Health Effects of Radiations Emitted from Mobile Phone and Mobile Phone Towers

Some of the studies are being conducted in India on the issues related to Health effects of Radiations emitted from mobile phone and mobile phone towers.

1. Department of Human Genetics, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar has conducted number case studies in this area both on animals and human volunteers. Study reported cytogenetic damage in tissues of some individuals using cell phones over a period of time. The data revealed increaser number of micro nucleated buccal cells and cytological abnormalities in cultured lymphocytes indicating the genotoxic response from mobile phone use. As exposure to radiofrequency radiations has been reported to affect physiological, neurological, cognitive and behavioural changes and to induce, initiate and promote carcinogenesis; threat to human health has been suggested for mobile phone users (Gandhi et al., 2005).
2. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) supported an animal study (2005-08) to find out the effect of RFR on male reproduction at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) New Delhi. The results indicated significant reduction in testicular size, weight and in sperm counts. The data also indicated that the chronic exposure to Radio Frequency Radiation (RFR) imitated from cell phone causes a significant decrease in protein kinase C and total sperm count along with increase apoptosis in male rat. The study suggested that decrease in sperm count and increase in apoptosis may be a causative factor due to mobile radiation exposure leading to infertility (Kesari and Behari, 2008).
3. National Institute of Technology (NIT), Calicut, Kerala, has reported headache, dizziness, numbness in the thigh, and heaviness in the chest among mobile phone users. The results indicated an increase in the both parameters when mobile phone is kept close to chest and a decrease when kept close to the head. Mobile phone has caused changes in Heart Rate Variability indices and the change varied with its position. But these observations were not significant in comparison to without mobile condition (Ahmed et al., 2008).
4. PGIMER, Chandigarh, has conducted a study (Panda et al., 2010) and reported long term and intensive mobile phone use may cause inner ear damage and based on their observations they have recommended following criteria’s for the release of harmful rays from mobile phones.

• Mobile phones should not be used continuously for more than one hour in a day.
• Hands free technology to be used where excessive use of the mobile phone is unavoidable. This includes use of microphones and Bluetooth so that the handset remains away from the ear and thus avoids the direct impact of harmful electromagnetic radiations on the ear and the brain.
• People to avoid long talks and discussions on mobile phones as far as possible.