CELLULAR PHONES INTERFERE WITH DEVICES, SAYS STUDY

Electromagnetic interference from cell phones interferes with devices, according to a study by the Mayo Clinic.

The study found that 44 percent of the devices tested had some instance of electromagnetic interference (EMI) from cell phones. The scientists tested 16 different devices with six cell phones to assess the potential for EMI, finding EMI in seven of the devices. However, of the 510 tests performed, the incidence of clinically important interference was only 1.2 percent. EMI was induced in 108 of those tests, or 21.2 percent of the tests done.

The study concluded that, while cell phones could interfere with devices, "compared with cellular telephones tested in previous studies, those currently in use must be closer to medical devices before any interference is noticed." But the researchers recommended that periodic testing of cell phones would be necessary to determine their effect on devices.