It’s difficult to imagine life without the cell phone or the laptop.
With 250 million mobile phone subscribers currently in India, and many more using other appliances like television, computer, vacuum cleaner, microwave etc, the fear is that these ‘essentials’ of life may actually be posing a big health risk because of their electromagnetic fields (EMFs).
As such, research has not yet established anything definite about the impact of EMFs on the human body. We use on a daily basis — microwaves, cordless phones, computer monitors, fax machines, cell phones, cell phone towers, hair dryers and so on.
Various international studies have tried to establish the link between EMFs and some diseases. Doctors believe that constant exposure to high frequency EMFs leads to digestive disorders, fatigue, hypertension, insomnia, irritability, low blood pressure, and infertility in males, cancer, neurological and cardiovascular problems.
In recent years, experts have been studying the impact of cell phones and cell phone towers on the human body, and the initial research results have not been too comforting. A recently published a research paper on the link between mobiles and brain cancer. Using mobiles for over 10 years could more than double the risk of brain cancer. Mobile phone radiation could heat the side of the head or thermoelectrically interact with the brain, while Bluetooth devices and “unshielded” headsets could “convert the user’s head into an effective, potentially self-harming antenna”.
Similarly, cell phone towers are a cause of concern. A researcher in the found that exposure to radio frequency (RF) signals generated by the use of cellular phones has increased dramatically and is reported to affect physiological, neurological, cognitive and behavioral changes and to induce, initiate and promote carcinogenesis.
- By Handy Rush
