Lab for testing radiation level starts rolling [Mail Today (India)]

(Mail Today (India) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) THE country's first laboratory for testing and measuring mobile phone radiation was formally commissioned at the Telecommunication Engineering Centre ( TEC) here on Monday.

The government has said that new mobile phones manufactured in the country or imported should start following the stricter radiation norms by September 1. The radiation level should be displayed on such handsets.

TEC's Specific Absorption Rate ( SAR) laboratories, which would measure the level of radiation emitted by mobile handsets, has been set up at a cost of ` 2.5 crore. Currently, cell phone makers either self- certify the level or get it certified from international accredited labs.

SAR is related to electric field strengths produced inside body tissues while making calls.

Department of Telecommunications ( DoT) officials said that its Telecom Enforcement Research and Monitoring ( TERM) cells will be responsible for conducting audit on self- certification furnished by the service providers.

Telecom minister Kapil Sibal, while commissioning the SAR laboratory, said, " We have set up a lab in the country so that mobile phones can be tested here for electromagnetic radiations. More such labs will be set up across the country starting with Mumbai." The new laboratory can take SAR measurements for CDMA, GSM 2G and 3G mobile handsets in the frequency band of 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1,800 MHz and 2,100 MHz. The laboratory can also take measurements of SAR value against the International Commission on non- Ionising Radio Protection ( ICNIRP) limit of 2 watts per kg measured over 10 gramme of tissue as well as the recently adopted 1.6 watt per kg measured over 1 gramme of tissue.

Sibal also commissioned a Next Generation Network laboratory at TEC which serves the objectives of testing and certification as well as network- related study for any Internet protocol- based equipment. According to new radiation rules, the radio frequency exposure limit must be lowered to 1/ 10th of the existing level. It will also become mandatory for SAR to be embossed and displayed on the mobile handset by the manufacturer.

SAR level for mobile handsets will also be restricted to 1.6 watt/ kg, averaged over a mass of 1 gramme of tissue.

Mobile handsets manufactured and sold in India or imported will now be checked for SAR limit compliance.

The government is also amending the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, to ensure that handsets satisfy radiation standards.

The new norms stipulate that the mobile handset booklet should ask consumers to use a wireless hands- free system with a low power bluetooth emitter to reduce radiation. It should also instruct buyers to enusure that their mobile has low SAR.

New rules say radio frequency exposure limit must be 1/ 10th of current level WHAT IS SARSpecific absorption rate ( SAR) is a measure of the rate at which energy is absorbed by the body when exposed to a radio frequency ( RF) electromagnetic field It can also refer to absorption of other forms of energy by tissue, including ultrasound It is defined as the power absorbed per mass of tissue and has units of watts per kg SAR is usually averaged either over the whole body, or over a small sample volume ( typically 1 gm or 10 gm of tissue) The value cited is then the maximum level measured in the body part studied over the stated volume or mass (c) 2012 India Today Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company

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