With the widespread popularity of mobile phones, telecom companies have to construct telecommunication towers in more areas to manage coverage and manage the mobile phones signal demands. Mobile towers are generally built by a telecom company when they expand their network coverage or capacity to provide a better reception signal in that area. Mobile phone towers like radio and television towers transmit signals using radiofrequency waves that lie somewhere between FM radio and microwaves on the electromagnetic spectrum. Recently, mobile towers’ radiofrequency waves have caused great concern about mobile towers’ radiation exposure and the safety of the general public.
In India, there are about 400,000 mobile towers including 700 standalone only 3G and 4G towers. Most of those mobile towers are positioned near the domestic and official areas to supply users with trustworthy mobile coverage. The transmitting power of the mobile tower is designed in a manner to cover a distance of at least a couple of kilometers. This further ensures that mobile at that distance is ready to transmit and receive enough signals for correct communication. It has been revealed in research that the radiation from the mobile towers may be responsible for a many diseases and this has become a prominent concern for human health and well being.
Mobile Towers Radiation Risks
Though mobile towers’ radiation is not as harmful as X and UV rays but still radiofrequency waves of mobile towers should also be approached with caution by people either living close to these towers or working on these towers. Some of the potential risks of mobile towers radiation acknowledged by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and World Health Organization (WHO) include:
Cancer-causing risks – Though no substantial correlation has been established by OSHA or the WHO regarding the chance of carcinogenic effects of mobile tower radiation on humans but workers working on mobile towers are recommended frequent health checkups. Besides the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has revealed that mobile towers radiation is possibly carcinogenic to humans and may cause glioma, a type of brain cancer.
Thermal Effects – The heating of body tissue is termed as the thermal effect that results in burns, and this usually affects the eyes and testes in men and may cause blindness and sterility.
Nonthermal Effects – Nonthermal effects result in an adverse impact on circadian rhythm or sleep cycles and can also affect the immune system and communication of information in cells.
Protection from Mobile Tower Radiation
Mobile phone towers emit radiation throughout the day in relatively higher intensities, so it may pose serious health issues, so people living within 500 meters of mobile towers to take precautions to lower their exposure. Some of the precautionary and curative measures that can be taken to protect humans from mobile tower radiation are:
- People should make sure that mobile tower is installed beyond the standard safe distance from the home and office where people spend most of their time. Mobile phone towers should not be within the 500 meters range from home and offices.
- However, people sometimes may not be in the position to decide the installation of the mobile towers, therefore they can seek respite by making use of some certified radiation protection products that are extremely credible in providing all-around protection to people from mobile tower radiation.
