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Apple Airpods - EMF radiation levels? Can anyone here do a quick measurement?
- Thread starter Music1969
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- Thread Starter
- #42
My nieces and nephews (and all their friends) all under 13 not only have a cellphone each but also use these Airpods for over 5 hours everyday - they are flying off the shelves.
AudioSceptic
Major Contributor
Airpods use BlueTooth 5.0, not some Apple-only radio tech. What I don't understand is that the phone is doing the transmitting, not the AirPods (apart from handshaking and when the mic is used), so why measure the AirPods and not the phone? Is the claim that they are reradiating EMF?
AudioSceptic
Major Contributor
That must some power being used, for them to self-levitate!
AudioSceptic
Major Contributor
What does that have to do with music over BlueTooth?
Nothing. Tried to edit my previous post. Point is compare apples with apples.
AudioSceptic
Major Contributor
There are multiple problems with this topic.Nothing. Tried to edit my previous post. Point is compare apples with apples.
Why is the phone not being measured when it is doing the vast majority of the transmitting?
Why are some talking about the other "radios" that phones use when wireless earphones/pods use BlueTooth, a short-range low-power radio tech?
Why are other BT earphones not being compared?
Most probably the main concern is is it safe, whatever ear pod brand one may use?
Nobody has a definitive answer. Nor do I after 30 years in microwave RF transmission.
Nevertheless, precaution must prevail especially with young kids.
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I once read a sci-fi story by Karl Schroeder where the main character measured his radiation exposure in Chernobyl in terms of cigarettes smoked. Every time he checked the reading he was up at least another pack.
All valid points.
It remains that we need independent measurements of the level of RF to which we are subjected on a continuous basis. I believe this issue needs to be at the forefront. Leaving it to the goodwill of this industry and to lobby-controlled government agencies is not the best way.
- Thread Starter
- #51
The phone was also measured and discussed in this thread.
The Airpods (pair of them) are on the head, for multiple hours a day.
As per the discussion and numbers in this thread, these Airpods (especially a pair of them) may not be as low power as I thought. Also factor in exposure time (multiple hours every day).
I’m interested in these Airpods because they are flying off the shelves, millions being sold every month.
Maybe other devices are similar but they are not being sold in these Airpods numbers.
And maybe other devices have been measured but I haven't looked much.
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mechapreneur
Member
All Bluetooth devices operate at 2.4MHz, just like your microwave ovens and WiFi. The difference is power levels. 2.4MHz is the frequency of water molecules. Lets assume the AirPods are microwaving your ears at 20mw. That might warm your tissues by a hundredth of a degree every second, but your blood will sweep away that heat with every heart beat. There is no danger.
The danger with sticking your head in a microwave oven is that it can heat your tissues faster than your body can absorb and redistribute the heat. Just like putting your hand on a stove. There is no way you're going to get that kind of energy out of AirPods. The only threat they pose is to your hearing from playing them too loud for too long.
The danger with sticking your head in a microwave oven is that it can heat your tissues faster than your body can absorb and redistribute the heat. Just like putting your hand on a stove. There is no way you're going to get that kind of energy out of AirPods. The only threat they pose is to your hearing from playing them too loud for too long.
- Thread Starter
- #53
I ask utmost respectfully, but are you looking at this from only an engineering perspective?
Or do you have qualification in the specialist area/s (cell biology etc)?
I like @Arpiben's comment, "Nobody has a definitive answer. Nor do I after 30 years in microwave RF transmission."
mechapreneur
Member
Engineering. If you are worried about EM radiation at these levels, you need to stay out of the sun for the rest of your life.
Thing
Thing is, too much sun is indeed highly damaging.
I think the question is "how much is too much" in the case of wireless equipment inserted into your ear?
It isn't something I am unduly worried about but then I don't use such devices and have no medical expertise to hold an opinion.
Thing is, too much sun is indeed highly damaging.
I think the question is "how much is too much" in the case of wireless equipment inserted into your ear?
It isn't something I am unduly worried about but then I don't use such devices and have no medical expertise to hold an opinion.
- Thread Starter
- #56
I found FCC docs for some other well known/reviewed/popular true wireless BT earbuds.
Interestingly, these others didn't require SAR testing.
Only Airpods Pro did.
The way I interpreted these documents, it confirms the Airpods Pro do basically run at or near maximum power all the time?
Max transmit power of Airpods is 19 mW.
The others are 11mW, 14mW, 12 mW maximum but on average run at lower power - closer to half the transmit power of Airpods Pro?
