Aim:

To study the harmful effects of mobile radiation

Introduction:
A mobile phone is a phone that can make and receive telephone calls
over a radio link while moving around a wide geographic area. It does
so by connecting to a cellular network provided by amobile phone
operator, allowing access to the public telephone network. By contrast,
a cordless telephone is used only within the short range of a single,
private base station.The first hand-held cell phone was demonstrated
by John F. Mitchelland Martin Cooper of Motorola in 1973, using a
handset weighing around 4.4 pounds (2 kg).In 1983, the DynaTAC
8000x was the first to be commercially available. From 1983 to 2014,
worldwide mobile phone subscriptions grew from zero to over 7 billion,
penetrating 100% of the global population and reaching the bottom of
the economic pyramid. In 2014, the top cell phone manufacturers were
Samsung, Nokia, Apple, and LG.
Early cell phones were just for talking. Gradually, features like voicemail
were added, but the main purpose was talk. Eventually, cell phone
manufacturers began to realize that they could integrate other
technologies into their phone and expand its features. The earliest
smartphones let users access email, and use the phone as a fax
machine, pager, and address book.
Just in recent years, cell phone designs have actually started to become
larger and simpler, making room for a larger screen and less buttons.
Because phones have become mobile media devices, the most
desirable aspect is a large, clear, high-definition screen for optimal web
viewing. Even the keyboard is being taken away, replaced by a touch
screen keyboard that only comes out when you need it
Some Common Features To All Mobile Handsets:
The common components found on all phones are:
1. A battery, providing the power source for the phone functions.
2. An input mechanism to allow the user to interact with the phone.
3. The most common input mechanism is a keypad, but touch screens
are also found in most smartphones.
4. A screen which echoes the user's typing, displays text messages,
contacts and more.
5. Basic mobile phone services to allow users to make calls and send
text messages.
6. All GSM phones use a SIM card to allow an account to be swapped
among devices. Some CDMA devices also have a similar card called a R-
UIM.
7. Individual GSM, WCDMA, iDEN and some satellite phone devices are
uniquely identified by an International Mobile Equipment Identity
(IMEI) number.

What is a Base Station?

The term base station is used in the context of mobile telephony,
wireless computer networking and other wireless communications and
in land surveying: in surveying it is a GPS receiver at a known position,
while in wireless communications it is a transceiver connecting a
number of other devices toone another and/or to a wider area. In
mobile telephony it provides the connection between mobile phones
and the wider telephone network.
Health Hazards Of Base Stations:
Another area of concern is the radiation emitted by the fixed
infrastructure used in mobile telephony, such as base stations and their
antennas, which provide the link to and from mobile phones. This is
because, in contrast to mobile handsets, it is emitted continuously and
is more powerful at close quarters. On the other hand, field intensities
drop rapidly with distance away from the base of transmitters because
of the attenuation of power with the square of distance.
One popular design of mobile phone antenna is the sector antenna,
whose coverage is 120 degrees horizontally and about ∓5 degrees from
the vertical. Because base stations operate at less than 100 watts, the
radiation at ground level is much weaker than a cell phone due to the
power relationship appropriate for that design of antenna. Base station
emissions must comply with safety guidelines. Some countries,
however (such as South Africa, for example), have no health regulations
governing the placement of base stations.

Mobile Phone Radiation And Health

The effect of mobile phone radiation on human health is a subject
of interest and study worldwide, as a result of the increase in mobile
phone usage throughout the world. As of November 2011, there
were more than 6 billion subscriptions worldwide. Mobile phones
use electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range. Other digital
wireless systems, such as data communication networks, produce
similar radiation.In 2011, International Agency for Research on
Cancer (IARC) classified mobile phone radiation as Group 2B -
possibly carcinogenic (not Group 2A - probably carcinogenic - nor
the dangerous Group 1). That means that there "could be some
risk" of carcinogenicity, so additional research into the long-term,
heavy use of mobile phones needs to be conducted. The WHO
added in June 2011 that "to date, no adverse health effects have
been established as being caused by mobile phone use", a point
they reiterated in October 2014. Some national radiation advisory
authorities have recommended measures to minimize exposure to
their citizens as a precautionary approach.

Some Of The Potential Side Effects Of Exposure To

Electromagnetic Radiation
• Blurry Vision
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Neck Pain
• Memory Loss
• Leukaemia
• Rare Brain Cancers
• Enzyme Changes That Affect DNA
• Birth Defects
• Changes In Metabolism
• Increased Risk For Alzheimer’s Disease
• Increased Risk For Heart Conditions
• Neurological Hormone Changes Linked Impaired Brain Function

