By Aled Herbert, 10 May 2002 09:30
NEWS Mobile phone health fears are likely to resurface today with the publication of a government-commissioned report into the safety of phone shields. The report claims that mobile phone shields offer varying amounts of protection from radiation emission. The government will publish the report in a written Parliamentary answer. The survey found that the effectiveness of shields varies considerably, and in some cases the effect is negligible. To be effective the shielding had to cover a large area roughly the same size as the phone itself. Smaller shields have "no significant effect", reports the FT, while buttons and antenna clips are ineffective. Personal hands-free kits remain one of the most effective ways of cutting the absorption of radiation, the report claims. In February, a report from the US Federal Trade Commission, said that some mobile phone shields that purport to protect users from radiation aren't as effective as they make out to be. It added that some devices actually cause phones to emit even more energy by acting as a focus for channelling power. The FTC said it had filed charges against two companies who used unsubstantiated advertising claims such as "prevents electromagnetic waves from penetrating the brain" and "blocks up to 99 per cent of the radiation".
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