What are the SAR Exposure Limits for Mobile Phones?

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) is a measure of the amount of RF radiation absorbed by the human body while using wireless radio device. It is measured in units of Watts/kg of tissue. Mobile phone safety limits are based on thermal effects and biological effects. Thermal effects include excessive heating of phones during a call in low network areas, charging/discharging of the phone or surfing the internet, etc.

The biological effects include the possible hazardous health effects of high-frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on auditory function. World Health Organization (WHO) has classified cell phone radiation as a Class 2B Carcinogen 2 — the same class as the pesticide Dichloro Diphenyl-Trichloroethane (DDT), Naphthalene, and Lead. Hence, many countries and international organizations like IEEE and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) consider both thermal and biological effects when setting safety limits.

List of Maximum SAR Limits in Various Countries

All cell phone manufacturers are required to conduct their SAR testing to include the most severe worst-case (and highest power) operating conditions for all the frequency bands. For example, USA’s Federal Communication Commission (FCC) requires the mobile phones to meet a SAR limit set as 1.6 watts per kilogram, average measured from 1 g tissue volume. The Council of the European Union has set the SAR limit as 2.0 watts per kilogram averaged over 10 grams of tissue for the body. Similarly, the Government of India has set the SAR limit to 1.6 watts per kilogram, average measured from 1 g tissue volume.