The debate is far from over and view points are still being traded with ‘end users’ worried about the ill effects of mobile tower antennae and phone emissions on human health. The last word, of course, has still not been said on this.
Earlier this week, experts from various fields got together to try and convince the general public that “the emissions are not life threatening”.
Dr. Bhavin Jankharia, the Mumbai-based radiologist and president of the Indian Radiology and Imaging Association, said: “We have been using X-ray radiations for more than 115 years, and we still haven’t been able to establish the relationship of cancer and radiation to any great extent. And the mobile tower radiation is inherently a type of radiation that we believe does not produce any kind of significant harm to humans.’’
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The experts brought together by the COAI, a mobile communicator association, included persons from various disciplines ranging from oncology, radiology and molecular to physical science to participate in ‘Mobile Networks and Public Health’.
COAI head Rajan S. Mathews noted: “There have been concerns about the electromagnetic field with regard to cell towers and handsets. The video and communication series ‘Mobile networks and Public Health’ will put forth the scientific and safety regime adopted by the government and industry.”
Professor R.V. Hosur, senior professor, department of chemical sciences, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) said: “Ionising radiation causes damage to molecules, they break the chemical bonds and can cause health hazards. But non-ionising radiations (from mobile tower antennae and phones) do not cause breakage of bonds or damage the molecules. Such radiation cause only local change in temperature depending on the extent of use.”
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India’s top brain-tumour specialist, Dr. Rakesh Jalali, professor, radiation oncology and convener, Neuro Oncology Group, the Tata Medical Centre added that the waves used in mobile phone technology are probably at the lowest end of the electromagnetic spectrum and do not cause any DNA kill.
“A number of researches and studies have been conducted around the globe to ascertain if there is any relationship between the emissions from the mobile phone and cancer. However, there is not enough evidence proving mobile phones cause cancer in humans,” said Dr. Rajesh Dikshit, department of epidemiology, urology (DMG), the Tata Medical Centre, who is leading a study on the effect of mobile emissions on human health in Mumbai.
By Bindu Shajan Perappadan