Mobile Tower Radiation and Plants

Thought only humans were susceptible to Cell Tower radiation? Well the situation is worst than imagined by most people. Birds, bees, plants, mammals etc which act as ecological indicators to show alterations in our ecosystem have all been affected. We all know when these are disturbed there is some major calamity associated with it.

One such example was observed recently by Prof. Girish Kumar in Gurgaon, Delhi.

"I went to the farm house near Delhi-Gurgaon toll naka, where 4 cell towers are installed. The owner of the farm house told me that the output of most of the fruit bearing trees has drastically reduced in the last 2 years. Before the towers were erected the plants beared more than a hundred fruits and there were butterflies all around. And now only one or two fruits are seen in the entire tree and butterflies have completely vanished. Also, trees in the main beam of cell tower antenna look dull and withered compared to the plants away from the tower and not in main beam of antenna"

When asked to the person concerned, he said no changes have been made in terms of maintenance of the plants. They are watered and manured the same way like before.

The picture was taken at the farm house and shows that only those plants looked dull and dried which were close to and in the main beam of the antenna. When the radiation levels were measured in the farm, the levels were as high as 0 dBm = 70,686microW/m2 = 700 times more radiation than proposed by the ICNIRP guidleine which has been adopted by the Indian govt. as safe level of radiation.

Several such cases have been seen in other parts of the world and calls for immediate steps to adopt tighter radiation norms to save humans, animals, birds, environment and mother earth.

CELL TOWER RADIATION REPORT

Cell Tower Radiation Report - sent to DOT (Department of Telecommunications)

Prepared by Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay, INDIA

Cell Tower Radiation Report - sent to DOT (Department of Telecommunications)

This report is a compilation of more than 200 scientific peer reviewed references. It talks about the Radiation Pattern of Cell Tower Antenna, the norms adopted by various countries, Theoretical and measured radiation power at various locations, Biological effects on Humans - The Brain, eye, ear, skin, nervous system, heart, cognitive issues etc. Not only humans but several birds like sparrows, insects like butterflies, bees and plants and animals have been affected from the cell tower radiation. In the end of the report - suggestions are offered as a balanced approach to solve immediate problems from this invisible hazardous radiation.



Please take immediate steps to adopt tighter radiation norms to save humans,animals, birds, environment and mother earth.

Mobile tower radiation a major health hazard

CNN IBN News Coverage - aired on 9th DEC 2010



All the transmitting towers, such as AM and FM towers, TV towers, cell towers, etc. emit RF/microwave radiation continuously. Also, Wi-Fi (wireless Internet), wireless computers,cordless phones and their base units, cell phones and all other wireless devices emit microwave radiation. A cell phone that is ON but not in use is also radiating.

Cell phones operate within the frequency band of 800 MHz, 900 MHz and 1800 MHz and the latest 3G technology works between 1900 -2200 MHz. Computers and laptops operate within the frequency range of 1000 -- 3600MHz, and most Wi-Fi systems and some cordless phones operate around 2450 MHz, which is same frequency as that of a microwave oven! The growing use of wireless communication in the last decade has introduced concerns about health risks from the so called man made electro smog. Various epidemiological and experimental studies have been carried out and the results have shown to have a close relation between biological effects and
Electromagnetic radiation (Sage Cindy et al 2009).

Microwave radiation effect can be classified as - thermal and non-thermal. The thermal effect has been largely studied and refers to the heat that is generated due to absorption of microwave radiation. Being exposed to the thermal effect could cause fatigue, cataracts and reduced mental concentration. Research is going on to study the non-thermal effects of radiation, and it has been associated with affecting the cell membrane permeability. Sadly the current exposure safety standards are purely based on the thermal effect while ignoring the non-thermal effects of
radiation.

Principle of microwave heating is similar to that of a microwave oven where the water in the food content is heated first. Likewise microwave absorption effect is much more significant by the body parts which contain more fluid (water, blood, etc.) like the brain which consists of about 90% water. Effect is more pronounced where the movement of the fluid is less, for example, eyes, brain, joints, heart, abdomen, etc. The effect has shown to be much more severe for children and pregnant women.

Of late there are lots of reports coming out on how radiation through mobile towers causes cancer, though cell phone companies maintain that there is nothing conclusive on this subject.

The effectiveness or seriousness of the issue has not been realized among the common man yet as one can not see or smell or hear microwave and its effect on health is noted after a long period of time. Therefore, majority of the people tend to have casualness towards personal protection.Unfortunately, ignorance and non-awareness adds to this misery and all of us are absorbing this slow poison unknowingly.

Cell Phones and Cell Tower Radiation Effect on Children

Coverage on TV9 News Channel - 9 Dec 2010

The show is more focussed on health impacts on children from Mobile Tower Radiation and Mobile Phones / Cell Phones



Children are more susceptible to radiation as their skulls are thinner and still developing. A pregnant women and fetus are susceptible as these radiations can pass through the placental barrier and affect developing fetus.

Also, a large number of brain cancer cases have been reported among children on the same side where they held their cell phones. Tumour the size of a tennis ball have also been reported near the ears of several cell phones users who started using phones in their early teens.

Study by Dr. Om Gandhi explains why, children are in much bigger danger of getting a brain tumor from EMR ; Brain tumors have now taken over leukemia as the biggest cause of death amongst children.

When radiation hits the head, it penetrates the skull. The experiment done by Dr Om Gandhi back in 1997 showed how radiation penetrates the skull of an adult (25%), 10 year old (50%) and a 5 year old (75%). The younger the child the deeper the penetration due to the fact their skulls are thinner and still developing.

Interesting cell tower literature review by Lai and Levitt






"Biological effects from exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted by cell tower base stations and other antenna arrays". Written by Henry Lai and Blake Levitt.

The full paper can be read/downloaded at:
http://rparticle.web-p.cisti.nrc.ca/rparticle/RpArticleViewer?_handler_=HandleInitialGet&journal=er&volume=18&calyLang=eng&media=html&articleFile=a10-018.pdf

At the end of the paper is the historical, Cold War U.S Embassy case analysed. Lai and Levitt write:"Symptoms reported today may be classic microwave sickness, first described in 1978". Perhaps new/surprising to you?

Cell towers likely sources of radiation, disease: Report

Times of India - 7 Dec 2010 ; MUMBAI: Cellphone operators have long denied their transmitting towers atop buildings or on highways have any adverse bearing on the health of humans or animals, despite several studies across the world concluding the contrary. Now a report for the Department of Telecommunication by a faculty of the Indian Institute of Technology, Powai, reinforces what scientists have long held—that areas around cellphone towers are high-radiation and consequently high-risk zones. Moreover, it recommends that India, which has very "relaxed radiation norms", must raise the safety bar.

Girish Kumar, professor, electrical engineering department of the Powai institute, who visited rooftops of several buildings and measured radiation on places with cell towers mounted, said: "These towers transmit radiation 24x7, so people living nearby will receive 10,000 to 10,000,000 times stronger signal than required for mobile communication. In India, crores of people reside in these high radiation zones."

