Mobile Radiation and Its Effect

Mobile radiation exposure is great concern for the public, society, policy makers and health researchers in these modern generations. Radiofrequency exposure limits for mobile phone user have been recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) (Stewart et al, 2000) for the specific absorption rate (SAR) (Bernhardt, 1999; ICNIRP,2009; IEEE, 2005) per unit mass of the body. Generally, the mobile phones are wireless, low-powered radiofrequency transmitters, and operating at frequency ranges between 450 to 2700 MHz with peak powers in the range of 0.1 to 2 watts.The portable mobile handset transmits radiofrequency fields only when power is turned on. When a person using his or her mobile phone 30–40 cm away from his or her body like when text messaging, accessing the Internet or using a “hands free” device– will therefore, have a much lower exposure to radiofrequency fields than someone who is holding the handset nearest to their head.

                                                          

The rapidly changing the generation of mobile technology raised great public concern about the possibility of associated adverse human health effects. A large number of research studies have been performed over the last few decades to find out any potential health risks of using mobile phones. Despite extensive research on these topics, there is no conclusive evidence that using a mobile phone causes long term harmful effects in humans.In 2011, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), has classified that mobile phone radiation may be a carcinogenic. It means that the mobile radiation “could be some risk” of carcinogenicity. So, in this context, additional research is required to confirm the effect of long-term exposure and heavy use of mobile phones (Frei et al, 2011). Different research evidence indicates that the frequency produced by mobile phones or base stations may adversely affect the health of human body (Ozguner et al,2014; Bianchi et al, 2012).Scientists have reported the adverse health effects of continuous using mobile phones including changes in life style, changes in brain activity, lower productivity, reaction times and sleep patterns. The most common symptoms associate with continuous using mobile phones are headaches, dizziness, sleep disturbances, loss of mental concentrations, behaviour pattern, decrease in sperm count and burning and tingling sensations in the skin, head and upper extremities of the body. Sometime, it also causes tachycardia and disturbances of the digestive system.

 

The biological effects on different systems of human body are observed like the cardiovascular system, endocrine and immune systems and on the behaviour pattern of animals (www.iegmp.org; Krewski et al, 2001). The observed effects are seemed to be due to generation of heat (increases of at least 1 °C or 2 °C in temperature) for acute exposure to RF and microwave radiation.The research study conducted by Acharya et al. focuses on both the behavioural aspect of the adverse effect of prolonged cell phone use rather than just insomnia and headaches (Acharya et al, 2013). This study also reflects an association between extensive cell phone usage and irritability along with other psychological changes like lack of concentration.Li et al. shows about the effect of electromagnetic radiation over brain activity. Cell phone use releases electromagnetic radiations. The neuronal activity is affected by heat radiation caused due to extensive use of cell phones. Several brain dysfunctions are associated due to extensive use of cell phones like Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease as well as lack of concentration etc. (Li et al, 2016).Thomas et al. explain the effect of cell phone usage and its association with cognitive function disruption over children and adolescent (Thomas et al., 2010).Jitendra Kumar Meena et al., has shown that mobile phone use and possible cancer risk: Current perspectives in India (Meena et al., 2016). This group highlighted that using mobile phones for about 10 years is unlikely to cause cancer.A. Keykhosravi et al. studies on radiation effects of mobile phones and tablets on the skin: A Systematic Review. This research group showed that the level of exposure with the effects of radiation from the mobile phone and tablet on the skin is poor (Keykhosravi et al., 2018).From the above discussion we can come to conclude that the use of wireless devices have been increased tremendously throughout the world. In the present day, the number of mobile subscribers increasing significantly throughout the globe. These wireless devices now become the part of our life processes, but many peoples are unaware about the effects on human health on the using of wireless devices.Hence, our findings clearly suggest that the emission of electromagnetic radiations from mobile may have the potential greatest effect on developing cells or cells which have the ability to regenerate or divide and reproduce. Below the age group of 20 years populations, neuronal cells are more prone to bad or good effects as compared to elder adults when they are exposed with mobile radiation.

Therefore, we can conclude that further research is required in this field to bring into the light the harmful effects of these mobile radiations and also to make the people aware of possible health problems that can arise as a result of over - usage of mobile phones.

Reference:

P.Karak (2020)Possible Health  Effects of Mobile Phone Radiation: An Overview. In Sarkar A.K. (Ed) Organisms and Environment. Educreation Publication