Is it true that updating software can reduce radiation?

Audit expert: Meng Meng

Associate Researcher at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Recently, the issue of excessive electromagnetic radiation from Apple's iPhone 12 has sparked heated public debate. The French National Frequency Administration issued a news release on September 12, 2023 stating that the electromagnetic wave radiation value of Apple's iPhone 12 mobile phone exceeded the EU standard after detection, and Apple has been asked to temporarily remove the phone from the French market from that day.

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This news caused a global uproar, and Apple responded by saying that it would reduce the electromagnetic radiation of iPhones sold in France by updating the software to make them comply with EU standards. So, can a software update really solve the problem of excessive electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones?

The formation and harm of mobile phone radiation

Mobile phone radiation is essentially a form of electromagnetic radiation, which refers to the process of electromagnetic field energy being emitted outward in the form of waves. As a form of energy transfer that comes with the electromagnetic field, it is ubiquitous in daily life.

When we use mobile phones, electromagnetic waves are constantly emitted and received between the mobile phone and the transmitting base station, thus forming mobile phone radiation. From a biological point of view, the human body is composed of a variety of biological macromolecules, and any substance in an electromagnetic field will be polarized and magnetized.

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When the external electromagnetic field is small enough, the arrangement, combination, trajectory and direction of the particles in the body are in the body's own equilibrium state, that is, in a normal state; when the external electromagnetic field is large enough, the arrangement, combination and trajectory of these particles will change with the changes in the electromagnetic field, thereby destroying the original inherent equilibrium state and causing abnormalities in the human immune system, nervous system, etc., which in turn affects human health and may even cause certain diseases.

In the electromagnetic radiation field generated by mobile phones, since people generally place their mobile phones close to their brains when using them, the electromagnetic waves will directly act on the brain, and the brain is relatively sensitive to radiation. When the radiation frequency is relatively high and the duration is relatively long, the brain will absorb a large amount of radiation energy, which can easily damage the central nervous system.

Thermal and biological effects of electromagnetic radiation

Electromagnetic radiation affects living cells in many ways. When it acts on the human body, it will produce thermal and biological effects . Thermal effect refers to the fact that when the human body absorbs electromagnetic field energy to a certain intensity, it will generate heat and have a high temperature physiological reaction. Studies have shown that when the radiation function density S>100mW/cm^2 (megawatt/square meter, the unit of light radiation, indicating the radiation energy projected onto a unit area per unit time), the heat converted from the electromagnetic radiation energy absorbed by the human body will exceed the body's temperature regulation ability, causing a significant increase in local body temperature or physiological disorders. Thermal effects can also damage organs that are sensitive to heat, such as the eyes and brain.

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The biological effect refers to the fact that under the influence of low-intensity electromagnetic radiation, the human body temperature remains basically unchanged, but obvious non-thermal effects are produced, causing resonance of the human cell membrane, limiting the cell's activity and causing significant physiological changes, such as headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, insomnia, fatigue, nausea, hair loss, blurred vision and other symptoms.

Reasons why mobile phone radiation exceeds the standard

Experts pointed out that the reasons for excessive mobile phone radiation should include two aspects: pure hardware reasons and software reasons. For example, changes in components such as RF antennas and other structural parts, changes in production line processes used in the assembly of mobile phones, etc. may cause the hardware radiation of the system to increase; excessive operating power of mobile phone software will also cause the radiation to exceed the detection standard.

If the excessive radiation from a mobile phone is caused by hardware reasons, the mobile phone has not met the health standards since it left the factory, and all mobile phones in this batch should be recalled; if the excessive radiation is caused by the excessive running power of the mobile phone software, the most convenient solution is to manage and upgrade the system software to reduce the transmission power of the mobile phone, thereby reducing the radiation so that it meets the standard requirements.

In April 2010, in order to understand the changes in electromagnetic radiation levels of mobile phones under different conditions, researchers selected 11 mobile phones of different brands and models, and turned them on, off, in standby mode, receiving and sending information, while also testing the electromagnetic radiation electric field strength. The relevant measurement results are shown in the figure below.

Note: The measured value does not deduct the environmental background value, which is 0.54-0.58 V·m-1. Source: Electromagnetic radiation generated by mobile phones in different working states

It can be seen from the data in the picture that the radiation intensity of the mobile phone is the lowest in standby mode. During the process of starting and shutting down, the radiation intensity of the mobile phone increases significantly. During the process of receiving and sending information, the brightness of the mobile phone's electromagnetic radiation also increases.

The researchers then selected mobile phone A with the highest radiation level to monitor the RF electric field strength during dialing and talking at different distances within 30 cm. The results are shown in the table below.

Source: Electromagnetic radiation generated by mobile phones in different working conditions

The results show that the intensity of electromagnetic radiation from a mobile phone is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. The farther the distance, the weaker the radiation. The radiation intensity is higher before the call is connected. The radiation intensity reaches its maximum at the moment the call is connected, and the radiation intensity is weaker during the call.

How to judge whether your mobile phone has radiation problems?

If conditions permit, you can use professional radiation detection equipment to measure the more accurate mobile phone radiation value, or use a mobile phone radiation detection application to measure the radiation level of the mobile phone. In addition, you can also find the SAR value (specific absorption rate) corresponding to the mobile phone published by the manufacturer on the official website of the mobile phone manufacturer or in the mobile phone manual. The lower the value, the lower the radiation.

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In addition, you can also judge by observing the signal strength of the mobile phone. Generally, the radiation will be higher when the signal is weak, because when the signal is poor, the mobile phone may increase the output power to maintain communication, thereby increasing the radiation.

In our daily lives we can take the following measures to reduce the hazards of radiation.

(1) Because electromagnetic radiation has a cumulative effect, the longer the time, the greater the amount of radiation received. At the same time, the attenuation of radiation is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. Therefore, you should try to reduce the time you use your mobile phone and stay away from your mobile phone or turn it off when not in use.

(2) When talking on a phone, the phone should not be placed close to the ear. The best distance is 1 to 3 cm to reduce the harm of radiation. Using headphones can also effectively reduce radiation to the brain.

(3) The electromagnetic radiation released by a mobile phone is the greatest when it is connected. Therefore, it is best to answer the call 2 seconds after the phone rings or in the interval between two phone rings. The time should not be too long. If you really need to talk for a long time, you can answer the call alternately with your left and right ears.