SAR stands for Specific Absorption Rate. It is a complex measurement of how much radiation passes through tissue during a specified time period. In other words, it measures the level of absorption of EMR by the body. When biological tissues absorb EMR it can lead to the distortion of cellular function. Up until 1993 no one had ever observed that there were any heating effects occurring at SAR levels below 40 watts per kilogram. Cell phones operate at a power of about 0.6 watts and yield a SAR value of less than 2 watts per kilogram which appears to be a safe level. Again, this was the rationale used when the government exempted cell phones from any pre-market testing and any form of regulation. As long as SARs were this low and no heating effect took place it was assumed that no harm could be done to biological tissue by a cell phone. We now know this to be an erroneous assumption.

All cell phones today have a published SAR value. It varies slightly from phone model to phone model. However, knowing the SAR number of your phone is of minimal value since all phones manufactured today must meet the FCC established standard of 1.6 watts/kg or below. That said, it's still a good idea to purchase a cell phone with a SAR value as low as possible to minimize the absorption of radiation when the cell phone is near the head. But SAR only measures the intensity of the electromagnetic field. Keep in mind that SAR does not measure the pulsating or oscillatory action of the wave. For example, the wave frequency or pulse could be low enough to mimic the electrical activity of the brain itself and thereby cause damage but the cell phone could still have a low SAR value. So knowing the SAR would be of little value in this case. SARs may have a useful application for microwave ovens but they simply are not adequate for cell phones, as the heating effect doesn't occur until SARs reach 20 to 25 watts per kilogram. It is also important to understand that SARs in no way address the mechanism of damage being caused by the Information-Carrying Radio Wave. The SAR value for your specific phone can be found by visiting the FCC website.