Are Wireless Headsets Safe?
All wireless devices emit microwave radiation. This is the way they work. The British Government has reversed a recommendation that it is safer to use a wireless headset than hold a mobile phone next to the ear.
Radiation emissions into the ear when wireless headsets are used with mobile phones can be as much as 3 times the amount received when using a mobile phone directly against the head. Use of wireless headsets results in an even greater risk than use of a corded headset because of the low power and frequency levels that the transmitter and receiver operate at. Furthermore, when a wireless headset is used with a mobile phone the phone is frequently attached to a belt around the waist accelerating the penetration rate of radiation to tissue and vital organs such as the liver and kidneys compared with the skull, as they do not consist of bone for protection.
When held lower than head level mobile phones operate at higher power levels and emit more radiation. Other organs that are particularly susceptible to close proximity radiation emissions include the eyes, heart, testes and nervous system. Other reports claim that using a wireless headset is not a safer option than holding a mobile phone directly to the ear as they draw far more far-field electro-magnetic radiation than corded headsets. Wireless headset earpieces act as an antenna, creating an increased draw of electro-magnetic radiation.
A report commissioned by Which? magazine in 2000 claimed that there was a 300+% increase of radiation emissions penetrating the brain when used with wireless headsets. In response to this study, however, a British Government study reported a 90% reduction. Which? magazine repeated the study and, having achieved the same results, the British Government then re-considered the safety of wireless headset use.
Wireless headset use produces an increase in malignant endocrine gland tumours and benign adrenal gland tumours on tested animals with long-term low levels of exposure as well as single and double strand breaks in DNA.
Government statistics have shown that a driver is 4 times as likely to have an accident when using a mobile phone, even if a wireless headset is being used, and includes cases where a call was received or made up to 10 minutes before an accident occurred. The report states that the use of a wireless headset while driving does not eliminate the element of distraction and lack of concentration.
There are many positive safety aspects to using wireless headsets. When used around the home or in an office environment there are no cables to trip over, no wires to entangle. When used in the car, using a wireless headset means no distraction or hindrance from obtrusive cables.
The safest headsets are those with hollow air tubes, offering protection against both far-field and near-field exposure. Such headsets operate by transmitting sound from a speaker which is positioned a distance from the user. Tests claim that 98% of electro-magnetic radiation parameters are reduced through use.
Note: Please seek official Government recommendations for further information. This article is our personal opinion and is not medical advice.
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