Effects Of Mobile Radiation On Living Tissue

Radiation Absorption
Part of the radio waves emitted by a mobile telephone handset are
absorbed by the body. The radio waves emitted by a GSM handset
are 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 cellphone and the base stationcheck 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.
The rate at which energy is absorbed by the human body is
measured by the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), 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 data for specific mobile
phones, along with other useful information, can be found directly
on manufacturers' websites, as well as on third party web sites. It
is worth noting that thermal radiation is not comparable to ionizing
radiation in that it only increases the temperature in normal matter,
it does not break molecular bonds or release electrons from their
atoms.
Thermal Effects
One well-understood effect of microwave radiation is dielectric
heating, in which any dielectric material (such as living tissue) is
heated by rotations of polar molecules induced by the
electromagnetic field. In the case of a person using a cell phone,
most of the heating effect will occur at the surface of the head,
causing its temperature to increase by a fraction of a degree. In this
case, the level of temperature increase is an order of magnitude
less than that obtained during the exposure of the head to direct
sunlight. The brain's blood circulation is capable of disposing of
excess heat by increasing local blood flow. However, the cornea of
the eye does not have this temperature regulation mechanism and
exposure of 2–3 hours duration has been reported to produce
cataracts in rabbits' eyes at SAR values from 100–140 W/kg, which
produced lenticular temperatures of 41 °C. This has known to
cause premature cataract in humans.
A image via thermal scans showing heating of the facial skin after
4 hours of phone usage.
*Thermal effects have also known to cause harm to ear drum and
impair hearing in the long term.
Blood–Brain Barrier Effects
Swedish researchers from Lund University have studied the effects
of mobile radiation on the brain. They found a leakage of albumin
into the brain via a permeated blood–brain barrier. This confirms
earlier work on the blood–brain barrier by Allan Frey, Oscar and
Hawkins, and Albert and Kerns.
Prof Leszczynski of Finland's radiation and nuclear safety authority
found that, at the maximum legal limit for mobile radiation, one
protein in particular, HSP 27, was affected. HSP 27 played a critical
role in the integrity of the blood-brain barrier.
Cognitive Effects
A 2009 study, examined the effects of exposure to radiofrequency
radiation (RFR) emitted by standard GSM cell phones on the
cognitive functions of humans.
The study confirmed longer (slower) response times to a spatial
working memory task when exposed to RFR from a standard GSM
cellular phone placed next to the head of male subjects, and
showed that longer duration of exposure to RFR may increase the
effects on performance.
Right-handed subjects exposed to RFR on the left side of their
head on average had significantly longer response times when
compared to exposure to the right side and sham-exposure.
Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity
Some users of mobile handsets have reported feeling several
unspecific symptoms during and after its use; ranging from burning
and tingling sensations in the skin of the head and extremities,
fatigue, sleep disturbances, dizziness, loss of mental attention,
reaction times and memory retentiveness, headaches, malaise,
tachycardia (heart palpitations), to disturbances of the digestive
system. Reports have noted that all of these symptoms can also be
attributed to stress and that current research cannot separate the
symptoms from nocebo effects.
Genotoxic Effects
In December 2004, a pan-European study named REFLEX (Risk
Evaluation of Potential Environmental Hazards from Low Energy
Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Exposure Using Sensitive in vitro
Methods), involving 12 collaborating laboratories in several
countries showed some compelling evidence of DNA damage of
cells in in-vitro cultures, when exposed between 0.3 to 2 watts/kg,
whole-sample average. There were indications, but not rigorous
evidence of other cell changes, including damage to
chromosomes, alterations in the activity of certain genes and a
boosted rate of cell division.
Australian research conducted in 2009, by subjecting in vitro
samples of human spermatozoa to radio-frequency radiation at 1.8
GHz and specific absorption rates (SAR) of 0.4 to 27.5 W/kg
showed a correlation between increasing SAR and decreased
motility and vitality in sperm, increased oxidative stress and 8-Oxo-
2'-deoxyguanosine markers, stimulating DNA base adduct
formation and increased DNA fragmentation.
Prevention:
1. When on a call, use a wired headset or speakerphone mode.
Use a Bluetooth headset, which emits a smaller amount of
radiation, only when talking. When not using the headset, keep it
off your body.
2. Place the mobile phone away from your body when on a call.
3. Do not carry mobile phones in pockets of pants or in shirts or
bras. Use a belt holster designed to shield the body from radiation.
4. Avoid using a mobile phone in a moving car, train, bus, or in rural
areas at some distance from a cell tower. Distance from a cell tower
will increase the cell phone’s radiation output.
5. Turn the mobile phone off when you don't need to use it.
6. Use a corded landline phone instead of a wireless phone, which
also emits radiation.
7. Avoid using mobile phone inside of buildings, particularly those
with steel structures, which increases the device's radiation output
because signals are not as strong.
8. Do not allow children, whose bodies are more vulnerable to
absorbing radiation, to sleep with a cell phone beneath their pillow
or keep it at the bedside.
9. Do not allow children under 18 to use a mobile phone except in
emergencies.
10. When making a call, do not hold the phone to your ear until
after the person on the other line answers. The device emits more
radiation before a call goes through.
Conclusions:
The conclusion drawn from the investigatory project finally states
the mobile radiation is harmful to human health. The effects may
not be noted almost immediately, but will be causing adverse
effects to the present as well the future generations because of the
ability of the radiations to effect and mutate human DNA which
have a high potential to cause mutations and new diseases in the
future generations. Mobile radiations present a very high risk of
brain cancer and tumours in humans and most prominently in
children below the age of 5 years.
Precautionary measure should be taken to protect one’s self and
family and friends from the harmful effects of mobile radiation. j
Mobile radiation might not seem harmful in almost immediate
effects but is such a slow poison to cause harmful effects to us and
even our future generations, in the long run.
Bibliography:
• Biology textbook, NCERT
• www.wikipedia.com
• www.google/images.com
• www.NHLBI (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute).com