Hazards of Mobile Waves & Prevention Studies

Transcription

1 Hazards of Mobile Waves & Prevention Studies Prof. Rushabh Shah Barkha Gupta Khushali Desai ABSTRACT Mobile is the one of the biggest technology evolution of 21st Century. In this era use of mobile phones has taken long jumps to be part of daily life of commoner. The number of mobile phones users has been grown rapidly in the last decade. Now after this much widespread of mobile there were some lights thrown on how the mobile radiates the Waves and how this Radiation can be harmful to us. This paper will depict you how mobile phone works, what is radiation, how radiation is hazardous to us, how mobile phone is related to radiations, radiation done by mobile phone, how to take precautions to avoid those hazards, some tests to prove the hazards of Mobile waves. General Terms: Radiation, Radiation Shields Keywords: SAR 1. INTRODUCTION Mobile towers are located in our neighborhood where we stay. But the waves generated from the mobile tower affect our health. The number of mobile phones users has been grown rapidly in the last decade. Shows statistics [1] following (Figure 1) shows the graph of year versus numbers in populations In today s era mobile phones have become the most necessary thing of our life as air, water and land. But mobile phones have some dangerous effects in our surroundings and to our health due to radiation. Figure 1 graph of year versus numbers in populations of mobile phone users [1] This radiation is increasing day by day as technology is growing up. In early stages of mobile phones radiation and adverse effects of it was not at much high level as it is now. Along with new technologies frequencies used are also going high and high. In First Generation analog phones were used having 450 to 900MHz. With 2G (Digital GSM technology) frequency increased at 900 to 1800MHz. Now in 3G (UMTS) 1900 to 2200 MHz frequency is used. Still in 4G which is relatively upcoming and may use frequencies 2000 to 8000MHz.Each consecutive technology is functioning at higher frequency. Over the course of many years, many electromagnetic field sources are becoming major health concerns. Such sources can be given as Mobile phones and their base stations, Microwave ovens, computer and TV Screens, Power lines, Radars etc. There are many Health hazards that are said to be caused by mobile waves e.g. cancer, Effect on Heart etc. But none of them is proved on human but there are some experiments done on mice and they are proved harmful. So it would not be wrong to say that mobile phones do hurt because of radiation emitted by it. How radiation affects us is explained in this paper and also with the context to the mobile. But mobile companies do not approve it as their whole business relies on it just like when Cigarettes Company was denying its lethal effects. So mobile phone waves do hurt but we cannot stop using them but we can use it optimistically and definitely take some precautions. [2] 2. What is Radiation? Radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a vacuum, or through matter-containing media that are not required for their propagation. 27