Kumar noted the cell phone industry was becoming "another cigarette industry, which for long kept claiming smoking is not harmful. In fact, cellphone/tower radiation is worse than smoking as one cannot see it or smell it, and its effect on health is noted after a long period of exposure. Unfortunately, all of us are absorbing this slow poison unknowingly."

For instance, Kumar visited the apartment of a lady detected with cancer a year after a cellphone tower was installed in the vicinity. A hand-held broadband radiation monitoring device, taken near the windows, detected radiation levels were around 0.007069 W/m2. India has adopted a radiation norm of 4.7 W/m2, but the study noted serious health effects at as low a level of 0.0001 W/m2. Though India adheres to the radiation density limit set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), Kumar observed Indians faced an added threat: radiation from multiple towers. "One should know the actual radiation pattern (unfortunately not made public) to calculate exact radiation density at a point," he noted. One of the first steps he recommended was tightening radiation norms and reducing number of towers. Many countries in the world have adopted much stricter maximum radiation density values of 0.001 to 0.24 W/m2.

Read more: Cell towers likely sources of radiation, disease: Report - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Cell-towers-likely-sources-of-radiation-disease-Report/articleshow/7056686.cms#ixzz17Pr69TzT

Cellphones may put your child at risk of brain tumor

DNA - Dec 7 2010

Absorption of electromagnetic radiation from a cell phone (frequency being GSM 900 MHz) penetrates the skull of an adult by 25%, that of a 10-year-old by 50% and a five-year-old by 75%, says a report on cell tower radiation which has been submitted by an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, professor to the department of telecommunications (DOT).

“The younger the child, the deeper is the penetration due to the fact that their skulls are thinner and still developing. Hence, it’s critical that children under 16 use cell phones only for short essential calls as they have much bigger danger of getting a brain tumor,” said the 30-page report written by Girish Kumar, electrical engineering department, IIT, Bombay.

Stating that currently there are over 50 crore cell phone users and nearly 4.4 lakh cell phone towers to meet the communication demand in India, the report recommends tightening the radiation norms, which must be simultaneously cost-effective without causing inconvenience to the users.

“A person should not use a cell phone for more than 18 to 24 minutes daily. This information is not commonly known to the people in India, so millions use cell phones for over an hour per day without realising its associated health hazards,” states the report.

“In India, we have adopted very relaxed radiation norms of 4.7 W/m2 (watt per metre square) for GSM 900, whereas serious health effects have been noted at as low as 0.0001 W/m2. It’s not just human beings, cell tower radiation can also adversely effect birds, animals and the environment. Though cell operators continue to claim that there are no health issues, it’s time we realised the seriousness of the health hazards due to radiation from cell phones and cell towers,” said Kumar.

http://www.dnaindia.com/health/report_cellphones-may-put-your-child-at-risk-of-brain-tumor_1477722

Case Study

Yet another sufferer

27-year-old Anna and her doctor are convinced that her brain tumour formed because she was a heavy mobile phone user.

Phone tumour @ Yahoo!7 Video

New evidence is forging a growing link to brain tumours.



Alan Marks, 57, had a grand mal seizure after 20-years of intense cell phone use.

At the time, he estimated a cell phone up to his head for at least 10,000 hours over those 20 years.

"Explosion" in brain tumours and the truth about the wireless society!



This post is in process. Please check back later for more info. Thanks.

Expert Counsel Meet - Mumbaiites learn about the effect of radiation from towers

Concerned citizens call for a expert committee meet to create awareness and understand implications of long term cell tower radiation exposure.

On a Sunday afternoon (October 11, 2010) residents at the Nepean Sea Road and Altamount Road organized an expert committee meet to get definitive answers to the increasing problem of radiation from mobile phones and mobile towers.

The Nepean Sea Road Citizen’s Forum and the Altamount Road Residents’ Committee held a meeting where various experts shared their opinions about the effects of radiation emitted from mobile phones and mobile towers.

At the panel were (from right to left)Mr. Prakash Patel (resident of Usha Kiran), Mr. Vikas Bonde from Loop Mobile, Prof Girish Kumar from IIT Bombay, Dr SM Desai from TIFR, Shri AL Pandey (TERM - Telecommunication Enforcement Resource Monitoring Cell), Mr. C.U. Singh (Senior Advocate for the Operators)

Mr. Prakash Patel spoke about four cases of cancer reported among residents of Usha Kiran building who live in the main beam of the cell tower antennas that are located opposite to their building.

Mr. Vikas Bonde from Loop Mobile stated studies which show no serious damage from towers but did report minor health effects from towers.

Prof. Girish Kumar from IIT Bombay said, "The current guidelines for radiation exposure are outdated. India currently follows the International Commission for Non Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNRIP). The guidelines were set in 1998, when mobile phones were just introduced. How can we continue to follow them when other nations have moved on?”. The ICNIRP guidelines mandate that exposure to radio frequency fields (of the 1800MHz spectrum) is 9.2 watts per square metre. However, in countries like Russia, Bulgaria and Hungary the accepted level is 0.02 watts per square metre-which is a hundred times lesser.

Prof. Kumar also mentioned that if the current emitted power from towers were reduced 10 fold, the problem will be reduced by a much greater extend to which the Loop mobile person seemed to comply with.

Mr Hari Shetty (from Mobile Towers Grievance Forum) and Prof. Kumar are united in their demand for stricter guidelines. Shetty said, “The state should at least frame policies to regulate the invisible radiation.”

Also, the problem is that people don’t know much about the subject and the information available will confuse the layman. Hence, it is important to know the truth before they agree to install these towers.

Mr. AL Pandey, Deputy Director-General, Telecom Enforcement, Resources and Monitoring cell (TERM) agreed with this assessment and said, “The network providers need to understand that business cannot be done at the cost of people’s lives. Hence, we’ve stepped in and are doing our own study before taking action against errant companies”.

However, Senior Advocate, Mr. C. U Singh from Delhi, who has represented the BMC, Air India, TATA Motors, Reliance put forward studies which showed no/negligible damage with long term exposure and also animal studies which showed brain damge and other serious health problems. Mr. Singh believes that people should search for the answers themselves and decide if radiation can lead to serious damage.

Dr. Desai from Tata Memorial Hospital summarized the session and further believes the need for stricter guideline to be adopted.

The Question-Answer session was particularly interesting as residents came forward and mentioned that they have towers of 7 different operators facing their apartment and some often heard noises which were not heard elsewhere. Another concerned resident mentioned that they had about 30 towers facing their house.

