(This article was not written by ThrottleNet)


(CNN) — Cell phone users — a group that, these days, means practically everybody — are no doubt concerned about Tuesday's news that the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies cell phones as "possibly carcinogenic to humans."

The phones themselves aren't necessarily harmful. It's the radiation emitted by the phones — and absorbed by the human body — that troubles some doctors.

But when it comes to radiation levels, all phones aren't equal. Below are lists of the models available from major carriers that emit the highest and lowest levels of radiofrequency energy.

How much radiation does your phone emit? Check our searchable table

A quick explanation of the numbers: They refer to the "specific absorption rate" or SAR, a common benchmark that measures the rate of radiofrequency energy your body gets from the phone. The lower the number, the lower the radiation exposure. For a phone to be certified by the FCC and sold in the U.S., for example, its maximum SAR level must be less than 1.6 watts per kilogram.



(These lists were compiled by the Environmental Working Group, a lobbying group that advocates on behalf of public health and the environment, based on data provided by the phone manufacturers. The data are up to date as of December, which means some newer models aren't listed. For the group's full list of phone models, click here.)

Lowest radiation levels:








8. Samsung Contour (MetroPCS): 0.60 W/kg



Highest radiation levels:



3. Palm Pixi (Sprint): 1.56 W/kg



6. Motorola i335 (Sprint): 1.55 W/kg





Some other high-profile phones fared somewhere in the middle on the rankings. The SAR level of the Apple iPhone 4 was 1.17 W/kg (for the AT&T model; the Verizon model wasn't listed). Exposure levels for the dozens of BlackBerry models varied widely.

Source's Jacque Wilson contributed to this story.