Mobiles Effects on Human Being

Introduction :  The telecommunication industry is experiencing a robust growth on a global scale and the cell phones are becoming an essential tool in the global modern society. Since the introduction of cell phones in the mid ’s, there has been significant increase in the number of cell phone users and installations of base stations. As of 2005, statistics shows that there are 1.6 billion cell phone subscribers worldwide and day- by-day it is increasing rapidly, and the number of active cell phones will be expected to reach 7.3 billion by 2015  this increasing use of mobile phones in recent years has raised the question of whether emitted electromagnetic fields (EMFs) effects on human being??

Typical sources of electromagnetic :fields with frequency The signal that transmitted and received are in the form of waves in radio frequency (RF) and microwave parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. RF are non-ionizing radiation with wave length from 3KH to 300MH, and microwaves range from 300MHZ to 300GHZ.

Cell phone radiation: o Cell phones emit signals via radio waves comprised of Mobile frequency (RF) energy, a form of electromagnetic radiation. In frequency range of: 1) MHz (CDMA) 2) MHz (GSM900) 3) 1710 – 1780 MHz (GSM1800).

Radiation from the cell tower:  The widespread use of cell phones has led to cell phone towers being placed in many communities. These towers, also called base stations, have electronic equipment and antennas that receive and transmit radiofrequency (RF) signals.  Cell phone base stations may be free- standing towers or mounted on existing structures, such as trees, water tanks, or tall buildings. The antennas need to be high enough so they can adequately cover the area. Base stations are usually from feet high.

Radiation from the cell tower: Antennas on Cell tower transmit in the frequency range of: MHz (CDMA) MHz (GSM900) 1805 – 1880 MHz (GSM1800) 2110 – 2170 MHz (3G)

Radiated power density from the cell tower:  Radiated power density from the cell tower Where, Pt = Transmitter power in Watts. Gt = Gain of transmitting antenna. R = Distance from the antenna in meters.

 For Pt = 20 W, Gt = 17dB (numeric value is 50) Pd for various values of R is given in Table 1. Power density Pd in μW/m2 Distance R (m) 79,600,0001 8,840,0003 3,180, , , ,

SAR and cell phone use time limit:  SAR stands for Specific Absorption Rate, which is the unit of measurement for the amount of RF energy absorbed by the body when using a mobile phone in units of watts per kg(W/kg) of tissue.

In USA, max. SAR limit for cell phones is 1.6W/Kg which is for 6 minutes. It has a safety margin of 3 to 4, so a person should not use cell phone for more than 18 to 24 minutes per day.

How To Find The Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) Of A Cell Phone :  1) determine FCC number

 2) Go to the FFC web site (

Effects:  Mobile phones and towers emit electromagnetic radiation having health effects which can be divided: 1) Thermal effects 2) Non-thermal effects

Cell phones biological effects : The case of a person using a cell phone, most of the heating effect will occur at the surface of the head, causing its temperature to increase by a fraction of a degree. The cornea of the eye when exposed to 2-3 hours can produce cataract as it does not have this temperature regulation mechanism.

 Risk to children: Children are more vulnerable to cell phone radiation as they: Skulls are smaller & thinner - ↑ radiation absorption ↑rate of Cell division - more susceptible to genetic damage There immune system is not as well developed as adults hence are less effective against fighting cancer growth.

The Blood Brain Barrier  The brain is protected by tight junctions between adjacent cells of capillary walls by the blood brain barrier (BBB), which selectively lets nutrients pass through from the blood to the brain, but keeps toxic substances out. Experiments conducted on young laboratory rats found that RF from mobile phones can significantly open the BBB in animals and cause leakage of albumin from blood vessels in inappropriate in the brain. The presence of albumin in brain tissue is a sign that blood vessels have been damaged and that the brain has lost some of its protection.

DNA damage  exposure at levels below the current FCC exposure standard, produces single and double strand breaks in DNA Effect on Skin Radiation from cell towers and mobile phones affects human skin. People who talk often on cell phones have a higher concentration of the transtyretin protein than those who do not. Transtyretin is formed in the liver; it helps transport vitamin A in the body and plays an important role in nervous diseases such as Alzheimers.

* Tinnitus and ear damage The radiation emitted by mobile phones may damage the delicate workings of the inner ear, and long-term and intensive mobile phone use for more than four years and for longer periods than 30 minutes in a day are at a higher risk of developing hearing loss, which cannot be reversed * Sleep disorders Use of the mobiles before bed, delays and reduces sleep, and causes headaches, confusion and depression. The findings are especially alarming for children and teenagers as they use cell phones at night and also keep the phone next to their head; which may lead to mood and personality changes, depression, lack of concentration and poor academic performance.

Increase in Cancer risk  Cancer happens in extreme cases, with almost everyone living close to mobile towers.  The area of concern is base-stations and their antennas as it emits radiation continuously and is more powerful at close quarters.  Mobile phone use >10 years doubles risk of brain cancer.

Advice on use of cell phones: **Minimize the time you speak. Use the mobile phone only for very short duration, of a few minutes length, an never for several minutes. ** Hold the phone as far away as possible : Use safe headsets or Use a loudspeaker

Always check the signal intensity and don't call when the signal is weak, because your mobile will irradiate maximally to connect to the base station.

 Tilting the phone away from your ear as you speak will help reduce radiation zapping your head when the cell is transmitting to the tower.

: References  t_2007.pdf  Tower-Radiation-Effects  s-from-the-interphone-study/

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