2 We can define radiation as anything which radiates that is ray like paths. Such radiations may be sound, radio, light, infra-red light etc. All sources defined above use electromagnetic radiation in microwave range. Extensive contact with them may be harmful and hazardous to our health and environment. A part of the radio waves emitted by mobile phones are absorbed by human head (at maximum level) and by other parts also. Sources like radios, and TV sets emits radio waves rather than microwaves so they are not that much dangerous as mobile phones and other devices. Radiation can be classified as either ionizing or nonionizing according to whether it ionizes or does not ionize ordinary chemical matter. Both ionizing and nonionizing radiation can be harmful to organisms and can result in changes to the natural environment. As ionization is high level of energy that cause damage to biological tissues, including DNA, Ionized radiation is far more harmful than non-ionized one. The radio waves emitted by a GSM handset can have a peak power of 2 watts. Other digital mobile technologies, such as CDMA2000 and D-AMPS, use lower output power, typically below a watt. The maximum power output from a mobile phone is regulated by the mobile phone standard and by the regulatory agencies in each country. In most systems the cell phone and the base station check reception quality and signal strength and the power level is increased or decreased automatically, within a certain span, to accommodate different situations, such as inside or outside of buildings and vehicles.[2] 2.1 Radiation Shields Radiation shield is a physical thing on your phone. They will help you to reduce the radiating waves coming towards your phone. Using it, you will not face any difference in call quality. This shield fits on all phones. It is very easy to install, just put them on the back of your phone. They also work on cordless home phones. [4] 3. SAR SAR measures the rate at which energy is absorbed by the human body), and its maximum levels for modern handsets have been set by governmental regulating agencies in many countries. In the USA, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has set a SAR limit of 1.6 W/kg, averaged over a volume of 1 gram of tissue, for the head. In Europe, the limit is 2 W/kg, averaged over a volume of 10 grams of tissue. SAR values are heavily dependent on the size of the averaging volume. Without information about the averaging volume used, comparisons between different measurements cannot be made. [4] 4. SAR Test The Specific Absorption Rate test uses sophisticated instruments to measure the amount of radiation absorbed into the body, usually the head. At present, the generally recognized limit for absorbed electromagnetic energy is 1.6 watts per kilogram. All cell phones sold must be tested and have their compliance with this standard certified by their manufacturer. The electromagnetic fields from a cell phone depend upon the design of the cell phone and its antenna, how it operates, as well as how it is held and used. A cell phone s antenna radiates in all directions. The health concern is about the radiation actually absorbed into the head, which is where cell phones are usually held. SAR tests conducted on the SAR Shield show that the product reduces SAR radiation by as much as 89%. [4] How the SAR Shield works and what is SAR shield made of? The materials used in the construction of the SAR Shield attract and dissipate electro-magnetic waves. As radiation travels it uses up its energy. What SAR Shield does is it acts like a radiation magnet, constantly attracting the radiation towards it, therefore making it release its energy closer to the phone. This causes most of the radiation to dissipate away from the head and body. SAR Shield does not cause noticeable reduction in signal strength.[4] 5. Negative Effects of Radiation Radiation causes many adverse effects to humans, our environment, and all other living things in our surroundings. Some of such effects are proven and some of them are still under research. But we cannot ignore its negative possible effects just as they are not proved. 28

3 5.1.1 Radiation Absorption Radio waves emitted mainly have 3 consequences. Transmission, absorption and reflection. Materials which can t pass radio waves they will reflect the waves. On transmitter devices the waves will be transmitted and apart from both of these, radio waves will be absorbed by them. In human body radio waves are absorbed by head at maximum level. This absorption can cause vast no. of negative effects which are going to be discussed next Thermal Effects This effect leaves impact on living tissue. Mobile or microwave radiation causes a thermal effect known as dielectric heating. In this effect the dielectric material (e.g. living tissue) of our body gets heated. By using a cell phone the major surface which will be affected is human head and ear part. This effect is known as dielectric heating Blood Brain Barrier Effect Overuse of cellular phone causes damages on brains. Due to radiation DNA in brain cells are damaged. Such damaged cell will produce other cells which are also DNA damage. Such damaged DNAs are tumors. These effects have been studied on rat brain cells also, They found a leakage of albumin into the brain Effect on Heart This radiation will not affect ordinary heart functions. It may cause danger to persons having internal defibrillators or alike devices. It may cause more dangerous when mobile phones are radiating devices are not far at least 6 inches from these persons Genotoxic Effects It also damages DNAs. And it may cause the change in reproductive capacity Agricultural Effects EMF radiation leaves impact on seeds and plants growing in early stages also. Such radiation could choke seeds, affect germination and early growth Effects on Birds and Animals Electromagnetic radiations from mobile towers are responsible for the decline numbers of some birds and animals. The waves also decreases the eggs production in bees and eggs near to mobile towers failed to hatch even after a month though their normal incubation period is over Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Scorching and scratchy sensation in the skin of the head. Sleep Commotion and dizziness. Loss of mental attention and slow reaction times Effect during Pregnancy Now as we know ionize radiation is a kind of electromagnetic radiation produced by x-ray machines, radioactive isotopes and radiation therapy machines. These kind of rays are very harmful to pregnant ladies Effects on Kids The effects of radiation on kids are far more dangerous than elder ones. [5] 6. How mobile Phone works? Mobile phones are radio phones. They operate at microwave frequencies. In nutshell, to make a call or to receive a call mobile phone uses radio waves. These waves are transmitted to its corresponding base station and from that base station to another mobile phone via radio waves. So in each country there exist thousands of base stations of different mobile operator companies. Each of these base stations works at slightly different frequencies to communicate with their handsets continuously. Each cell has a transmitter and receiver mast from base station. Such masts have power between 60 watts to 120 watts but mobile phone handsets have power less than 1 watt only. Now to stay in full network mobile phones send signals after every few minutes to establish the connection with the nearest mast. Central computer of that mast keeps track of each mobile phone which is switched on and remembers in which cell they are in. So the establishment of connection between two phones is complicated. Because base stations also have their parental stations through which connection will go through. Sometime mobile operators make their base stations to work with higher frequencies which are not permissible. Such base stations are very harmful for us. 29