The full videos can be seen below. Also, media coverage appeared in Hindustan Times and DNA. Here are the links:
Citizens learn about mobile phone safety - Hindustan Times and http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_mumbai-citizens-divided-over-effects-of-radiation-from-cellphone-towers_1450856

Radiation from mobile phone towers - Myth or reality

On Sep. 27, COAI & AUSPI had called a press conference in Mumbai regarding Radiation from mobile phone towers - Myth or reality

The following coverage has come in cxotoday:
Radiation from mobile phone towers not harmful, says COAI & AUSPI - http://www.cxotoday.com/story/radiation-from-mobile-phone-towers-not-harmful-says-coai-auspi/

Time of India, Mumbai dated 28 Sep. 2010 also says "Radiation from cell towers not a health hazard http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/TOIM/2010/09/28/TOIM_2010_9_28_9.pdf

Prof. Girish Kumar from IIT Bombay and I gave a Presentation on Cell tower radiation at KEM Hospital on Sep. 20, 2010 to several doctors. In the last few days, 3 different housing society people have called us and mentioned that there are 2 to 4 cases of cancers in their buildings/societies, who did not have any cancer history
in their families. At all these places, cell towers have been installed in the nearby buildings.

Presentation has been uploaded at the following sites:
Google doc link:
https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B05WH9TM9znsYTQyNDYwMGEtYTVkOC00ZjYzLWFkMzgtYjE5OGZjYjdiNWE0&hl=en
Direct link to Science stage:
http://sciencestage.com/uploads/text/w1aVhg1STBwyncHKp1OK.pdf

Please find time to go through and decide if the risk is worth taking.

Pass it on to your friends and family members to create awareness.

Cell phones and Cell Towers Radiation Hazards

Presentation at KEM Medical College, Mumbai on 20 September 2010

Radiation Hazards from Cell Phones and Cell Towers - Presentation at KEM Hospital

It was a nice experience interacting with eminent doctors at KEM Medical College.

Prof Kumar talked about the radiation pattern of Cell tower radiation, main bean and minor beam of antenna and who are at more danger, radiation norms adopted in different countries, amount of radiation the body may be exposed to with current radiation norms, epidemiological symptoms observed with proximity to towers etc.

I spoke about the biological effects of these radiations. In particular its affect on children and pregnant women, health problems reported from cell tower radiation and other EMF sources- case studies and its impact on the environment - birds, animals, bees, plants etc.

Mobile Tower radiation and Harmful effects

Live India- TV Channel coverage -9 August 2010



Mr. Sachin Pilot - Minister of State for Communications and IT says it is high time we address the issue of radiation, as strong objections have been raised by experts and civil society over the uncontrolled spread of mobile towers that could have serious impact on the health of people.

Prof Girish Kumar from Electrical Engg Dept, IIT Bombay mentions residents face health problems like headache, loss of memory, concentration problems in the beginning and prolong exposure can lead to even cancer. Experts say a continuous 20-minute contact between the human ear and mobile phone increases temperature of blood flowing through a user's brain, which could be dangerous, while high levels of radiation from towers can affect lives of people living around it.

One particular case Prof. Kumar highlights is of a lady who is currently diagonized with cancer and has a cell tower adjacent to her house a few 10 meters away. On measuring the radiation level the readings were found to be very high of the order -6 to -8dBm. Similarly, raditiation levels in some places at Gurgaon, Delhi showed radiation values as high as 0 dBm.

Prof Kumar puts forward his calculations on the amount of power an average human adult will be exposed to with the current radiation norm. On cumulating the power values are comparable to putting an individual in a microwave oven for 20 minutes per day.

India has currently adopted ICMR norm of 9W/kg where as Russia and European countries have adopted radiation norm values 450 - 9000 times lesser. While European nations have just three to five operators, in India the number of operators now stands at 15.

India has around 4.5-lakh towers today and many more are being added to meet the demand of almost 65-crore mobile subscribers, which is growing at 1.5-crore every month, the highest in the world.

Read :Stricter guidelines soon for mobile radiation- http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article559504.ece

Stricter guidelines soon for mobile radiation

The Hindu - NEW DELHI, August 9, 2010

The Union government finally seems to have woken up to the health hazards related to radiation from mobile towers and handsets. The Ministry of Communications and IT is considering a high-level study to find out the level of electromagnetic frequency (EMF) radiation from towers and handsets in order to frame stricter regulations to rein in erring operators and handset manufacturers.

“It is high time we addressed the issue of radiation, as strong objections have been raised by experts and civil society over the uncontrolled spread of mobile towers and import of cheap handsets that could have serious impact on the health of people. I will soon be meeting health and telecom experts to evolve a strong monitoring mechanism for the same,” Minister of State for Communications and IT Sachin Pilot told TheHindu.

The government was considering commissioning a detailed study on the issue by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Indian conditions were not similar to those in the West.

Mr. Pilot said: “We need to look at things in different perspective. While European nations have just three to five operators, in India the number of operators now stands at 15.

“Consider the massive growth of towers...we already have around 4.5-lakh towers and many more are being added to meet the demand of almost 65-crore mobile subscribers, which is growing at 1.5-crore every month, the highest in the world.

“While European nations and the U.S. have very strict monitoring mechanism for both mobile towers and phones, we are still to come out with proper regulations on the issue.”

Experts say a continuous 20-minute contact between the human ear and mobile phone increases temperature of blood flowing through a user's brain, which could be dangerous, while high levels of radiation from towers can affect lives of people living around it.

Mr. Pilot said though mobile operators, their associations and mobile phone manufactures have been claiming that radiation levels in the country were under prescribed limited, independent agencies have reported gross violation of the set standards. “As prolonged exposure to electromagnetic radiation can cause serious health problems, we need to address the issue now before it becomes a menace…and it is all the more necessary keeping in mind the growth of Indian telecom industry.”

Though India has so far not set any radiation exposure standards, the proposed standards by various government agencies is still many times higher than that in the U.S. and many European countries.

In the case of handsets, the West has set up strict standards for ‘specific absorption rate' (SAR) — the amount of radiation absorbed by the body while using a mobile phone. Companies manufacturing mobile phones have to disclose the SAR.

The Hindu : News / National : Stricter guidelines soon for mobile radiation

Is India waiting for another Sweden case or perhaps more??

"Radiation from mobile phone towers is harmful or not", this debate may continue between the scientific community and telecom operators for next few years, but what one is missing in this is the number of cases which may be added within the next few years with constant exposure to electromagnetic radiations emitted.

Sweden, which was one of the first countries where the mobile technology was introduced (approx. 15 years ago) has observed a series of health effects in the past few years.

IN SWEDEN, RECENT SURVEY SHOWED AROUND 2.9 LAKH SWEDISH MEN AND WOMEN- OUT OF A POPULATION OF 9,000,000 PEOPLE ARE NOW ELECTROHYPERSENSITIVE AND REPORT A VARIETY OF SYMPTOMS WHEN BEING IN CONTACT WITH ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD (EMF)SOURCES.
*Reference: Bioinitiative Report (610 pages)http://www.next-up.or/pdf/BioInitiativeReportComplete.pdf - PAGE - 222

Symptoms include - allergic reactions, redness of skin, memory loss, sleep disruption, headache, nausea, tingling, altered reflexes, buzzing in the head, palpitations of the heart, visual disorders, cardiovascular problems, respiratory problems etc. Severe symptoms like leukemia, brain cancer, and acoustic neuroma (tumour in the ear) have also been reported.

