International guidelines ensure that all mobile phones on the market operate within recommended radio frequency (RF) exposure limits. World Health Organization guidelines state that “present scientific information does not indicate the need for any special precautions for use of mobile phones”. However, if you would personally like to, the WHO suggests some simple steps you can take to reduce your exposure as a precaution:
- Keep call lengths to a minimum
- Keep the mobile phone away from your head and body by using an earpiece, Bluetooth or the loudspeaker function, if your phone has one.
There have been attempts to design mobile phone covers that absorb RF fields, to reduce the person’s exposure. The WHO advises that there is no scientific evidence that these are needed, and that the effectiveness of the covers is unproven. They are also likely to affect the quality of service, and may in fact increase the mobile phone’s operating power.