Gem from Indian Medical Association: Cell towers pose no harm
Wednesday, Dec 11, 2013, 9:30 IST | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA
The medical body quotes foreign studies which IIT professor rejects.
Doctors and researchers have locked horns on the ill-effects of mobile towers on human health.
Quoting foreign studies, doctors from Indian Medical Association (IMA), Mumbai West branch said that there was no evidence that radiation from mobile towers causes cancer. “Radiation is of two types, ionizing and non-ionizing. While X-rays and ultraviolet rays emit ionizing radiation that causes mutation in cell division over a short period of time, non-ionizing radiation – the kind emitted by cell phone towers – is not harmful,” said Dr SK Joshi, president, IMA, Mumbai west branch.
Refuting the claims made by IMA, Dr Girish Kumar, professor at Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, explained that while ionizing radiation may cause immediate harm to human body, non- ionizing radiation over a period of time is harmful to human body. “Exposure to 0.45 watts per square meter is also only permissible for only sixty minutes per day, according to international standards. It may certainly cause harm if prolonged exposure to such radiation day in and day out is experienced,” said Kumar.
According to the strictures of the Supreme Court, in September 2012, the permissible radiation levels were reduced by Indian government from 45 watts per metre square to 0.45 watts per metre square. Doctors speculated that cell phone tower operators must be certainly adhering to the reduced permissible limit norms. “The Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring (TERM) conducts checks atop residences and commercial set ups to check if norms are being complied with,” said Dr SK Joshi.
However, TERM’s exercise is not voluntarily carried out in public interest. “TERM charges Rs4,000 for each check they conduct. Besides, they have refused to share data on how many cell tower companies have been fined for exceeding radiation limit norms. It is unclear how many operators have been fined for violating norms,” said Kumar.
World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies mobile tower radiation as a possible carcinogen under category of Class 2(B). “A possible carcinogen does not mean no carcinogen. Hence, saying that there is no evidence at all that mobile tower radiation is harmful is totally wrong,” said Kumar.
Permissible level
According to the strictures of the Supreme Court, in September 2012, the permissible radiation levels were reduced by Indian government from 45 watts per metre square to 0.45 watts per metre square.
There are no Mumbai-based studies to prove that dense clusters of cell phone towers are not harmful. “Further research is required. But, who will commission and finance such studies,” said Dr Parthiv Sanghavi, general secretary, IMA, Mumbai west branch.
Quoting foreign studies, doctors from Indian Medical Association (IMA), Mumbai West branch said that there was no evidence that radiation from mobile towers causes cancer. “Radiation is of two types, ionizing and non-ionizing. While X-rays and ultraviolet rays emit ionizing radiation that causes mutation in cell division over a short period of time, non-ionizing radiation – the kind emitted by cell phone towers – is not harmful,” said Dr SK Joshi, president, IMA, Mumbai west branch.
Refuting the claims made by IMA, Dr Girish Kumar, professor at Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, explained that while ionizing radiation may cause immediate harm to human body, non- ionizing radiation over a period of time is harmful to human body. “Exposure to 0.45 watts per square meter is also only permissible for only sixty minutes per day, according to international standards. It may certainly cause harm if prolonged exposure to such radiation day in and day out is experienced,” said Kumar.
According to the strictures of the Supreme Court, in September 2012, the permissible radiation levels were reduced by Indian government from 45 watts per metre square to 0.45 watts per metre square. Doctors speculated that cell phone tower operators must be certainly adhering to the reduced permissible limit norms. “The Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring (TERM) conducts checks atop residences and commercial set ups to check if norms are being complied with,” said Dr SK Joshi.
However, TERM’s exercise is not voluntarily carried out in public interest. “TERM charges Rs4,000 for each check they conduct. Besides, they have refused to share data on how many cell tower companies have been fined for exceeding radiation limit norms. It is unclear how many operators have been fined for violating norms,” said Kumar.
World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies mobile tower radiation as a possible carcinogen under category of Class 2(B). “A possible carcinogen does not mean no carcinogen. Hence, saying that there is no evidence at all that mobile tower radiation is harmful is totally wrong,” said Kumar.
Permissible level
According to the strictures of the Supreme Court, in September 2012, the permissible radiation levels were reduced by Indian government from 45 watts per metre square to 0.45 watts per metre square.
There are no Mumbai-based studies to prove that dense clusters of cell phone towers are not harmful. “Further research is required. But, who will commission and finance such studies,” said Dr Parthiv Sanghavi, general secretary, IMA, Mumbai west branch.
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