How Safety Standards for Cellphone Severely Neglects Human Biology
Do you know what levels of wireless radiation your phone has to emit to be considered lethal, or at least cause burns?
Sam the Military Man and Microwave Radiation
Let me tell you a story about SAM. SAM was created in 1989; he was not made to be average. He was made to be a representative of the very top 10 percent of army recruits in the US military. As microwave radiation as a military weapon progressed throughout 1970s and 80s, the military wants a model to test microwave radiation on humans that they were observing in real life. So SAM was to be the specific anthropomorphic mannequin to test how much microwave radiation a body could absorb while making a cell phone call.
SAM became the standard for specific absorption rate for cellphone radiation in humans. This safety standard is called the SAR.
The Problem with SAM
But some people began to point out that testing mobile phones on a plastic dummy isn't the same as in human body. The ear of a plastic dummy is not like a human ear of cartilage -- in fact, it is highly absorbant liquid.
SAM’s headsize only represents roughly 2% of the human population and 0% of children.
Furthermore, the measurement, ‘SAR’ is still only based on thermal-induced effects (i.e., heating effects) and therefore disregards numerous health hazards, such as the effects on the blood brain barrier (BBB), neurotransmitters and autophagy which have all been well documented.
How do you use your phone? Against your ear? Where do you actually keep it when you’re out all day — against your hip bone in your pocket? Or tucked in a bra? It goes on and on…
In fact, the phones themselves violate the SAR standard!
SAM was used to test early phone models. The outcome of those early proceedings was that a person cannot absorb more than 1.6 watts of energy per kilogram of body weight.
By now phones are on the 4G of wireless technology.
We Are Not SAM
Now, meet the man whose research inspired the SAM campaign. Professor Om P. Gandhi, Emeritus Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering with the University of Utah, taught courses on biological effects of antennas, RF and microwave electromagnetic fields for over 50 years.
A world expert on how mobile phone radiation penetrates the human brain, Prof Ghandhi was once a consultant to major cell phone companies.
In March 2012, his study was published in the journal Electromagnetic Biological Medicine, it shared how The SAR for a 10-year old is up to 153% higher than the SAR for the SAM model and MRI scans of children between 5 and 8 years of age. He wrote: "It was found approximately 2 times higher SAR in children compared to adults. When electrical properties are considered, a child’s head’s absorption can be over two times greater, and absorption of the skull’s bone marrow can be ten times greater than adults."
“It is a fact that humans of all sizes and ages from children to older individuals are using cell phones, and testing for compliance testing for a 220 lb., 6 feet 2 inch tall adult male underestimates the actual energy absorbed by up to a factor of two, thus releasing into the market telephones that would not pass if a proper safety compliance testing method was used.”
He realised these findings were being manipulated...and how the SAM testing standard were an abuse of the SAR ratings.
Prof Gandhi was deeply disillusioned at the unconscionable lack of industry regulation and zero liability of cell tower companies and cell phone makers on human health. Gandhi refused to work with them any longer.
SAM and SAR Cannot Tell You How Much Radiation You Absorb
The highest SAR was set relative to the heat produced by RF radiation.
Worse, the highest SAR is set well below the level of radiation that would endanger a user’s health.
Prof Ghandi embarked on a mission with other scientists and concerned advocates to share this knowledge. This work sparked the WE ARE NOT SAM movement.
We Are Not SAM movement is not based on opinion - it's backed by thousands of scientific studies and the leading independent scientists from around the world have a lot to say about this testing dummy called SAM.
The SAR specification on a phone can only tell you the highest measurement taken for each frequency reached by the device, and not how much radiation you absorb.
So now you know, there is zero biological science behind mobile phone safety testing. You are exposing yourself regularly to harmful levels of wireless radiation every time you use a wireless device. It is now in your hands to share about this knowledge and protect yourself and your loved ones.
References and Notes:
https://www.instagram.com/wearenotsam/
You can read Prof Gandhi’s paper here. Gandhi OP, Morgan LL, de Salles AA, Han YY, Herberman RB, Davis DL. Exposure limits: the underestimation of absorbed cell phone radiation, especially in children. Electromagn Biol Med. 2012 Mar;31(1):34-51. doi: 10.3109/15368378.2011.622827. Epub 2011 Oct 14. PMID: 21999884.
Prof Gandhi was a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering in 1997. He was the Chairman of the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Utah, from 1992 to 1999, the President of the Bioelectromagnetics Society from 1992 to 1993, the Co-Chairman of the IEEE SCC 28. IV Subcommittee on the RF Safety Standards from 1988 to 1997, and the Chairman of the IEEE Committee on Man and Radiation from 1980 to 1982.