In 2007, Dr. Lennart Hardell, from Örebro University in Sweden, reviewed published epidemiological papers and found that:Cell phone users had an increased risk of malignant gliomas (type of brain cancer), Link between cell phone use and a higher rate of acoustic neuromas (tumour in the ear) , Tumors are more likely to occur on the side of the head that the cell handset is used, One hour of cell phone use per day significantly increases tumor risk after ten years or more.
*Reference:Long-term use of cellular phones and brain tumours: increased risk associated with use for?10 years - http://oem.bmj.com/content/64/9/626.full.pdf

Why will India be worst hit?

• India has adopted the highest (worst) radiation exposure limits and even these limits are not being regulated properly.
• There are mobile towers everywhere - Residential roof tops, building sides, schools, hospitals unlike abroad. Currently about 4.5 lakh towers exit in India.
• Several roof top antennas are not even at a height of 2 meters where as other countries have them at a minimum safe distance of 30 meters.
• Has a population of over 1.15 billion with a total telecom subscriber base of 653.92 million.
• Mobiles are generally used for several hours and not limited to short essential calls unlike in other countries.
• Lack of awareness on the government’s part, among doctors, citizen’s ignorance and the willingness to accept the fact may result in addition of several other cases.
• Most of the telecom technology providers are foreign vendors, such as, Nokia, Siemen, Ericsson, etc. Why should they care for the health of Indians?

What is India really waiting for? Is it waiting for a complete vanish of bee/insect population which may insure a major food crisis or cancer cases emerging at a humongous rate and hospitals being lined with patients or may be worst - to see dead bodies on the streets?

Solutions have to be looked at now until its too late.

Cell phone towers in cities health hazards?

Shalini , CNN-IBN Jun 07, 2010

New Delhi: Cell phone radiation studies are being done to see the health hazards of excessive use of cell phones and also of living near a cell phone tower. Can the radiation cause tumours, infertility or, neurological problems?



The jury's still not out on the long-term health hazards of cell phone radiation, and living near cell phone towers. But heeding international studies, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has begun its own research into the matter. They have roped in departments at the AIIMS like neurology, obstetrics and gynecology in their research.

Dr M V Katoch, Director General of the ICMR, says: "Excessive usage of cell phones or living close to a cell phone tower have been shown to have an adverse effect on women's reproductive and neurological health, according to data generated by studies in other countries. We want to examine if the same is true for the Indian population."

But even before the ICMR announced the study, CNN-IBN reporters looked into the high levels of electromagnetic radiation near cell phone towers. Professor Girish Kumar has invented a radiation meter that can detect the levels of radiation.

Prof. Kumar's meter clearly indicates that as we get closer to the cellphone towers, the radiation levels increase exponentially. Radiation exposure up to minus 30 db a day is the safety limit for us. But the meter reads -12 or -10 even at a distance of almost 50 meters away from the towers.

Vijaya Bhatt, a brain aneurysm patient, blames the cell phone tower near her house for her problem. She was forced to move out of her dream home two years ago because of the cell phone towers right above the rooftop of her building.She said, "It is clear that when I move away from the house I feel better, but when I come here I fall sick." Vijaya's story is disturbing. The truth is, as of now, no one can say for sure just what all these towers all over the cities are doing to us.

Study Shows Honeybee’s Face Threat From Cell Phone Radiation

Studies made in Kerala India have brought out evidence to support the theory of colony collapse disorder (CCD) among honeybees due to bioactive microwave radiation from cell phones and their relay towers.

Although the theory of mobile towers leading to CCD is yet to be proved anywhere in the world, experts say this is highly possible and the phenomenon could cause unimaginable food troubles to most Indian States, especially Kerala which is already food-scarce. The State has the highest density of mobile towers.

The phenomenon of (suspected) mobile tower-induced CCD and resultant crop loss were first noticed in the US several years ago, but this had spread to most European countries by 2007. Now, experiments by Sainuddeen Pattazhy, a researcher and dean in the department of zoology at SN College, Punalur, Kerala, have found that worker bees fail to return to their hives when their navigation skills are interfered by the mobile microwaves.

Sainuddeen had conducted his experiments by placing mobile phones near beehives (as some scientists in the West had done earlier). He found that these hives collapsed totally in five to 10 days with the worker bees failing to return to their homes, leaving the hives with the queens, eggs and immature bees. The vanished bees were never found, but the assumption was that they died singly far from home. The parasites, wildlife and other bees that normally raid the honey and pollen left behind when a colony dies, refuse to go anywhere near the abandoned hives.

Reference:http://biomedme.com/general/study-shows-honeybees-face-threat-from-cell-phones-radiation_3825.html

Is cell phone radiation a health hazard?

NDTV: June 26, 2010



Mumbai has the highest density of cell phone towers in India, many of them erected on towers on top of residential buildings, schools and hospitals.

In the West, as a precautionary measure, towers are built at a height of 30 metres above the building where as in India it's just 2-3 metres.Radiation levels around cell phone towers in many countries are closely monitored by independent bodies but that is not the case in India.

Dr Girish Kumar has been studying the impact of EMR for the last 15 years."Each antenna is transmitting with a gain of approximately 50, so we are looking at 4-5 kilowatts of power being transmitted by these antennas. Microwaves use only 500 watts of power and that too you cook food for just a few minutes. These towers are transmitting 24 hours so you are absorbing radiation 24 hours. The solution is that cell phone towers should transmit one tenth of the power they are currently transmitting," said Dr Girish Kumar, Prof, Electrical Engineering, IIT Mumbai.

A 2008 report, "Health Hazards and Mobile Phones: An Indian perspective", published in the journal Association of Physicians pointed out that mobile phones may be responsible for a wide variety of health hazards.

Mobile phone risks -
• Tissue damage due to exposure to high Radio Frequency levels
• High daily usage could trigger brain tumours
• Fatigue, Nausea and Digestive disturbances
• EMR can affect functioning of pacemakers
*Source - Nov 2008, Journal of Association of Physicians of India

"Radiation of any kind is bad whether X Ray or Ultra Violet, so until we know what the studies show for sure we should not take a chance," said Captain UC Saxena, Retired GM, Air Safety, Air India.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/sci-tech/is-cell-phone-radiation-a-health-hazard-33943#close=1?cp

Fear of mobile tower radiation grips Delhi area

Asian News - Jun 12, 2010

New Delhi (IANS)- Residents in northwest Delhi's Shalimar Bagh are demanding the demolition of a mobile phone tower in the residential area, alleging that electromagnetic radiation from it poses a threat to their lives.

Shubash Kapoor, a resident of BC Block in Shalimar Bagh (East), told IANS that an Idea Cellular tower has been erected on the terrace of the third floor apartment where he lives as a tenant, with the permission of the landlord.

As telecom giants pay huge rents, house owners allow them to set up mobile phone towers. "Why can't they look at other alternatives for revenue? Why are they playing with the lives of residents?" Kapoor asked.

Sudha Sharma, an angry resident, said: "Why don't they (mobile network companies) understand residents' problems? We have to suffer because of mobile towers."

