Presentation of case study on Effect of mobile radiation on human health. Content based on the course Environment and Ecology.

1. Effect of Mobile Radiation
on Human Health
TERM PAPER
CHE110:ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
Nimish Arora
11405752
E2401 B47

2. Introduction
The effect of mobile phone radiation on
human health is the subject of recent
interest.

3. Type of Mobile Radiation:
• Between 900 to 1900 MHz
• Falls in the range of microwave radiation

4. Radiation Working Range
 Cell phones and smart phones are powered
by microwaves, part of the electromagnetic
spectrum. The key frequencies used in cell
phone communications worldwide are 850,
900, 1,800, and 1,900 MHz (1.9 GHz). (A
microwave oven, which heats water and
the water in food, works on 2450 MHz).

5. SAR Value
 There are guidelines internationally for short term
exposure to cell phone frequency microwaves, defined
in terms of the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), the
rate at which energy is absorbed by the human body
when exposed to radio frequency radiation.
 Specifically, the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) in the United States requires that phones sold
have a SAR level at or below 1.6 watts per kilogram
(W/kg) taken over the volume containing a mass of
one gram of tissue that is absorbing the most signal.(3)

6. Most mobile handsets emit permissible
levels of radiation, which can be checked
by dialling *#07# on your phone.(5)

7. SOME REPORTS
 In 2011, an inter-ministerial committee had said mobile
phone towers should not be installed near high-density
residential areas, schools, playgrounds and hospitals after
reviewing then available research some of which held that
radiation from mobile phones and towers posed serious
health risks, including loss of memory, lack of concentration,
disturbance in the digestive system and sleep disturbances.
The committee pointed to research which claimed that
disappearance of butterflies, bees, insects and sparrows from
big cities had been due to radiation from mobile phone
towers.
 The World Health Organization also labelled exposure to
radiation emitted from cell phones as "possibly carcinogenic
to humans". However, cell phone operators have been
resisting curbs on installing towers saying there is still no
evidence on the cause-and-effect relationship between the
exposure and health hazard, a fact conceded by many senior
scientists.(4)

8. SOME REPORTS(contd.)
 Assistant professor of clinical
psychology Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma,
who led a study about the excessive
use of technology, says that "4 to 7 %
of the city population is addicted to
technology, especially cell phones."
Cell phone usage, says clinical
psychologist Dr Anand Rao, is
extremely worrisome. The trouble,
though, is that people tend to use
their phones for hours together and
that too without a Bluetooth or
handsfree device, often even sleeping
with the device under their pillows,
which can be harmful in the long run,"
he says.(5)

9. Biological Effects
Studies have shown that exposure to the RF waves emitted
from mobiles can cause:
 Slightly raised blood pressure at the time of use, pressure
returning to normal when use is stopped (to put this into
perspective, our blood pressure changes regularly throughout
the day and is even affected by tasks such as speaking)
 Direct brain warming after prolonged use, which disperses as
soon as you stop using your phone and causes no harm
 Mild fatigue after prolonged use

11. Safety Tips to Limit Your Exposure
Radiation Shields that you can fit to your phone that reduce
the emissions of radiation or allow the body to neutralise the
effects, but beware of over-hyped promotions by these
manufacturers using scare tactics to market their products.
Reserve the use of cell phones for shorter conversations or
for times when a landline phone is not available.
Use a hands-free device, which places more distance between
the phone and the head of the user. Hands-free kits reduce the
amount of radiofrequency energy exposure to the head because
the antenna, which is the source of energy, is not placed against
the head. (2)

12. Safety Tips (contd...)
 Moving your phone 20cm away from your head reduces
radiation doses by about 98%. So instead of placing it
under your pillow when going to bed, leave the phone at a
bedside table.
 Try not to chat for hours phone.
 Do not allow children under 18 to use a mobile phone
except in emergencies. It's always sensible to take
precautions where children are concerned as their
developing brains and bodies are far more susceptible to
radiation effects than adults, absorbing radiation at three
times an adult's rate.(6)
 Do not carry mobile phones in pockets of your close of
Heart.
Moving your phone 20cm away from your head reduces radiation
doses by about 98%. So instead of placing it under your pillow
when going to bed, leave the phone at a bedside table.
Try not to chat for hours phone.
Do not allow children under 18 to use a mobile phone except in emergencies. It's
always sensible to take precautions where children are concerned as their
developing brains and bodies are far more susceptible to radiation effects than
adults, absorbing radiation at three times an adult's rate.(6)
Do not carry mobile phones in pockets of your close of Heart.

13. REFERENCES
 (1) http://www.stuk.fi/ihminen-ja-
sateily/sateilyn_terveysvaikutukset/matkapuhelin_terveysvaikutu
s/en_GB/matkapuhelimet
 (2) http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/causes-prevention/risk-
factors/radiation/cell-phones-fact-sheet
 (3) http://www.globalresearch.ca/does-short-term-exposure-to-
cell-phone-radiation-affect-the-blood/5429108
 (4) TOI Mar 25, 2015, 03.01 AM
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Study-on-mobile-
radiation-begins/articleshow/46682500.cms
 (5) TOI Mar 10, 2015, 05.13 PM
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-
fitness/health-news/Tech-addiction-Bengalureans-at-increased-
health-risk/articleshow/46516935.cms?
 (6)
http://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/guides/mobile_phone_radiation
/
 (7) Images from google.com