The more you use your cell phone, the more you wonder what it might be doing to you.
The nightly news talks about EMFs, microwave radiation and radio frequencies and how they might be affecting your brain. The device looks harmless enough; after all, it’s just a box with an antenna on it. But it’s the things you don’t see that might be causing the damage.
Several studies, including one by Wireless Technology Research, a cellular industry-sponsored group, suggest a possible correlation between cell phone emissions and a slight increase in brain tumors, cell growth in human blood micronuclei and DNA breakage in rats.
The cellular industry maintains that the phones are safe, and that more research is needed to draw any solid conclusions. With phones meeting government safety standards, and the scientific evidence inconclusive, what should you do? Giving up your phone is unthinkable.
Pick up a shield
SV1 Inc. developed SafeTShield to address some of these concerns. The shield is a small mesh disk that fits into the earpiece of your phone. It’s made of a copper and polyester alloy originally designed for military uses.
“The purpose of the shield is that the ear canal is one of the unprotected areas of the head, and it’s pressed right up against the phone,” says Russ Lentol, senior vice president of SV1. “The SafeTShield filters 99 percent of the waves entering the canal to the brain. It has no impact on your ability to hear or the quality of the signal.”
SV1 focused on just the ear, because if the entire phone were covered, it would block the signals necessary to use the phone. The skull provides some measure of protection, and the phone is typically only pressed against the ear.
“There are no conclusive findings at this point that cell phones are harmful,” says Lentol. “There haven’t been enough studies done, but the ones that have been done have created some concern. Even if there is a slight chance they can be harmful, people wanted to take steps to protect themselves if they are using the phones.”
It should be noted that these potentially harmful waves aren’t limited to just cellular phones, but also cordless phones, especially the newer high power models. The shield will also work in those types of phones.
“The shield is not intrusive in any way,” says Lentol. “You don’t even feel that it’s there. It’s a flat oval.”
The product retails for $24.95, and can be purchased by calling (888) 256-2006, ext. 11. Some retailers carry the product, but the safety debate has limited its penetration.
“We’ve found the independent companies are open to an item of this sort, and we’ve attempted to contact the bigger cellular companies,” says Lentol. “They are afraid if they have the item, it will imply that the reports are conclusive about the safety of the phones.
“As more people become aware of the potential harm, there has been an increased demand.”
For more information on the stance of the Cellular Telephone Industry Association, go to www.wow-com.com.
Todd Shryock ([email protected]) is SBN’s special reports editor.
