December 16, 2020

4 everyday sources of wireless radiation (how much radiation are you really exposed to on a daily basis?)

Just how much wireless radiation are you exposed to on a daily basis? Many people never think about it. If you are curious you can take our wireless radiation assessment. Otherwise here are 4 everyday sources of wireless radiation you should be aware of.

1. Cell Phone Use

The most common everyday source of radiation everyday sources of radiation are cell phones and cell antennas. Many people spend a significant portion of their day working from their phone. Business calls, personal calls, surfing the net, or even just sitting in our pockets. Cell phones are constantly emitting wireless radiation. Studies have shown that the low-level dose from this everyday source of radiation can potentially have a direct effect on human tissue, and studies of long-term cell phone users have shown an increase in certain types of cancers. For this reason, we recommend minimizing your exposure to your cell phone as much as possible, and avoid storing it close to your body, such as in a pocket.

2. Home & Workplace Electronics

Many of the common electronic devices we rely upon each day are a constant source of low levels of wireless radiation. Laptops as well as desktop computers are constantly emitting small levels of radiation. People who work in offices surrounded by computers and these small amounts can start adding up. Once you start considering tablets, bluetooth headsets, and the radiation emitted by wireless routers to keep everything connected these small doses keep adding up. While spending more time outside might be good for your health, keeping your phone in your pants pocket while talking on your bluetooth headset mean even being away from the office is not going to completely remove your exposure. Additionally, you may then be bombarded by more radio frequency radiation due to cell phone towers/antennas.

3. Cell Phone Towers/ Antennas

Cell phone towers/ antennas put out a large amount of wireless radiation. They are constantly blanketing an area in radio frequency radiation that is permeating through windows, walls, and soaking into you. If you have a cell phone signal, then you know you are being bombarded by at least one, and possibly more cell phone towers. While older 2G and 3G technologies have been shown to have negative health effects on people, newer technologies have managed to escape long term studies of their dangerous side effects. Even though 4G has been out for over 10 years and can spread wireless radiation over 10 miles from the source, the health dangers may not be fully understood for years. With new 5G towers being deployed every 100-200 meters in cities this constant bombardment of radiation is set to increase exponentially.

We recommend if you are checking into a hotel to always check for cell phone tower antennas nearby. By looking out your window, or using online tools to locate nearby cell phone towers, you can determine just how much wireless radiation you may be bombarded with during your stay. If available, you may wish to request a room change to avoid these signals.

4. Air Travel/ Public Transportation/ Cars

Air travelers are constantly exposed to low level of cosmic rays in the atmosphere during flight. A long-distance traveler may be exposed to an estimated six rems of radiation during a single flight. The exposure will increase the further the flight is from the earth’s equator since our magnetic field reflects cosmic radiation. Airplane pilots, flight attendants, as well as frequent flyers, will have a much larger exposure to this everyday source of radiation. Additionally, today's aircraft come equipped with Wi-Fi service that is broadcast during flight. This wireless radiation is then added to the normal amount of background radiation you will experience during a flight. Unfortunately, there is very little that can be done to minimise this exposure during travel.

While using public transportation, many people choose to pass the time via accessing their wireless devices. As many of the common methods of public transportation are made of metal this can trap the wireless signals of not only you, but also the other passengers in a confined space. Thankfully this exposure is usually fairly short.