Phone health risks
Are there any health risks of using your mobile phone?
NHS Opinions
Research suggests it's unlikely that mobile phones or base stations increase the risk of health problems.
There's still some uncertainty about the potential for risks from long-term use over decades, and research on this is ongoing.
Some of the main safety concerns associated with radio waves and mobile phone use are discussed below.
Using a mobile phone while driving or riding a motorbike can increase your chances of having an accident by up to four times. This is considered to be the biggest risk posed by mobile phones, and using a handheld phone while driving is illegal.
Around 93% of adults in the UK own or use a mobile phone, and they're an essential part of many people's lives. There have been concerns that the radio waves they produce and receive might be unsafe.
These radio waves are a type of low-energy, non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation – a class of radiation that also includes visible light, ultraviolet (UV), and infrared radiation.
Since the 1990s, there's been a huge amount of scientific research into the potential health effects of mobile phone use.