Have I interpreted wrongly @Arpiben ?
Apple Airpods Pro: https://fccid.io/BCG-A2084
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless: https://fccid.io/DMOM3IETWR
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 (coming in 2020): https://fccid.io/DMOM3IETW2R
Jabra Elite 75t: https://fccid.io/BCE-OTE120
Interestingly, these others didn't require SAR testing.
Only Airpods Pro did.
The way I interpreted these documents, it confirms the Airpods Pro do basically run at or near maximum power all the time?
Max transmit power of Airpods is 19 mW.
The others are 11mW, 14mW, 12 mW maximum but on average run at lower power - closer to half the transmit power of Airpods Pro?
Have I interpreted wrongly @Arpiben ?
Apple Airpods Pro: https://fccid.io/BCG-A2084
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless: https://fccid.io/DMOM3IETWR
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 (coming in 2020): https://fccid.io/DMOM3IETW2R
Jabra Elite 75t: https://fccid.io/BCE-OTE120
solderdude
Grand Contributor
I don't think 'warming up' the tissue is any problem at all. The concerns are damage to DNA and weird cellular growth.
Have no technical opinion about it but I rarely use my phone (have a dumb phone) and don't use wireless earbuds and wireless headphones.
In the latter case the radiation power levels reaching the head are factors lower.
10mW... 20mW it's just 3dB and don't think there is magic border that ensures nothing is affected (well 0 radiation would be) but that's not possible.
Have no technical opinion about it but I rarely use my phone (have a dumb phone) and don't use wireless earbuds and wireless headphones.
In the latter case the radiation power levels reaching the head are factors lower.
10mW... 20mW it's just 3dB and don't think there is magic border that ensures nothing is affected (well 0 radiation would be) but that's not possible.
I am sharing your interpretation as well as @solderdude remarks. The others brands escaped SAR testing.
(Keep in mind that SAR limits are considering an adult head and not kid ones).
You could try asking the Chicago Tribune. They tested phones and found many were over the limits.
They left out the best part, the manufacturer selects the sample and then promises it is similar to all their others.
I'm not saying they are cheating but I don't think it would be hard for them to cheat. It would probably be harder to cheat automotive emissions testing and thanks to volkswagen, we know that is a thing that happens.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/inve...0190821-72qgu4nzlfda5kyuhteiieh4da-story.html
They left out the best part, the manufacturer selects the sample and then promises it is similar to all their others.
I'm not saying they are cheating but I don't think it would be hard for them to cheat. It would probably be harder to cheat automotive emissions testing and thanks to volkswagen, we know that is a thing that happens.
mechapreneur
Member
Again, the amount of energy pumped out by an AirPod or any wireless IEM is trivial. The airpod pros have a battery estimated to hold 168mWh and Apple claims this can last 3.5 hours. If they pump out Bluetooth radio frequencies at full power and play no audio and do zero processing, that's going to be about 48mW of radiation into your ear canal. And it will all be absorbed by water. This is not enough energy to warm water, it's not going to be enough to break DNA chemical bonds. I mean, if you focused it like a laser and got around the water in the cell and made it to the nucleus you might have enough energy to break a single bond, I'd have to look that up, but I'm not losing sleep over this.
I trust Apple's incentives here to maximize usable battery life and not waste energy irradiating my ear so I expect the actual EM radiation to be much, much less than this theoretical example.
By comparison, the Sun blasts you with 1000W per square meter all day long. All over the energy spectrum. Granted, the 2.4GHz band is absorbed by atmospheric water, but then the water in your ear does the same. The rest of the energy spectrum of the Sun is not so friendly. The power equivalence to an hour of AirPod use in a dark room is about 0.2 seconds in the Sun on a clear day.
Anyone worried about energy exposure from Bluetooth devices needs to look elsewhere. Cellphones for example are at least trying to power a radio signal over long distance and are radiating right next to your ear.
I trust Apple's incentives here to maximize usable battery life and not waste energy irradiating my ear so I expect the actual EM radiation to be much, much less than this theoretical example.
By comparison, the Sun blasts you with 1000W per square meter all day long. All over the energy spectrum. Granted, the 2.4GHz band is absorbed by atmospheric water, but then the water in your ear does the same. The rest of the energy spectrum of the Sun is not so friendly. The power equivalence to an hour of AirPod use in a dark room is about 0.2 seconds in the Sun on a clear day.
Anyone worried about energy exposure from Bluetooth devices needs to look elsewhere. Cellphones for example are at least trying to power a radio signal over long distance and are radiating right next to your ear.
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