MONITORING OF RADIOFREQUENCY RADIATION FROM SELECTED MOBILE TELEPHONES IN KENYA

Abstract

The use of mobile phones in Kenya has increased tremendously in the recent past. This has increased the general population

exposure to mobile phone radiation. Numerous mobile phone manufacturers, producing different handset models with

varying standard qualities, have also emerged. Consequently, pegged on these circumstances, various questions arise:

Is the radiation from the mentioned gadgets within the safe limits or not? How does the physical condition of handset

under different exposure conditions affect the radiation thereof? Do anti-radiation filters suppress the said emissions or

not? In regard to these, the intensity of radiation around various GSM phone models has been measured using broadband

radiofrequency meter and spectrum analyzer and the results assessed based upon the established international safety

standards on non-ionizing radiation. The results obtained in this study have shown the presence of radiation levels from

all the selected mobile phone models, ranging from 0.01134 to 0.4671 mWcm-2 with the highest from Nokia Series

(China) N95 and lowest from Nokia 1110. These radiation levels are within the recommended exposure limits. It has

further been established that high radiation intensities from a transmitting handset appear between the dial and reception

of a call. The use of different anti-radiation filters in abating mobile phone radiation has also been found effective, but

with different degrees of efficiencies of which none meets the 99% efficiency asserted by the respective manufacturers.

It has also been established that the radiation levels from a mobile phone are affected by the physical condition of

the body. The International Mobile Equipment Identifiers (IMEIs) of the handsets under-study were also assessed for

compliance to established standards