Professional Documents
Culture Documents
discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228387344
Article
CITATIONS READS
13 631
2 authors, including:
Girish Kumar
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
122 PUBLICATIONS 1,935 CITATIONS
SEE PROFILE
concerned with learning, memory and pain, depression, and sleep disturbance [13].
movement. Studies by Carl Blackman have More severe reactions include seizures,
shown that weak electromagnetic fields release paralysis, psychosis and stroke. All point to the
calcium ions from cell membranes [4]. Leakage fact that the current exposure standards for
of calcium ions into the cytosol acts as a microwaves are not safe for long-term exposure.
metabolic stimulant, which accelerates growth
and healing, but it also promotes the growth of A study in Australia found that children living
tumors. Loss of calcium ions causes leaks in the near TV and FM broadcast towers had more
membranes of lysosomes releasing DNAase that than twice the rate of leukemia as children living
causes DNA damage. Another possibility of more than seven miles away from these towers
DNA damage is via increased free radical [14]. In another study, TV signal exposed
formation inside cells [5, 6], which further workers were observed to have increased
causes cellular damage in the mitochondria. Immunoglobulin G and A and decreased
Irreversible infertility has been reported in mice lymphocytes and T8 cells, resulting in a
[7] and continuous exposure has been associated decrease in immune response [15].
with reduction in sperm viability and mobility
by around 25 percent in men [8]. Children are In a German study, it was found that proportion
more vulnerable to radio frequency radiation of newly developed cancer cases was three times
emissions as their skulls are thinner, their higher among those who had lived during the
nervous system still developing and myelin past ten years at a distance of up to 400m from
sheath is yet not developed. A pregnant woman the cellular transmitter site, compared to those
and the fetus both are vulnerable because of the living further away. Also, patients fell ill on
fact that these RF radiations continuously react average 8 years earlier. It is recommended that
with the developing embryo and increasing cells. the safe limit of radiations for human beings is
Microwave radiation damages the placental up to 50 µW/m2 and the upper limit is 100
barrier, implying that pregnant woman should µW/m2.
not use cell phone [9]. The RF Exposure can
adversely affect the heart pace maker,
implantable cardiovascular defibrillators and IV. RADIATION SHIELD
impulse generators [10]. These radiations may
stop Pace Maker from delivering pulses in a Since antennas are used for transmitting and
regular way or may generate some kind of receiving signals. A “Radiation Shield”
external controlling pulse putting the patient to consisting of multiple orthogonally polarized
death. Studies of people who are exposed in broadband monopole antennas, has been
their work (occupational exposure), have shown developed. The antennas are broadband planar
to have elevated levels of health risks. Another circular monopole antennas and are designed to
study reveals that workers who are in the highest cover the frequency range from 800 to 4000
10% category for EMF exposure are twice as MHz. The antennas are terminated in matched
likely to die of prostate cancer as those exposed load to absorb the harmful radiation to produce a
at lower levels [11]. Exposure to safe radiation free environment. The details of
electromagnetic fields has shown to be in these antennas and other measurements will be
connection with Alzheimer’s disease, motor presented at the symposium.
neuron disease and Parkinson’s disease [12]. All
these diseases are involved with the death of
specific neurons and are classified as V. CONCLUSIONS
neurodegenerative diseases. Inhabitants living
near mobile phone base stations are also at risk In addition to the continuous radiation from cell
for developing neuropsychiatric problems as towers, there is radiation from cell phones,
headache, memory loss, nausea, dizziness, wireless phones, computers, laptops, TV towers,
tremors, muscle spasms, numbness, tingling,
FM towers, microwave ovens, etc. We are
altered reflexes, muscle and joint paint, leg/foot
ISMOT 2009, Dec. 16-19, New Delhi, India 1368
exposed to all these radiations, which are absorbs 10% to 50% of radiation depending
additive in nature. Stricter radiation norms must upon its placement and direction of source of
be enforced by the policy makers across the radiation. Multiple units can absorb radiation up
to 80% to 90%. Mobile companies should not be
globe.
in the denial mode, and accept that radiation
This does not mean that we have to stop living causes serious health problems, only then people
near these towers. We all know that automobiles all over the world will carry out research to
create air pollution – have we stopped using come out with solutions.
them? Instead solutions were found such as
unleaded petrol, CNG driven vehicle, hybrid
vehicles, etc. Similarly, the solution to avoid
excess radiation is to use radiation shield, which
REFERENCES
[1] Haumann Thomas, et al, “ HF-Radiation levels [8] Agarwal A et al, “Relationship between cell
of GSM cellular phone towers in residential phone use and human fertility: an observational
areas”,http://nocelltower.com/German%20RF%2 study”, Oasis, The Online Abstract Submission
0Research%20Article.pdf System, 2006
[2] Hardell Lennart et al, “Epidemiological evidence [9] Allan H. Frey, Evolution and Results of
for an association between use of wireless phones Biological Research with Low-Intensity
and tumor diseases”, Pathophysiology, PATPHY- Nonionizing Radiation, Modern Bioelectricity,
595, 2009 785–837, 1988
[3] Leszczynski D et al, “Non-thermal activation of [10] Altamura G et al, “Influence of digital and
the hsp27/p38MAPK stress pathway by mobile analogue cellular telephones on implanted
phone radiation in human endothelial cells: pacemakers”, European Heart Journal, 18(10),
molecular mechanism for cancer- and blood- 1632-4161, 1997
brain barrier-related effects”, Differentiation, [11] Charles L E et al, “Electromagnetic fields,
70(2-3), 120-9, 2002 polychlorinated biphenyls and prostate cancer
[4] Blackman CF et al , “Effects of ELF fields on mortality in electric utility Workers”, American
calcium-ion efflux from brain tissue in vitro”, Journal of Epidemiology 157, 683-691, 2003
Radiation Research, 92, 510-520, 1982 [12] World Health Organization, ELF Health Criteria
[5] Lai, H, Singh, NP, “Melatonin and a spin-trap Monograph. Neurodegenerative Disorders, p187,
compound block radiofrequency electromagnetic 2007
radiation-induced DNA strand breaks in rat brain [13] Abdel-Rassoul G, et al, “Neurobehavioral effects
cells”, Bioelectromagnetics, 18, 446-454, 1997a among inhabitants around mobile phone base
[6] Simkó M, “Cell type specific redox status is stations”, Neurotoxicology, 28(2), 434-40, 2006
responsible for diverse electromagnetic field [14] Hocking, B., et al, “Cancer incidence and
effects”, Current Medicinal Chemistry, 14, 1141- mortality and proximity to TV towers, Medical
1152, 2007. Journal of Australia”, 165, 601-605, 1996
[7] Magras IN, Xenos TD, “RF radiation-induced [15] Moszczynski, P, et al, “The effect of various
changes in the prenatal development of mice”, occupational exposures to microwave radiation
Bioelectromagnetics, 18, 455-461, 1997 on the concentrations of immunoglobulins and T
lymphocyte subsets”, Wiad Lek, 52, 30-34, 1999