4 Now after the connection establishment during voice transfer, the voice is encoded into radio signals and at receiver base station it is decoded before sending to the receiver handset. In such encoding scheme, the peak power of radio signals should not be more than 2 watts. Average power of these signals should be 0.25w at max. Now as we know mobile phones emit low level radio frequency energy, and that is also after every few minutes as well as during calls also. As we saw earlier these waves are very harmful to us and by using phones we are constantly in touch with them. Their absorption in our body cause many dangerous effects. Along with mobile phones, microwave ovens also work with RF waves and they are also harmful for our health.[6] 7. Microwave Oven Radiating Testing The following test is taken as embodiment to show how thing emitting radiation can be harmful. Here the culprit is Microwave Oven. As we know ovens also works with micro waves, extensive use of them by regular use of them the also may cause harm. There are various tests done to prove microwave leakage Test 1 Put one of your phone into microwave oven, lock the door.om and Then do phone call on the phone inside the oven If microwave oven is leaking the radio waves then your phone will ring otherwise not.[7] Agricultural Test The effects of electromagnetic waves emitted from mobile phones operating at 1800MHz were investigated on germination, root growth, mitotic division of root tips. Seeds were split into 3 groups. The 1 st group was exposed to a mobile phone electromagnetic field for 48 hours at the state of dormancy. The 2 nd group was exposed to the same electromagnetic field at the state of division. The 3 rd group, the control group, was not exposed to an electromagnetic field beyond the natural background. The results obtained after the test indicate that electromagnetic waves emitted from mobile phones affect seeds in the state of dormancy more than the state of the germination. Germination rate was not affected, but root growth decreased due to a possible effect of oxidative stress in the state of dormant seeds. There was also noticeable increment in the c- mitosis rates.[8] 8. Conclusion So from this paper you can come to a sense that mobile phone does affect us at some point in time because of rays emitted by it. As a lack of research on human being and power of communication companies we cannot prove the extent at which it can, but one can be very sure that at some little extent it does hurt us. It is not just Mobiles Wi-Fi Wireless Networking, Bluetooth devices, Wireless keyboards and mice, DECT cordless phones, Baby Monitors, Walkie Talkie All involve electromagnetic waves in the radio and microwave part of the spectrum. Now a day we are so much used to such technologies that removing them from our life is simply not possible but you can keep a safe distance so that they cannot harm you. We will show you how you can minimize the radiation effect affecting you even if you are using them. Use headset set or a speaker Phones at arm length Buy a low radiation phone Don t use in weak signals Use radiation shields Limit children s phone use Don t keep in pocket Don t wear Bluetooth all the time Use airplane mode in nigh 9. References [1] readwrite.com/2013/05/13/mobile-is-taking-overthe-world [2] [3] _and_health [4] 30

5 [5] [6] [7] Leaks [8] Effect of electromagnetic waves emitted by mobile phones on germination, root growth and root tip cell mitiotic division of lensculinaris Medik research papers 31