"For over two years since the erection of the mobile tower, we have been suffering health problems like headache, fatigue and vomiting because of radiation. My six-year-old son is the worst-hit," she claimed.

"My doctor has confirmed these health issues are linked to radiation from the mobile tower," she added.

Sharma said their neighbour was suffering from cancer in the spinal cord, while another resident had complained of heart ailments.

According to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi has over 5,000 mobile phone towers, of which 2,500 are illegally erected. Shockingly, most of these are in residential areas.

The MCD has threatened to seal illegal mobile phone towers because of possible health hazards. The Delhi High Court, which had earlier ordered the formation of a panel to study the health risks caused by mobile phone towers, put a stay on it and issued notice to the cellular operators association to file their responses by July 8.

"Despite the civic body's norms, many mobile towers are installed near residential colonies, schools, hospitals and dispensaries - all areas where they are not allowed," a civic body official told IANS.

Experts say mobile phone towers installed on top of buildings are a definite threat to human health.

"Exposure to electromagnetic waves generate heat in the body and high levels of radiation can even affect the enzyme system, cause mutation of DNA, protein structure and cell membranes," said Neha Kumar, an expert in industrial biotechnology, who has done research work on electromagnetic radiation.

"People who stay within the beam of the towers are the worst-hit. The continuous exposure to electromagnetic radiation could have a pernicious effect on our health," she said.

"The safest radiation exposure limit for a human being is 100 micro watts per square metre. But in many residential areas, the exposure limit is more than 1,000 micro watts per square metres," she added.

G.K. Jadhav, senior consultant in the oncology department of Apollo Hospital, said the worst-affected by mobile tower radiations are heart patients, particularly those who have pacemakers.

"We also attend to many brain tumour patients who are constantly exposed to electromagnetic radiation," Jadhav added.

However, chief co-operative affairs officer of Idea Cellular Rajat Mukarji denied the allegations, saying the towers installed by the company across the country are not harmful.

"The radiation levels are checked by a telecom engineering centre and they are at nominal levels; yet if the residents demand that the tower be removed, they should approach the company directly," he added.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), along with other central agencies, has proposed that the radiation exposure be limited to be 9.2 watts per square metre in India, though experts say this needs to be widely debated and analysed before implementation.

In some countries, the permissible limit in a radius between 50 and 300 metres varies from 0.001 to 0.24 watts per square metre.

"The level suggested in India is many times higher than that in the US, Switzerland, Poland and Russia," Kumar said.

S. Raghunath, senior scientist in the Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CEERI) at Pilani, however, said: "As a scientist, I cannot believe that mobile towers emit such radiation. Radiation from mobile phones used for long duration is higher than those from mobile towers."

Read more: http://www.indiavision.com/news/article/scitech/65921/#ixzz0qrGswhIU

Mumbai - Radiation City 2

After the recent EMR survey at 100 locations in Delhi which found four-fifth of the city to be unsafe, the latest study conducted by Headlines Today and Tehelka found that Mumbai too is in danger from cell tower radiation and perhaps more.

9/10th of Mumbai lives in Unsafe Zones and these include city's major landmarks, schools, markets, hospitals and even the homes of Bollywood celebs which have dangerously high exposure to EMR.Only one-tenth of the city was safe - and those were areas where VVIPs live.

Residential areas hit

While 600 milliwatt/metre square (mW/msq) is the safe limit for EMR, the survey found many residential areas have far greater exposure.

Among them are Krishna Complex in Andheri, Nesco Colony in Jogeshwari, Raheja Sherwood Building in Goregaon, Ridhi Sidhi Apartment in Malad, Country Park in Kandivali and Durga Devinagar in Borivali East. All have EMR levels higher than 4,000 mW/msq.


Those working in Nariman Point face an EMR exposure between 1,500-2,500 mW/msq. Religious places visited by lakhs of people too are among the EMR hotspots. These include the Siddhivinayak Temple, Sri Swaminarayan Bhawan, Infant Jesus Church and Sri Sri Dham Temple (EMR levels higher than 4,000 mW/msq).

Hospitals at risk

Six of the eight hospitals surveyed were found to be highly unsafe, with radiation levels crossing 4,000 mW/msq. These are Bombay Hospital, Jaslok Hospital, Breach Candy Hospital, Lilavati Hospital, Nair Hospital and S.L. Raheja Hospital.

EMR is especially harmful for patients because of their low immunity. It can be fatal for those with pacemakers and Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators (ICDs).

Bollywood celebs under threat

Bollywood too wasn't safe. The survey found actor Shah Rukh Khan's bungalow Mannat in Bandra having an EMR level of 1,550 mW/msq. The level at Salman Khan's house, which is close to Mannat, was found to be 1,850 mW/msq.

Amitabh Bachchan's bungalow in Juhu has EMR levels of 950 mW/msq. The area also houses other Bollywood stars such as Hrithik Roshan and Anil Kapoor.


Probably no part of Mumbai is safe unless you are going to the VVIP areas, such as Sea Wind, at Cuffe Parade, where Anil Ambani who heads Reliance Communications lives, the Mantralaya, the Congress Bhawan or the chief minister's residence at Malabar Hills.

Read full Story at : http://www.tehelka.com/story_main45.asp?filename=Ne120610coverstory.asp

Watch "Mumbai faces risk of mobile radiation" video coverage at Headlines Today - http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/headlines_today/ProgrammesShow?catName=Centre+Stage&video=0&counter=1&contentId=99862&catId=50

Extreme radiation in Mumbai - calls for concern for honey bees besides humans

Losing the buzz?
Pune Mirror - June 05, 2010

A recent study reiterates the effects of cellphone tower radiation on honey bees. Mumbai, with its 1,000-plus towers, has cause for serious concern.

Humans will not be the lone beneficiaries of a study recently sought by the chief minister on the ill-effects of radiation from cellphones and Mumbai's 1,000-plus cellphone towers.The initiative may just come to the timely rescue of the city's endangered honeybee population. And if you think that the bee is too small a concern to hit your radar, consider what Einstein said: If the bee disappears from the surface of the Earth, man would have no more than four years to live.

A recent experiment conducted by the Punjab University at Chandigarh reiterates the finding that honeybees are disappearing from their colonies because of the electro-pollution in the environment.Rahul Khot, entomologist and research assistant at Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), said, "We desperately need a Mumbai-specific study on the effects of Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) on the local bee population. With so many mobile towers and such extensive cell phone usage, bees are greatly endangered in our city."

The recent experiment, which observed bee colonies exposed to mobile phone radiation, concluded, "At the end of the experiment, there was neither honey nor pollen in the beehives. It resulted in complete loss of the colony." The study found that the queen bee's egg-laying capacity dropped drastically because of the radiation. The bees that went foraging could not find their way back to the beehives, according to the experiment.

The implications of these findings could be catastrophic for Mumbai. An expert from the BNHS said, "If the bees were to disappear from Mumbai the result would be disastrous. It would cause a huge imbalance in the entire ecological system. Bees are not just one of the key pollinating agents but also an important part of the food chain."

