Effects of Mobile Phones and Tower Radiation on Humans
A Tech-Talk by Prof Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay
The Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, NIT Trichy organised a tech-talk by Prof Girish Kumar of IIT Bombay, on the effects of mobile phone and tower radiation, on 16 July 2018. The details of the talk are as follows:
Mobile phones are used widely all over the world by everyone, regardless of age, gender and ethnicity. There are currently an estimated 100 crore mobile phone users, in India alone. With a majority of people enjoying the benefits of the technology, it becomes crucial to understand the other side of the coin as well, as it also has its share of harmful effects.
Most common wireless devices employ RF waves for communication, with mobile phones being no exception. They radiate an average of 1–2 W of power at a frequency of 900 MHz which is enough to cause serious harm to living cells in close proximity with prolonged use. The effects associated with the above is related to the way food gets heated in a microwave. Imagine, this is equal to cooking your brain! Talking on a mobile phone for 20 minutes is shown to increase earlobe temperature by 1°C, which can lead to ear pain and irreversible hearing loss in the long run.
But wait, heating is not the only hazard here. There are a multitude of non-thermal effects which cannot be felt immediately but cause DNA damage, tumors and other disorders.
Specific Absorption Rate, or SAR as it is commonly known, is the rate at which radiation is absorbed by human body, measured in watts per kg (W/kg). The permitted SAR value for cellphones is 1.6 W/kg for 6 minutes per day, which is specified with a safety margin of 3–4. So usage of mobile phones beyond 18–24 minutes per day is not advisable. In order to check the SAR value of your mobile phone model, dial *#07#. Lower the value, the safer it is to use.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a part of the WHO conducted a set of international case-control studies for a span of 10 years from 2000, with the aim of determining whether mobile phone use increased the risk of brain tumors. The results of this study (known as the INTERPHONE study) published in 2010 indicated that the risk of brain tumor doubled for heavy users who used mobile phones for about 30 minutes per day over a period of 8–10 years. As a consequence, the organisation listed cell phone radiation as a ‘Possible Human Carcinogen’ (Class 2B) in the year 2011.
Though cellphones have become an indispensable part of our lives, due to the harmful effects mentioned above, it is necessary to exercise caution while using them. Keeping the mobile phone away from the body, cutting down prolonged usage, using messaging services instead of calls and making calls using landline instead of cellphones whenever possible may help reduce the harm. When we use cellphones for purposes other than calling or messaging, the mobile network is not required. In such instances, enabling flight mode is advisable.
In 2010, residents of Usha Kiran Building in Worli, Mumbai initiated demands to remove the cell towers in an adjacent building, after six cases of cancer were reported among the occupants of the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and the tenth floors. The most probable cause was cited to be the fact that these floors directly stood across the main high intensity beam radiating from the towers.
When a call is made, about 42 W of power in total is emanated from the mobile phones in call and their respective base stations. Roughly one-third of this is absorbed by living organisms, especially those that live near cell phone towers. This can cause DNA damage, cancer and infertility among humans too.
The radiation pattern around cell towers varies with the reciprocal of the square of the distance from them. This means that the radiation from a mobile phone tower falls rapidly with distance, highlighting the importance of maintaining a safe distance (atleast 50 m) from them.
With the substantial advent of mobile phones and cell phone towers, the health risks associated with them have mounted higher levels than ever before. Excessive usage may lead to depression, forgetfulness, headache and cardiovascular disorders which may further result in Alzheimer’s, immune system degradation and infertility among other hazards.
If you think we are the only ones affected by all this, you are mistaken. Cell tower radiation leads to disruptions in the navigation and reproduction of birds and bees. Similarly, milk production in cows have been reported to have reduced due to the same. Some scientists have even recommended that RF fields (The radiation in question here) need to be classified as a ‘Probable Carcinogen’ (Class 2A) or a ‘Known Human Carcinogen’ (Class 1).
So as a policymaker, scientist or a communication engineer, what measures can be taken in order to minimise the ill-effects associated with mobile communication? If low power transmitters are to be used, more number of them will be necessary and that will increase the costs. Removing the power amplifier from the system may reduce the amplifier gain. One feasible solution to issue is by marginally increasing call costs (say, an increase of 5p/min) which will generate revenue for the government as well as decrease the average duration of calls.
While all these allegations and precautions sound ominous, it must be borne in mind that RF radiation is not endemic to communication systems alone. Most household appliances emit some amounts of the same.
As always, there are two sides to the balance and both have to be taken into account to form an informed opinion. Today, vast resources of information are available and accessible to all. It is upon us to analyse them and take steps towards a better and healthier future.
This article was co-authored by Vasanthraj Kirubhakaran.
