TUV Rheinland India, an independent certification body in India having a state-of-the-art testing lab at Bangalore, capable of evaluating products for Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), according to global standards, for both head and body-worn wireless devices including equipment such as mobile phones, PDA, tablets, PCs, laptops and other remote (WLAN) devices.
SAR is the measure for the amount of radio frequency (RF) energy absorbed by the human body tissue close to wireless transmitters, like mobile phones, PDA’s, WLAN, etc. Exposure to Electro Magnetic Fields (EMF) is considered an important health and safety issue when using a wireless device.
“Sustained exposure to radiation can cause serious harm to human beings. While several well-known brands (of smart phone and tablet makers) are aware of the dangers of radiation and they take it seriously, but in India even awareness among handset and tablet makers is not 100%,” ,” said Kalyan Varma, General Manager, TUV Rheinland India.
“Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Department of Telecommunications – Government of India, has recently revised the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) limits for all mobile handsets to be used in India. The new limit is more stringent, whereas the earlier requirements were in line with the European Standards. With change in regulation all mobile handsets (manufactured in India / imported / sold) shall have to be checked for SAR evaluation with respect to FCC – US requirements,” commented Enrico Ruhle, Managing Director, TUV Rheinland India.
All handheld equipment or equipment worn on the body must be evaluated for human exposure standards. Wireless devices are tested at the highest certified power level in laboratory conditions utilizing a SAR test system with a robot. An orthogonal probe is mounted on the robot arm to measure the RF fields transmitted into a calibrated tissue simulator.
The level of electromagnetic field radiation from a radio frequency device has been offered as a guideline by the independent global body International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNRP). While each countries has set their own levels of radiation emission by wireless devices used widely (on the basis of the guidelines), in India the limit was recently revised as 1.6 Watts per Kilogram, which is the same as in the United States.
If a device were to emit more than 1.6 watts per kilogram, it cannot only harm the tissues, but can cause serious chest and abdominal problems if devices are kept in the breast and trouser pockets for a long time.
“Mobile devices made outside and legally entering India should comply with the limits, but the mechanism to check the domestically made devices do not exist. As a result a lot of devices may not be falling in line with the limits,” Varma said.
With radio frequency (wireless) devices proliferating rapidly into our daily life, the danger seems to increase. Base stations, for instance, can cause serious damage to our environment if limits are not maintained on radiation emission, while in-car infotainment– the technology that makes today’s cars intelligent, location aware and connected to the internet—introduce a new area of radiation.
“We work with semi-governmental bodies like Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) to hold seminars and educate both the industry and the public on the harms of unchecked radiation from several wireless devices,” Varma said.
“It’s also important for us to educate the public on keeping smart phones and tablets at a distance while sleeping. Many of us set alarms and keep the devices under the pillow, which is not advisable, while people should also check stickers found on handsets which would mention their SAR,” Varma added.
“In recent times we have seen a radical growth in mobile phone technology which is a boon as well as a bane for the society. With awareness and new regulations in place by the government, I am positive that we can make mobile phones safer,” added Enrico Ruhle.