The Study Ved Prakash Sharma and Neelima Kumar of Punjab University compared the behaviour and biology of honeybees in colonies exposed to cellphone radiation and those unexposed to it. Two GSM cellphones of 900 Megahertz frequency were placed in call mode on two sidewalls of the bee hive, while two control colonies were left unexposed to cellphone radiation.The test colonies had an exposure for 15 minutes, twice a day, during the period of peak bee activity for three months. "A significant decline in colony strength and in the queen's egg-laying rate was observed.The behaviour of exposed foragers was negatively influenced by the radiation exposure," the study states. The duo analysed the phenomenon of what is known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

While several factors affect the honeybee, the electromagnetic field induced by cell towers are unravelling to be a prime concern."The bees became quiet and still or confused as if unable to decide what to do. Such a response has not been reported previously," the study said.Bees, which have magnetite in their bodies, utilise the earth's magnetic field to navigate. Cell tower radiation interferes with this process.Such conclusions have been drawn earlier too by Dr Sainudeen Pattazhy, a professor of Zoology in Kerala's S N College in his last year's study along the same lines.

His widely-referenced report states, "In one experiment, a mobile device was placed adjacent to bee hives for ten minutes for 5 to 10 days. After a few days, the worker bees never returned home.The massive amount of radiation produced by towers and mobile phones is actually frying the navigational skills of the honey bees and preventing them from returning to their hives."

The diminishing bee population is a grave cause of concern even in the West. Research shows that USA's rapidly dwindling bee population is due to the "recent proliferation of electromagnetic waves for the sudden demise - often within 72 hours - of entire bee colonies."

Constant electromagnetic background noise is found to disrupt communication amongst the bees in UK and elsewhere as well.

A 2003 study in Germany points out that "GSM cell phone radiation in the frequency range of 900 MHz to 1800 Hz caused the bees to avoid the hive."

Why Mumbai should be worried

Cellphone Towers -Mumbai Mirror had reported in July 2009, with the help of an EMR-measuring agency, how five of the seven important locations in the heart of the city - like Mantralaya, Marine Drive, World Trade Centre and Breach Candy hospital - threw unacceptably high levels of mobile tower radiation.The city has a very high number of cellphone towers, and residents have complained about health hazards.

Loss of habitat - Khot points out that honeybees need a specific habitat for their survival. "The large fruit trees that once adorned the city have disappeared, the architecture of buildings has changed, the lofts and crevices have given way to glass facades. Where will the bees make hives now?" Wildlife biologist Anand Pendharkar says while Mumbaikars enjoyed their fix of honey, they were quick to destroy hives.

No food, no nectar - Pendharkar says, "Mumbai's residents prefer ornamental plants. As a result, 60 per cent of the city's green cover is comprised of exotic trees. For honeybees, these are as good as 'plastic' as they cannot draw nectar from them. Trees like Jamun, Jackfruit, Neem, Mango and flowers like Champa and others provide nectar for the bees. But we hardly find these varieties in Mumbai any more.”

Heat and pollution - Another factor endangering the bees is the increasing heat and pollution in the city. Deputy Director, Maharashtra Nature Park, Avinash Kubal says, "The honeybees cannot survive in extreme heat. A decade ago, you could see many hives around buildings. But we don't any more. Earlier, there was enough greenery in the city but now the concrete cover has increased, leading to soaring temperatures."

Similar cases have been observed in Bihar,Nepal and parts of US and UK: Read story at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Honey-production-falls-as-bees-dying/articleshow/5683667.cms and http://environment.about.com/od/biodiversityconservation/a/honeybees.htm

AAJ TAK: India's Best Channel for Breaking News from India, Latest Hindi News Headlines, Videos, World, Business, Sports, Bollywood News

AAJ TAK: India's Best Channel for Breaking News from India, Latest Hindi News Headlines, Videos, World, Business, Sports, Bollywood News

Delhi - Radiation City

From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 7, Issue 22, Dated June 05, 2010

1,800 CELL TOWERS IN 2006. 6,000 NOW. BARE MINIMUM RADIATION LEVELS IN 2006. A THOUSAND TIMES MORE NOW. THERE’S A NEW THREAT IN DELHI, REPORTS RISHI MAJUMDER


●Four-fiths of delhi lives in unsafe zones. Only about a fifth of Delhi lives and works in the safe zone and that is almost entirely where the VVIP's reside.The October Commonwealth Games could be most radiation-filled ever

●Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s home is a ‘borderline’ zone. The headquarters of the Congress is highly unsafe

●Cell radiation is slow poison. Effects begin with fatigue and could end in cancer. It is nearfatal for ones with pacemakers

●Shockingly, hospitals and schools are in high risk zones. Safdarjung, RML, Modern School and RBI are dangerous

●THE MEDICAL CONSEQUENCES

Hazards from EMR range from short to long term. A headache today could mean a tumour tomorrow

IMMEDIATELY Could hinder pacemakers and ICDs, which could be fatal for patients
3 Years - Appetite loss, sleep disorders, headaches, short term memory loss
4-5 Years - Tinnitus, muscle spasms, visual disorder, skin ailments
5-10 Years - Drop in sperm count, cardio and respiratory problems
8-10 Years - Acoustic neuroma, brain tumour, leukaemia

HOW SAFE ARE YOU?
EXCLUSIVE TEHELKA 100 SPOT RADIATION SURVEY. Read full Story at:
http://tehelka.com/story_main45.asp?filename=Ne050610coverstory.asp#

Cell Tower Radiation leading to Tumour- Coverage at Star News 27th May 2010

Cell Tower Radiation - Star News 27th May 2010

Survey initiated by Start News and Tehelka measured radiation levels from mobile towers at 100 locations in Delhi and found the radiation levels to be very high. Only one-fifth of Delhi where VVIPs live are under safe radiation zone. At the panel are: Dr. Sheli Sharma - Radiologist, Miss Shobha Choudhary - Managing Editor Tehelka, Jaffer Hakh - CEO, Cogent EMR and others

Cell Tower Radiation from Rajesh Chopra on Vimeo.

Today we all know that cell towers radiation is messing up our health, We should start thinking from now what effect will this have on our future generation, In what all ways will they be deformed and we should start intriguing initiatives accordingly. All the agencies that are issuing reports which states zero danger from these towers are carrying on research from funds provided by these telecom giants, thus these agencies are not to be trusted at all.

It’s about time that we comprehend that Government agencies and NGO’s won’t be doing anything about this hazard, that’s why it’s high time, we public should take this grave matter in our hands. It is important to make this issue so huge that government is left with no option.

Its government’s fault for spoiling these telecom giants and now these companies are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to playing with Law. Now they are not even bothered about law when it comes to installing these killer towers.

These days I have seen at many places A building’s roof has up to two or three towers on first floor and these towers in some cases are directly facing second floor of adjoining building like at Suvidha Kunj, Pitampura, Delhi, where humans live. Thus companies showing no regard for Human life whatsoever. Isn’t this making fun of the law formed for public? Today it is very easy to see this kind of installation in many places.

