Cell phone and cancer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1 . Do cellphones emit radiation?

A. Yes.

2.  What kind of radiation?

A.  Non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation.

3.   What is non-ionizing radiation?

A.  It's a type of low-energy radiation that does not have enough energy to remove an electron from an atom, molecule or tissues. Non-ionizing radiation includes visible, infrared and ultraviolet light; microwaves; radio waves and radiofrequency energy from cellphones.

4.   How is cellphone radiation measured?

A.  Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)value; every cellphone manufacturer mentions SAR on their products.

5.   What is the safest SAR?

A.  Jury is still out as there is no convincing standard of measure.

6.   What's the safest SAR in India?

A.  India follows the US in defining SAR, which is 1.6 Watts per kg.

Vital Stats

* 46 different studies on mobile phone use and health statistically analysed

* 1,000 hours of use over 10 years can increase the risk of developing cancerous tumours by 60%

* 10 inches is the ideal distance at which mobile phones ought to be kept away from body

* Using a mobile phone for 17 minutes a day for a decade can increase the risk of developing cancerous tumours by up to 60%, a study at the University of California (UC) has found. While the jury's still out on whether there is substance to the claims, all the sides of the nearly four-decade-old debate on whether mobile phones can make you sick

* 10,000 times reduced exposure to radiation if ideal distance is maintained

Recommendations

* Use speaker or an earphone. There's a high probability that radiofrequency radiation emitted by cellphones causes two types of brain tumours.

* Radiation from cellphones interferes with cellular mechanisms, creates stress proteins, damages DNA and even kills the cell.

* Refers to a National Institute of Health's Toxicology Program (NTP) research on male rats that warned cellphone radiation does cause cancer.

* The NTP found 'clear evidence' that high levels of cellphone radiation can cause cancers of the heart, brain and adrenal glands in male rats.

* The NTP study, the biggest in 21st century, cost $30 million.

Counter-Argument

* A day after the NTP study was out, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the US on 02 Nov 2018, said the risks did not apply to humans

* FDA refused to extrapolate NTP evidence to humans

* The WHO, too, had earlier said radiation from cellphones did not cause tissue damage but causes heat generation in negligible amounts

* Dr Paul Heroux, a McGill University physicist and toxicologist, differs from WHO in that he maintains that the idea that wireless microwaves can only harm the body by heating is ridiculous, as our cells are damaged and impaired in their function before heating

Further Cellphone Stats

* 3.6 billion users in 2016

* 6.05 billion users in 2021

* 7.5 billion users expected by 2026

* $100 million spent by phone industry (in the US) to lobby Congress in keeping legislations loose, study claims

My take

A cellphone is the biggest technological advantage that is provided to an individual. Provides information and knowledge at the fingertips and that gives a tremendous sense of power! Cancer be damned!!

Tailpiece.

Got up around a 20' to 6, opened up the house and made a cup of tea for Rahul so that he could be packed off early. He, eventually, left by a quarter to 7 by Hameed's auto rickshaw and reported that he had reached home at lunch time! Sajish, the khalifa, had come by at 7 to chop off Lekha's hair.

The chores and was ready by a half past 10. It was a rainy day all through.

Participated in the webinar : "Creation of Learning Material for NDLI" by Prof Pratim Chakrabarti, Professor Computer Science and Engineering, IIT, Kharagpur from 1830 - 1930 hrs.