What is electromagnetic radiation and how bad is it for your health?

Lyou French regulators have ordered Apple to halt sales of the iPhone 12. Saying that Emits a dose of electromagnetic radiation All of them Above EU exposure standards.

The company denied the findings and He said the device complies with regulations.

The French government agency that manages wireless communications frequencies later issued the order The iPhone 12 recently failed one of two types of electromagnetic wave tests Capable of being absorbed by the body.

I don’t know what the phone is for It was launched at the end of 2020It failed the agency’s latest round of testing and Why was it a particular model?

This was said by the French Digital Minister iPhone 12 radiation levels are still lower than levels found in scientific studies They think they can Harmful to usersAnd the agency itself acknowledges that its tests don’t reflect typical phone use.

National Frequency Institute Apple on Tuesday called on the company to “implement all available means to quickly resolve this outage.” He said it will track updates for phones and devices already in use.

If they don’t work, “Apple to recall phones already sold”He said.

The company recently tested and found 141 cell phones When iPhone 12 is held in your hand or carried in your pocket, its electromagnetic energy absorption rate is 5.74 watts per kilogram. This is higher than the EU standard of 4 watts per kilogram.

Telephone Passed a separate radiation exposure test For devices stored in a A jacket or a bagThe company said.

Could radiation from the iPhone 12 cause health effects?

Radiation limits are established “Well below the level of damage” So a small increase over the threshold “There is no possibility of any health effects” said Malcolm Sperin, director of clinical physics at Royal Berkshire in the United Kingdom. Hospital Group.

iPhone 12 users can Download an update that prevents exceeding the radiation exposure limitSperin said.

It is not clear why this particular sample emits so much radiationBut he said “this could be related to the initial connection state when the phone is looking for a transmit/receive signal.”

Apple says that the iPhone 12 has been certified by several international organizations and meets All applicable regulations and standards About radiation around the world.

The American technology company said it provided the French company with several laboratory results performed by the company and third-party laboratories. Demonstrate phone compatibility.

Jean-Noël Parrott, the French minister in charge of digital issues, told France Info radio that the national broadcaster “is in charge of controlling our phones. Software updates can cause them to emit slightly more or less electromagnetic waves. “

Says iPhone 12 radiation levels are ‘slightly high’ than EU standards, but “significantly lower than the levels of scientific studies They consider that there may be consequences for users“But fate is fate.”

The agency’s tests are conducted in a diagnostic lab that uses a fluid-filled mold that simulates the human head and body, along with brain and muscle tissue. Devices are sent at full power during the six-minute testThe agency says on its website that it acknowledges the tests “do not reflect the most common use of the phone.”

During calls, the phone only transmits half the time when the user is talking, and calls rarely last six minutes, according to the company. Mobile or video Internet use lasts longer, but the phone “rarely transmits more than 10% of the time,” he added.

Cell phones and their relationship to certain diseases

Mobile phones have been labeled as “potential” carcinogens By the Division of Cancer Research of the World Health Organization, Putting them in the same category as coffee, diesel fumes and the pesticide DDT.

The radiation produced by mobile phones does not directly damage DNA and different from strong radiation such as X-rays or ultraviolet light.

Mobile phones have been widely used over the years. Studies have shown no clear association with adverse health effects such as cancer, headaches and cognitive functionIan Civil, a senior scientist specializing in radiation at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in England, said: .

Experts recommend for those concerned about radiation exposure from cell phones Use headphones or switch to texting.