All cell towers should be removed from residential areas and placed where they don’t harm and are on proper height and if govt. fails to do this soon.

We public should take the matter in our own hands.
liveindia.com/news/mobilrtowerradiation.html

Dr. Martin Blank - Electromagnetic Fields and Cancer

Presentation by Dr. Martin Blank,Professor of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics and his research area includes Electromagnetic field effects on membrane enzymes and on the cellular stress response. Dr. Blank in his studies has found evidence for Stress protein synthesis: a cellular response to EMF interaction with DNA. He is also a contributor to the Bioinitiative report.

Homepage
http://www.physiology.columbia.edu/MartinBlank.html

Wireless Hazards Panel - Columbia University Law School

Wireless Hazards Panel - Columbia University Law School from ElectromagneticHealth.Org on Vimeo.

A panel discussion addressing wireless hazards, an emerging public health and environmental issue, happened at the Columbia University Law School. Speakers included Camilla Rees, founder of ElectromagneticHealth.org; Martin Blank PhD, Associate Professor at Columbia University Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics; and Whitney North Seymour, Jr. Esq., Attorney at Law and Co-Founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Multimedia Presentation on Wireless Health Hazards by ElectromagneticHealth.Org

Multimedia Presentation on Wireless Health Hazards from ElectromagneticHealth.Org on Vimeo.

Dr Magda Havas - On Cell /Transmission Towers and Your Health

Concern over cellphone radiation

Asian Age - 30April 2010


Telecom has always hogged headlines albeit for different reasons.

If once it was for the mind boggling money created by telecom companies, the other time it could be the cut-throat competition. This time, however, it is in news for an entirely different reason altogether: These companies are now being accused of causing harm to human health and environment through the radiation emitted by their telecom towers. The claim, however, has been strongly refuted by the telecom companies.

“Currently, there is no monitoring system to check whether the radiation from the mobile towers is crossing the permissible levels. A single tower now-a-days has more than one company’s equipment these days,” contends Telecom Users Group of India (TUGI) president, Mr Anil Prakash.

Elaborating his claim further, Prakash says research studies show that people who live within 100 metre radius of a mobile tower suffer from headache. “But they feel relieved from headache as they go away from the proximity of the tower,” he says. Trai has already floated a pre-consultation paper on “mobile tower design, radiation and other issues”.

With the number of mobile subscribers shooting high and resultant popping up of more telecom towers, analysts emphasis the need for a thorough study on the allegations about mobile towers emitting radiation.

Responding to Trai’s preconsultation paper, TUGI said that the telecom operators are allowed to pump maximum 20 watts of electro magnetic radiation per carrier per sector from a cell site. "However, in order to get a better coverage, these operators pump 60-80 watts of energy per carrier per sector. The studies indicate that due to such high intensity of electromagnetic radiation the soft membrane of eggs of sparrows and crows fractures and thus their eggs never hatch,” it said.

The NGO says that they are reports about the disappearance of sparrows and crows in urban areas and one could easily infer that the reason is the uncontrolled electromagnetic radiation. “Some study predicts that honey bees will disappear by 2020 as they loose their navigational sense in high intensity electromagnetic field. It is predicted by the experts that brain and eye cancer will become epidemics in years to come,” said TUGI.

In its response to the Trai paper, Bharti Airtel said that the research by a number of organisations like World Health Organisation, British Medical Association, Royal Society of Canada have concluded that radio waves from mobile phones and towers are not harmful to health.

“Great myth is being created in the public domain that the wave of mobiles are
harmful for the health. Due to this myth, the residential societies are either not allowing the telecom operators to put the sites or now forcing them to vacate the premises,” it added.

The Consumer Care Society secretary, Mr Ravindra Nath Guru, said that the mobile companies in India have been asked to do selfcertification that they are following the radiation norms.

“In India, this concept of self-certification never works. There should be an audit by third party,” added Mr Guru.

He also flagged the issue that in order to get better coverage the mobile companies may be increasing the power beyond the allowed limits. “There should be a study on this issue by medical council along with consumer forums,” added Mr Guru.

View Article at : http://epaper.asianage.com/ASIAN/AAGE/2010/04/30/ArticleHtmls/30_04_2010_011_022.shtml?Mode=0

Mobiles linked to brain tumours as smoking to cancer

TIMES OF INDIA - Sep 27, 2008

Washington: The potential link between mobile phones and brain cancer could be similar to the link between lung cancer and smoking — something tobacco companies took 50 years to recognize, according to a warning by US scientists.

Researchers are currently split on the level of danger the biological effects of the magnetic field emitted by cellphones poses to humans. However, society “must not repeat the situation we had with the relationship between smoking and lung cancer where we ... waited until every ‘i’ was dotted and ‘t’ was crossed before warnings were issued,” said David Carpenter, director of the Institute of Health and Environment at the University of Albany, in testimony before a subcommittee of the US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform. “Precaution is warranted even in the absence of absolutely final evidence concerning the magnitude of the risk” — especially for children, said Carpenter. Ronald Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute — one of the top US cancer research centers — said that most studies “claiming that there is no link between cellphones and brain tumors are outdated, had methodological concerns and did not include sufficient numbers of long-term cellphone users.” Many studies denying a link defined regular cellphone use as “once a week”, he said. “Recalling the 70 years that it took to remove lead from paint and gasoline and the 50 years that it took to convincingly establish the link between smoking and lung cancer, I argue that we must learn from our past to do a better job of interpreting evidence of potential risk,” said Herberman.

A brain tumour can take dozens of years to develop, the scientists said.Carpenter and Herberman both told the committee the brain cancer risk from cellphone use is far greater for children than for adults. The committee were shown several European studies, particularly surveys from Scandinavia — where the cellphone was first developed — which show that the radiation emitted by cellphones have definite biological consequences.

For example, a 2008 study by Swedish cancer specialist Lennart Hardell found that frequent cellphone users are twice as likely to develop a benign tumour on the auditory nerves of the ear most used with the handset, compared to the other ear. A separate study in Israel determined that heavy cellphone users had a 50% increased likelihood in developing a salivary gland tumour.In addition, a paper published this month by the Royal Society in London found that adolescents who start using cellphones before the age of 20 were five times more likely to develop brain cancer at the age of 29 than those who didn’t use a cellphone.“It’s only on the side of the head where you use the cellphone,” Carpenter said.

DROP THAT CALL

#A 2008 Swedish study found frequent cellphone users are twice as likely to develop a benign tumour on the auditory nerves of the ear most used with the handset, compared to the other ear

#Israeli study says heavy mobile users have 50% increased likelihood of developing a salivary gland tumour

#A paper published by the Royal Society in London found that adolescents who start using cellphones before the age of 20 were five times more likely to develop brain cancer than those who didn’t use mobiles

Warning, Your Cell Phone May Be Hazardous To Your Health Gear + Gadgets: GQ.com

Warning, Your Cell Phone May Be Hazardous To Your Health Gear + Gadgets: GQ.com

Politician Milind Deora shows his concern on Cell Phone radiation

"Be Mobile Without Risk"

TIMES OF INDIA - Milind Deora, Apr 3, 2010

A young boy was killed recently when the electronic discharge from his cellphone came in contact with a high-tension overhead wire. Tragic as it was, the incident brought into sharp focus a related issue we've been silent on for too long: cellphone radiation exposure may well be a serious health hazard. After preliminary inquiries, i urged the telecommunications ministry to make it mandatory for all cellphone companies to clearly communicate the potential dangers of cellphone radiation exposure. Both the radiation from handsets and tower-based antennas carrying the signals are already the subject of numerous studies linking prolonged cellphone use to brain tumours, genetic damage and other serious conditions.

