How do cellphones kill?
Cell phones kill; let us count the ways.
Airplane control interrupt— Many airplane passengers ignore the now-standard pre-flight and pre-landing announcements asking that cell phones, blackberries, iPods and so-called “personal electronic devices” (PEDs) be turned off.
ABC News reports on the possibility of serious safety issues related to cell phones and other PEDs.
The International Air Transport Association, a trade group representing more than 230 passenger and cargo airlines worldwide, documents 75 separate incidents, from 2003 to 2009, of possible electronic interference that airline pilots and other crew members believed were linked to mobile phones and other electronic devices. Surveyed by IATA were 125 airlines, covering a quarter of the world’s air traffic.
Twenty-six of the incidents in the report affected the flight controls, including the autopilot, autothrust and landing gear. Seventeen affected navigation systems, while 15 affected communication systems. Four out of 10 incidents were suspected to involve cell phones.
The report, which stresses that it is not verifying that the incidents were caused by PEDs, includes a sampling of the narratives provided by pilots and crewmembers who believed they were experiencing electronic interference.
In one event described in the report, a clock spun backwards and a GPS in the cabin read incorrectly while two laptops were being used nearby. During another flight, the altitude control readings changed rapidly until a crew member asked passengers to turn off their electronic devices. The readings returned to normal. “After an hour, changes were noticed again . Purser made a second announcement and the phenomena stopped.”
A federal advisory committee that investigated the problem of electronic interference from portable devices, said that PEDs radiate signals that can disrupt highly sensitive electronic sensors hidden in the plane’s passenger area, including those for an instrument landing system used in bad weather.
Boeing engineers told ABC News that signals from PEDs could disrupt the navigation and communication frequencies on older planes, which are not as well shielded as the newer models. And anything that distracts the pilots in the cockpit is considered a true threat to safety.
Hospital equipment also at risk — Meanwhile, US hospital leaders have for years banned visitors and staff from carrying cell phones into patient areas for fear that they might interfere with medical equipment and monitors.
Carcinogenic phone? — The World Health Organization caused quite a stir with its recent declaration that cell phones are “possibly carcinogenic” and “might cause cancer.” The same description was used in a warning against night-shift work, engine exhaust and coffee.
Disease carrier -- The June issue of the American Journal of Infection Control carries a study on the risk cell phones present at hospitals: they are full of bacteria, some of which are resistant to antibiotics, and all of which are out to get patients and caregivers.
Hospital staff cell phones carry less germs than those brought in by visitors and patients, owing to the regular infection control measures undertaken by health workers.
CNN reports that “the creatures found on these devices are the very ones that lead to hospital-acquired infections, of which in the U.S. there are 1.7 million annually,” causing an estimated 100,000 deaths.
Phones as traffic hazards — There are daily reports worldwide of traffic accidents traced to drivers either talking on the cell phone or texting. Even pedestrians are shown on You Tube walking into walls, falling into manholes and fountains and being hit by oncoming vehicles.
Self-protection — Avoid using other people’s cell phones. Clean your cell phone and PEDs as often as possible. Listen to airline staff’s alerts and turn off your electronic devices as instructed. Do not use cell phones while driving. - Article courtesy of Manila Bulletin.
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