphone, in the worst-case scenario (as far as power output goes, but not as the distance from the body goes). The units are Watt per kilogram.
What is it based on?
It is based on the assumption that the only possible effect of RF radiation on the body is the heating of the tissue.
It is also based on the assumptions that the user will use the device for 6 minutes and that he will not hold it or use it against the skip but about 20mm from it. Of course, all these assumptions are wrong and absolute
Is it protective?
Does the SAR standard protect users from possible health effects of RFR radiation from cellphones or other wireless devices? well, it is BIG NOW!
Henry Lai, B Blake Levitt’s study from 2022 reviewed 112 studies that showed the health and biological effects of RFR in SAR levels that are considered “within standards”, meaning lower than 1.6W/KG. The median specific absorption value in which biological effect occurred according to this review was 0.0165 W/KG. 100 times lower than the allowed threshold. I am not familiar with even one cell phone that has a SAR level lower than that.
How is it tested?
The measurement is based on the heating of a water-sugar-salt-based fluid inside a dummy which is bigger than 90% of the world adult population. The radiation source is located about 1″ (2.54 cm) away from the dummy (This is way in most mobile phone user manuals it say “keep the phone at least 1″/20mm away from your body in all time”) and is configured to transmit in max power.
The measurement last for 6 minutes (in the time SAR was invented it seemed to be impossible that a person will use the phone for more than 6 minutes). Both temperature and RF Electric field levels are measured by a probe that is inserted into the dummy.
Can you/me do the test with our own RF meter?
No, special lab equipment is needed.
The SAR is addressed as the worldwide official standard for cell-phones’ radiation emission. SAR measurement is not simple and there are only a small number of laboratories around the world that can actually measure it. The room of the measurement is RF and ELF shielded, and it should have no RF reflection from the walls.
Please see the video below about SAR measurement in Australia – https://youtu.be/HZ21DX9kA7c
Why was it created?
Officially SAR was invented to create a protocol for safety measurement of cell-phoned. Since cell phones are held next to the person’s head and brain there was a need to assess the safety of the device before putting it on the market. There is a technical difficulty to measure RF radiation very close to the source (in the “near field”) and there was a need to find a way to measure the levels without using RF radiation flux density meters that are usually more syutiable for the far-field (measuring about 30-90cm from the source). One way of doing this is to measure at least 3 field lengths away from the source and calculate backward the RF radiation levels in the head and brain. The result of this calculation showed higher levels than what is allowed by ICNIRP so-called safety standard which is based only on heat effect. So the need for a new standard that will give a “KOSHER” stamp to all cellphone (even if they emit very high levels of RF radiation) appeared. Because SAR is so difficult to understand people take it as granted and don’t question the logic behind it.
What is wrong with the SAR?
1. Temperature, heat effect based standard (heat concept, don’t protect from biological influences, changes, and damage at non-thermal levels of RF radiation).
2. Measured on a dummy filled with sugar-salt water.
3. The sugar saltwater is homogeneous. The brain is not, and it has more and less condensed parts and different tissues. The test has shown that there are hot spots in the brain where the SAR levels are about 10 times more than the measured SAR on a dummy.
4. The dummy size and shape is of a big grownup. Childrens’ heads are much smaller and the radiation penetration to the head is higher. The SAR does not cover children and small adults.
5. The Dummy is made out of plastic and does not block or reflect RF radiation as the skull or skin does. In a real head/body, hot spots are created due to the reflection of the RF radiation from the skull/bones/skin.
6. The basic assumption at the time that the SAR was invented was that the longest possible cellphone use will less than 6 minutes (funny-funny ha-ha).
7. In the SAR measurement, there is no expression to the ELF magnetic and electric fields that are created around a cellphone while it transmits. Exposure to these fields from levels of 2mG is considered to be a health risk. In GSM phones the ELF magnetic field can go up to several hundreds of mG, but it will not influence the SAR level.
8. SAR tests done in labs, on smartphones bought from the market, have shown in several cases higher SAR levels emitted from the cellphone.
Please see:
“Phone Gate” – https://www.phonegatealert.org/en/about-international-phonegate-scandal-eng
Measurement results of over 300 phones in France show higher levels than reported by manufacture – https://data.anfr.fr/anfr/visualisation?id=ad8014ec-f631-450e-a259-799188714ef9
Article in IEEE showing higher than reported levels in 13 devices – https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=8688629&fbclid=IwAR1sjoa0TEPnh3m5pm5h6RS2DQhnEHT9zn36tWxZCCZespqRN0vss44Bq1U
Does it mean anything?
It can be a way to compare phones and devices, as far as the worst-case scenario goes. But since the tests are done on a prototype, by the manufacture, even for that I don’t think it is a reliable factor.
In the real-life, there are many other factors that affect the power output of the phone (way of use, why of holding the phone, phone setup, and reception) and much more that affect the exposure (such as distance from the body, time of exposure) that a low SAR phone might emit more RF in reality than a high-level SAR.
Is it Relevant and for what?
In my opinion, it is not relevant for health, not for real-time exposure. It is partially relevant for comparing between different phones before you buy them (but only partially as there are other factors that determine the actual radiation levels emitted from the phone and the actual exposure).
It is relevant for the industry to show their customers that the phones were tested and are “within allowed levels” so their customers will have a “sense of safety”.
In addition, if a phone or a device was approved by this standard, it means it will most likely not burn your skin with RF radiation if you use it for 6 minutes when 20mm away from the skin.
Who can I test my mobile phone radiation at home?
- Use your Fast changing RF meter (for example the CORNET ED88TPLUS,).
- Put the phone next to the meter, about 30cm away from it
- Measure RF, film the measurment if possible so you can watch the reading on the meter change.
- Measure the RF levels while makeing a call, while surffing the web, watching video and on “idle mode” (the phone is not realy idle).
- Try to see the Avarage levels and the Max levels measured over 1 minutes or so. Try to measure how many seconds the phone emits RF Radiation out of a minute.
- Change phone setting , changing to 3G/ 2G/ 4G/ 5G network, changing the Data connection On/Off, move the phone farther away and closer, change to a diffrent carrier and watch how the level change.
- Test also ELF magnetic and electric fields over the phone (meter on top of phone) while making a call or surfing the web.
All the above tests will show you the radiation and will allow you to make knowledgeable decisions on the way and time you use your phone.
Video of measuring RF radiation from a smartphone, and comparing between LTE(4G) and UMTS(3G) – https://youtu.be/4-yzynU6d9o
What can I do to reduce exposure from the smartphone?
Use it as little as possible. Keep it as far away as possible from the head and body. Use speakers or earphones while making a call. Prefer landline phones and wired computers whenever possible. Turn off mobile data, WIFI, Bluetooth whenever possible. Use it only for short while. If you are an EHS person, use the phone only for emergencies, anything more than 5 minutes amount is in my opinion too much.
See more ways to reduce exposure from your smart phone at – https://www.norad4u.com/emf-exposure-reduction/using-the-mobile-phone/