Mobile Tower Radiation, No Harmful Proposition

As we move ahead on the technology curve, today it is all about getting the right connectivity to perform daily tasks and smartphones or mobiles are playing a very important role towards realizing this.

And as all smartphone communications are eventually facilitated through a mobile tower – it is a very important spook of the communications cycle.

Making people closer to each other, irrespective of the physical distance between them, smartphones or mobile phones communicate by transmitting radio waves with the help of network of fixed antennas called base stations.

Radiofrequency waves on which this mobile communications rides - are electromagnetic fields, and unlike ionizing radiation such as X-rays or gamma rays, can neither break chemical bonds nor cause ionization in the human body.

At a time when there have been a number of voices against the radiation being emitted by mobile towers and mobile phones in India – industry experts and even the World Health Organisation or WHO has not found any evidence to support this. Hence, as of today the whole issue of Mobile Tower Radiation is more of a myth, rather than anything else.

The EMF Project established by WHO, in which over 50 national authorities and 8 international organizations are involved. Together, since 1996, they have been reviewing and studying scientific information to provide scientifically sound and objective answers to public concerns about the possible hazards of low-level electromagnetic fields.

Despite extensive research, to date there is no evidence to conclude that exposure to low-level electromagnetic fields is harmful to human health.

However, as these devices work on electromagnetic fields - there is no denying the fact that both cell towers and mobile phones emit radiation, but the emission levels are much within the regulations being followed across the world.

Basics about radiation from mobile phones and towers:
What is the truth behind radiation? What kind of radiation is harmful for humans?

By its sheer definition – Radiation is merely the transmission of energy in the form of waves through space or a material medium. Radiation is of two types – ionising and non-ionising radiation.

Ionising radiation or high energy radiation like X-rays or gamma rays can alter DNA and long exposure to such form of radiation can be harmful to human body. Non-ionising radiation is low energy as emitted by mobile phones or tower radios and tends to generate heat.

It is important to note that voice and data telephony is conducted over invisible radiowaves or spectrum, which is part of a family of waves in the electromagnetic field spectrum. Radiation coming from both mobiles and towers is safe because it is low energy, non-ionising radiation that can induce only thermal effects.

The Indian Scenario

As far as India is concerned, mobiles are not allowed to emit radiation more than 1.6 watt/kilo, which is called SAR or Specific Absorption Rate. This safety limit followed in the Indian market is far more stringent than norms followed by other developed countries today.

A recent committee, formed at the behest of Hon’ble Allahabad High Court comprising experts from five IITs, AIIMS (Delhi), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, has also on the basis of scientific evidence, studies and reports available, found that there is no conclusive evidence about the stated dangers of EMF radiation from mobile BTS tower.

Several High Courts, including the Hon’ble High Courts of Punjab & Haryana, Madras, Kerala, Gujarat and Allahabad in cases related to issue of effects of the radiation from cellphone towers have given judgements whereby they have dismissed petitions, where the mobile tower installations were challenged in various localities, including residential, on grounds of health effects of EMF radiation.

As a result there are a number of field experts such as Dr. Suresh Attili from Grace Cancer Foundation and Dr. Anirudh Kohli, Head of Radiology, Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai, who have been endorsing the fact that scientific studies have not been able to conclude that EMF emissions from mobile towers can cause health hazards.

Mobile towers in India have been found to be completely safe and emissions well within the prescribed Government of India norms.

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