Hazards from Cell Phone Towers

World Health Organization (WHO) in its Fact Sheet No. 304, May 2006 on Electromagnetic Fields and Public Health (Base Stations and Wireless Technologies) has concluded that “considering the very low exposure levels and research results collected to date, there is no convincing scientific evidence that the weak Radio Frequency (RF) Signals from base stations and wireless networks caused adverse health effects. From all evidence accumulated so far, no adverse short or long term health effects have been shown to occur from the RF Signals produced by based stations”. 

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), there are no conclusive data available so far on this issue. The review of literature does not establish conclusive evidence on the safety or risk of Radio Frequency Radiation (RFR) emitted from cell phone towers. 

Various studies have been conducted by International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) on cell phone tower radiations. ICNIRP guidelines on April 1998 states that, epidemiological studies on exposed workers and the general public have shown no major health effects associated with typical exposure environments. The studies have yielded no convicing evidence that typical exposure levels lead to adverse reproductive outcomes or an increased cancer risk in exposed individuals. 

Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had adopted the International EMF norms in the year 2008 in respect of mobile towers prescribed by International Commission on Non-lonizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and licenses were accordingly amended. 

Further, based on the recommendations of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on radiation, norm for exposure limit for the Radio frequency Field (Base Station Emissions) has been reduced to 1/10th of the existing limits prescribed by ICNIRP, which will be effective from 01.09.2012. 

This information was given by the Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology Shri Milind Deora in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today. 

Source : PIB