Are you the kind of person who
is hooked to your cell phone
24×7? In that case, you should
know about the health and other
related risks involved when using
Bluetooth devices.

1. Is Bluetooth Technology
Harmful?
Before we talk about Bluetooth
devices, let us see if Bluetooth
technology is harmful. Bluetooth
is transmitted through
microwave radiation. The range
that this radiation uses is 2.402
GHz to 2.480 GHz. Microwave
frequencies have a short
wavelength, a rapid oscillation
rate, and operate at a very low
power. Also, the penetration
depth of these waves is about
1.5 cm at 2.54 GHz, which
indicates that this penetration is
too small to affect the human
body. However, long-term
exposure to microwave radiation
can cause cancer, leukemia,
attention deficit disorder, hair
loss, miscarriage, birth defects,
etc.

2.Bluetooth vs. Cell Phone
Radiation Dangers
As mentioned earlier, the amount
of radiation that is emitted by
Bluetooth devices will not have
harmful effects on the body. The
small range of Bluetooth devices
and low operating power makes
these devices less vulnerable
than cell phones.
Cell phones need to transmit
signals back and forth from the
base stations, which requires
considerably high power. On the
other hand, Bluetooth devices
need relatively less power,
because of their short operating
range, which is just about 10
meters or so. This reduces the
health risks of using Bluetooth
devices. When the device is not in
use, it is generally idle. This saves
its battery life, and also helps in
reducing long-term health risks.
The Specific Absorption Rate
(SAR) rating of Bluetooth devices
is less than that of cell phones.
Another concern related to the
use of Bluetooth devices is
regarding the rise in body
temperature due to Radio
Frequency (RF) emissions.
However, it is to be noted that
this concern is completely
baseless. The output power of a
Bluetooth device is too low to
cause any noticeable change in
body temperature.
3.

3. FDA Statement on Bluetooth
Radiation
The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has
mentioned that using hands-free
kits and other accessories is
better than using cell phones
directly. According to the FDA, the
combination of body-worn cell
phone accessories can reduce RF
energy absorption from cell
phones. Bluetooth devices can
reduce the exposure because a
cell phone is held away from the
body (head). However, the risks
involved due to exposure from
cell phones are still unknown, so
there is no conclusive evidence
that such accessories reduce the
radiation effect.
4. Driving Distractions
Although there are no potential
health risks involved in using
Bluetooth devices, according to
DistractedDriving.gov, the major
reason for road accidents is the
use of phones while driving.
Though the usage of Bluetooth
headsets has increased over the
years, the statistics on accidents
are still the same. According to
the Virginia Tech Transportation
Institute (VTTI), headset cell
phone usage is not substantially
safer than hand-held use.
Statistics by DistractedDriving
reveal that...
In 2011, 3,331 people were killed
in crashes involving a distracted
driver, compared to 3,267 in
2010. Also, in 2011, an additional
387,000 people were injured in
motor vehicle crashes involving a
distracted driver, as compared to
416,000 in 2010.
5. Security Concerns
Apart from the health concerns,
the security risks involved with
Bluetooth devices are much
higher. A research firm, Insight
Express, has found out that 73
percent of mobile phone users
are not aware of the security
risks involved with Bluetooth-
related devices. According to the
research, hackers can gain
access to information that is
stored on cell phones. But since
we are talking about Bluetooth
devices, the signal strength is
low, which limits the attacking
distance to about 10 meters. The
use of firewalls and antivirus
software can help reduce these
risks.
Although there is no scientific
evidence which proves that
Bluetooth devices are harmful,
many researchers claim that
prolonged usage of these
devices can have health risks.
Even in that case, it is advisable
to use a Bluetooth device along
with your cell phone, instead of
using the cell phone directly.

I think bluetooth device is safe.