Cell Phone Risks Tough to Ignore

Review: Two new books don't settle the issue, but raise serious questions
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 4, 2010 5:33 PM CST
Cell Phone Risks Tough to Ignore
File photo of a cell phone user in San Francisco.   (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

The Washington Post's environmental reporter takes a look at two books (Ann Louise Gittleman's Zapped and Devra Davis' Disconnect) that cover familiar ground on the potential dangers of cell phones. Neither comes close to settling the issue, writes Juliet Eilperin, but "they raise significant questions about our constant exposure to the electronic radiation that flows from the devices into our homes, workplaces and public spaces—questions serious enough to make me change my behavior."

Eilperin rounds up common advice from both authors:

  • Use a headset
  • Don't carry a cell phone on your body
  • Limit use with a weak signal because the radiation increases while the phone works harder to find one
  • Don't leave an active phone next to your bed overnight
  • Text instead of having a long conversation
  • Keep the phones away from young kids
Read the review here. (More cell phones stories.)

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