The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has put together an online consumer guide that rates more than 1,000 cell phones based on the levels of radiation they emit.

The EWG says the list is aimed at helping consumers make better decisions about which   cell phones to buy. The free online tool offers information on each phone’s radiofrequency emissions, allowing users to compare different models.

Olga Naidenko Ph.D.,
EWG Senior Scientist

"We would like to be able to say that cell phones are safe," said Olga Naidenko, Ph.D., EWG Senior Scientist and lead author of the study.

"But we can’t. The most recent science, while not conclusive, raises serious issues about the cancer risk of cell phone use that must be addressed through further research.  In the meantime, consumers can take steps to reduce exposure."

According to the CTIA Wireless Association, there were 270.3 million wireless subscribers in the U.S. as of December 2008, a 30 percent increase in three years. Worldwide 60 percent of the population or 4 billion people subscribe to wireless services.

Health agencies in six nations have issued warnings to limit cell phone use, including Switzerland, Germany, Israel, France, the U.K. and Finland. The warnings said children were particularly at risk because their skulls are thinner and less able to shield the brain from radiation.

EWG says the current cell phone radiation standards, set by the FCC and based mainly on 1992 cell phone industry recommendations, are outdated and allow 20 times more radiation to penetrate the head than the rest of the body.

EWG is asking the FCC to upgrade its standards and examine the newest scientific evidence and to consider the increasing cell phone use by children.

"The first cell phones were marketed to adults," Naidenko said. "But today, children are just as likely to own a cell phone as a video game, baseball or bicycle."