Disconcertingly, children and young adults below 18 who constitute a major chunk of the cellphone market are especially vulnerable because their thinner and more porous skulls make it easier for radiation to penetrate the mid-brain. By the time they reach their 20s and 30s they would have exposed themselves to enough radiation for the effects, if any, to show.

Ultimately, research must continue to determine whether or not radiation emitted from cellphones and phone antennae causes brain tumours. But everyone agrees that when the endpoint is a cancer that can take decades to form, we are talking about waiting 10 or 20 years for an answer. I find that unacceptable, especially with lives on the line. So let's turn this around, err on the side of caution and take pre-emptive policy measures now before we cross the Rubicon and have an unprecedented potential health crisis on our hands.

It is not my intention to stir up a hornet's nest and cause undue alarm; we desperately want our cellphones to be safe. Our lives are so thoroughly integrated with wireless technology that we don't want to think about the impact. I will still use my cellphone after having written this and i suspect everyone else will after reading it. But my fear is that, just as with cigarette smoking, if there is indeed a cumulative risk to using a mobile phone, it is possible that users won't be aware of it until it's too late. The science may be inconclusive but that doesn't mean the threat isn't real.

Have we seen enough red flags to justify public warnings even as we wait for the science to evolve? International precedent ought to be instructive here. Governments across the European Union have enacted new safety standards related to electromagnetic radiation. The French government warns against excessive use of mobile phones, especially by children. Germany advises its citizens to minimise cellphone and Wi-Fi use, and the European Environment Agency wants exposures to be reduced. Several other nations have recommended measures to minimise exposure and advise limited use for children.

Here in India, the Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC, the technical arm of the department of telecommunications) proposes that manufacturers display the specific absorption rate or SAR level of their cellphones in the handset menu and comply with global emission standards. The TEC also proposes that cellphone ads not feature children and pregnant women. I welcome these preliminary guidelines but i think we may need to go beyond them. SAR levels can vary widely and, in any case, the jury is still out on whether that is the right metric to measure cellphone safety. Cellular damage, it seems, can even occur at low temperature levels that would not register on the SAR scale.

The cellphone industry must share the responsibility of risk communication and management. It is critical to do so in a domestic market projected to reach 600 million cellphone subscribers in a year's time including huge swathes of unaware and illiterate consumers in rural and remote corners that manufacturers have successfully penetrated. It also has to be said that insensitive practices of industry in siting base stations within sight of schools and hospitals and whose antennas appear to be aimed directly at buildings where people live, is unacceptable and bound to raise a public outcry.

By the same token, government in conjunction with the scientific community must evolve a credible communications strategy and give the public a sensible assessment of safety and risk.

It is time we had an honest and robust debate about this both in Parliament and in the public square and find creative solutions to address public fears and mitigate the risk. This will require a sustained and joint effort by all stakeholders including industry, government and the public.

The choices are difficult but the costs of action and inaction could be a game changer. No one can know what the "right" decisions will be, but i do know that policy must decide that question. This is a job for democratic politics, informed by, but not shackled to, an insightful but imperfect scientific enterprise. We need to find ways of making cellphone use safer and limit usage by children certainly but we'll never get to that stage if we don't acknowledge the potential dangers first. In the meantime, i'm going to take a cue from the nearest teenager: texting and tweeting is safer than talking.

( The writer is a member of Parliament.)

Mobile towers threaten honey bees in Kerala: Study

DNA - August 31, 2009

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As in the case of the house sparrows, mobile towers are posing a serious threat to honey bees, hitting apiculture, which is a source of additional income to rural folk across Kerala, says a study.

Electromagnetic radiation from the mobile towers and cell phones were potent to kill worker bees that go out to collect nectar from flowers, suggests a study by environmentalist and Reader in Zoology, Dr Sainudeen Pattazhy.

Considering the recent plunge in beehive population reported from different parts of Kerala, the trend, if remedial measures are not taken, could even wipe out bees from Kerala within a decade, Pattazhy, who teaches in SN College at Punalur in Kollam district said.

In one of his experiments he found that when a mobile phone was kept near a beehive it resulted in collapse of the colony in five to 10 days, with the worker bees failing to return home, leaving the hives with just queens, eggs and hive-bound immature bees.

Electromagnetic waves emitted by towers were strong enough to cripple the "navigational skills" of the worker bees, who play a vital role in sustaining bee colonies, he said.

A few months ago, a study conducted by a team of environmentalists led by Pattazhy in different spots in Kollam district in Kerala, had found that radiation from mobile towers threatened the very existence of home sparrow, which live in colonies close to human habitats even in urban areas.

Parackal Chacko, a bee keeper from Wayanad, said it was true that there had been mass destruction of bee hives in the area but it was thought to be due to climatic shifts and attack by hostile insects and pests. "The angle that mobile towers could be a source of threat should be probed," he said.

Pattazhy, however, said though it required detailed study, it could reasonably be understood that insects and smaller animals were "easily penetrated" by microwaves radiated by mobile towers and phones.He claimed to have seen changes in the behavioural pattern of bees when they make hives close to mobile towers.

Besides helping farmers earn an additional income through honey and bee-wax, honeybees do great service in pollinating flowers and plants, a vital process that sustains vegetation.

In a colony of an average size,there would be about 20,000 to 31,000 bees comprisinga queen and a few hundred drones. But90 per cent of the population is made up of the workers.

Recently a sharp decline has been noticed in commercial bee population in Kerala. The official explanation has been that this happens as bees are susceptible to diseases and fall prey to attacks by wasps, ants, and wax moth and that constant vigilance on the part of the bee keepers can check it.

The farmers have also complained that introduction of exotic varieties of bees to promote apiculture have also done harm as they are unsuitable to climatic conditions of the area.

Also, bees and other insects have survived and evolved complex immune system over a span of millions of years. "Considering this, it is vital to ponder as to why they suddenly die out. Naturally, the question would point to human-made factors, Pattazhy said.

The vanished bees are never found, but die far from home. Bee keepers said several hives have been abruptly abandoned.

If towers and mobile phones further increase, honeybees might even be wiped out in 10 years due to bio active radiation, causing significant alternation in the physiological function of living organisms.

"The need of the hour is to check unscientific proliferation of mobile towers and promote more studies and come out with practical solutions", Pattazhy added.

In Kerala there are about six lakh bee hives and 1 to 1.25 lakh people are engaged in apiculture,mostly as an allied activity. A single hive can yield four to five kg of honey.