Wireless Headphones: Dangerous or not?

Wireless headphones have become a real hit of the last two years. The secret of the success of this gadget is as simple as possible: they once and for all solved the eternal problem of tangled wires in a pocket or bag. Therefore, millions of music lovers preferred them.

But like other wireless devices, headphones have security issues. Do they not harm health in the process of many hours of use? Let’s try to understand this issue.

Wireless headphones work using Bluetooth. Created more than 20 years ago, the technology is successfully developing and is being integrated into all kinds of devices: from toys to cars. It operates at frequencies around 2.4 GHz.

This range is as close as possible to other wireless technologies such as cellular and Wi-Fi. And just like in cellular communications and other wireless technologies, the main thing in assessing their impact on the human body is the power of the transmitter.

The Bluetooth standard defines a wide range of power of devices: from 10 μW to 0.1 W. But, as a rule, the maximum power of transmitters in smartphones, headphones and other everyday devices does not exceed 2.5 mW. This is significantly less than the power of cellular transmitters in smartphones.

I don’t have wireless headphones handy to measure the energy density from them. But there is an excellent video in which the author shows measurements with a radiation detector of different models. It is quite long and in English (the link will be in the comments), so I will make short conclusions.

The energy flux density is highly dependent on how the headphones are positioned in relation to the device being measured. On the outside of the headphones — where the antenna is located, the energy flux density is up to 15–30 μW / cm2, and on the side of the earbuds that we insert into the ear — 4–10 μW / cm2.

The norm for residential premises according to Russian standards, which are among the most stringent in the world — 10 μW / cm2. That is, from the point of view of sanitary standards there is no excess, certified wireless headphones are safe for health.This is an indisputable fact and you can use them without fear of harm.

However, not only the power is important, but also the exposure time, as well as the distance to the device. When we talk on the phone, the radiation power of the smartphone is also from 4 to 7 μW/cm2. That is, the use of wireless headphones — consider equal to a continuous conversation on a mobile phone.

As they say: everything is good in moderation. In my opinion, you should not get involved in wireless headphones and wear them all day: 1–2 hours is enough. Especially if an alternative with conventional wired headphones is available.