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RE: Cell phones interference
Speaking of references, have any of you seen any documentation that EMF from
electronic toys/cell phones/personal computers interfere with aircraft
control systems? They always include warnings when I fly, but I've never
seen any scientific evidence that they do.
> ----------
> From:
> andrew_mcewan@nrl.moh.govt.nz[SMTP:andrew_mcewan@nrl.moh.govt.nz]
> Reply To: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
> Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2000 4:24 PM
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: Cell phones interference
>
>
>
> Peter
> You wrote
>
>
> Do you have any references on that? Our hospital rather uncritically
> decided
> to ban cell phones here. It seemed like somebody said they'd seen an
> article. It quickly became a case of "better safe than sorry!" But cell
> phones have become so common and there are so many signs that you see
> people
> frequently using them. There has been almost no effort, that I know of,
> to
> enforce the ban and of course no incidents or that would have generated a
> real effort.
> Anyway if you have any references to offer, I'd be interested in getting
> them.
>
>
> _______
>
>
> This is not an area I keep up on closely - I have read reports but do not
> have
> anything at hand. However, I understand that experiments have shown that
> some
> medical devices, such as infusion pumps, ECG monitors, ultrasound scanners
> etc
> may suffer interference if cellphones are used within two metres. Tests in
> Middlemore Hospital, Auckland, found that about 20% of equipment tested
> was
> susceptible. Generally, problems were immediately evident and not
> life-threatening. I have heard a few anecdotal cases from Australia. A
> person
> who would be able to supply references is Ken Joyner, Motorola,
> (c20471@email.mot.com) but he is overseas at present.
>
>
> A few pacemakers have been susceptible to interference if the handset
> is held
> close to the chest. These models reverted to a fixed pacing mode, but
> did not
> fail altogether. In normal use, with the handset held close to the ear,
> there
> are no problems. (It is perhaps worth noting that cellphones are not
> be the
> only source of interference, for example, two-way radios used by security
> staff
> may pose greater problems.)
>
>
> A news report of 3 March this year indicated cell phone use on Tokyo
> sub-ways
> was being banned because of the potential for effects on cardiac
> pacemaker
> patients. The report stated "The government sponsored study showed
> pacemakers
> could temporarily stop operating if a cell phone was in use within
> 22 cm".
> (They pack the passengers in fairly tightly in Tokyo!) The
> city's
> Transportation Bureau said "they had to institute the ban after
> receiving many
> reports of passengers with pacemakers getting sick on trains".
>
>
> Another small point. I understand the magnet in the ear piece of some
> phones is
> sufficiently strong to demagnetise credit cards.
>
>
> Andrew McEwan
>
>
> Andrew C McEwan PhD
> National Radiation Laboratory
> PO Box 25-099
> Christchurch, New Zealand
>
> Ph 64 3 366 5059
> Fax 64 3 366 1156
> Andrew_McEwan@nrl.moh.govt.nz
>
>
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