DOES STORING YOUR PHONE IN YOUR BRA (OK, OR YOUR POCKET) INCREASE CANCER RISK?

My last post got me thinking. 

As I learned about radiation emission, I learned that we are exposed through more than just our microwaves.  Emissions of HIGH RADIO WAVE FREQUENCY (see last post) is used in WIFI, cellphone, and TV communication.

UM what?! Does that mean that we are potentially exposed to these things ALL THE TIME?!

And to top it off, my friend happened to recently send me a study linking breast cancer in women who frequently keep their phones in their bra...

...since I may or may not be guilty of this, I decided to do some research. 

The secret radiation waves our cellphones emit. Note: In preparation for upcoming trick-or-treat, I may or may not have made this image out of candy.

There is a national standard for safety exposure levels related to phones. This tells us that we can be exposed to 1.6 watts/kilogram. However, this standard has recently been criticized as being outdated. This is reasonable since it was established nearly 20 years ago. Don't think our phone use has changed a lot since then? Picture cellphones in the 1990's. Think about them now. Yeahhhh.

The most noticeable change is in how we carry our phones. They used to be bulkier and so were assumed to be carried externally, such as a purse..or in those super cute clip-on side pouches. Remember those? Of course you do. 

Either way, they were never slim enough to make such close contact as our pockets or bras. But fast forward a couple years and innovations later, and we have the Androids and iPhones we do today. 

Yay for convenience! Right?
Maybe not. 

Let's talk about the article on breast cancer. Four cases were reported of four different women, ages 21 to 39, who were diagnosed with breast cancer but were not genetically disposed (in other words, likely) to get this type of cancer. All their tumors shared similar characteristics (I guess cancer has different characteristics?), and as reported, were literally shaped as the phones these women repeatedly kept in their bras. 

I should note that their phone rested there for an average of 10 hours a day.  While that may sound like a lot, think about how long you keep your phone near. I don't know about you, but my phone is almost always in contact with me--whether in my hand, pocket, or bra. ALSO can I note that one of the women was only TWENTY ONE YEARS OLD PEOPLE?! 

Whether or not you read this and think you don't keep your phone so close for so long, there is still no denying the fact that there is reasonable evidence to believe that, in using our phones, we are at a higher risk for developing cancer. 

BOTTOM LINE

Out of all this, I wanted to know: Am I being exposed all the time? Or just when my phone is active, like in making a call?

Umm unfortunately, YES, the phone is always active. Even while not in use. So even while it's resting in just, say, your pocket. It is still emitting radiation. 

My final question then was: ugh, well what can I do now? How far should my phone be?
And I found the simple guideline that "distance is your friend". Devices such as bluetooth, headsets, and speakerphone allow this more easily. Also, to reduce your exposure, turn off your WIFI before you go to bed!

Though these sources say the data does not conclusively prove a connection between cellphone use and cancer, they all credit it to there not being enough research.  They seem to hint that there is a likely connection, but that we just haven't had enough time or studies done to prove that yet. For these reasons, I personally am going to resist keeping my phone in the most convenient places. Unfortunate, but necessary.

SOURCES

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/crim/2013/354682/ (accessed Sept. 23,2014).
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/athome/cellular-phones (accessed Sept. 23, 2014). 
http://www.cnet.com/news/u-s-report-fccs-cell-phone-radiation-guidelines-outdated/ (accessed Sept. 23, 2014). 
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cellphones (accessed Sept. 23, 2014). http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/06/16/emf-safety-tips.aspx (accessed Sept. 28, 2014). 
http://healthychild.org/cell-phones-radiation-your-childs-health/ (accessed Sept. 28, 2014).