Cell site radiation danger

In response to this many cell phone companies, some international organisations such as the International Commission for Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) and certain government bodies such as the UK expert committee chaired by Sir William Stewart claim that there is no scientific evidence that exposure to radiation below ICNIRP guidelines is harmful.

Despite these claims of safety, anxiety among citizens in Trinidad and Tobago and elsewhere remains.

Because of the likely health threat presented by the radiation from these towers, I have examined some of the vast literature on radiation and its effects.

I have found, based primarily on peer-reviewed publications, that there is a large and growing body of credible scientific evidence that cell site radiation is harmful to health and that the effects are similar to those found in biological and epidemiological studies on electromagnetic radiation conducted over the past 40 years. These effects include cancer, particularly brain tumours and leukemia; cardiovascular problems including altered blood pressure; neurological effects including altered brain activity, sleep disturbance, learning difficulties, depression and headaches; viral and infectious diseases arising from reduced melatonin, DNA strand breakage leading to cell death and chromosome aberrations.

These and other effects are summarised in a report that I have compiled and made available to the Association for Radio Frequency Emission Control in Trinidad and Tobago (ARFETT).

The effects have persuaded over 3000 medical professionals and 50,000 others from across the world to sign the Freiburger Appeal in 2002 in which they identify radiation from telecommunications systems as having a deleterious effect on health and call upon governments to take action. Their recommendations include:

(i) Education of the public, especially of mobile telephone users, regarding the health risks of electromagnetic fields.

(ii) Ban on cell phone use by small children, and restrictions on use by adolescents.

(iii) Ban on cell phone use and digital cordless telephones in preschools, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, events halls, public buildings and vehicles (as with the ban on smoking).

(iv) Creation of Mobile telephone and high frequency microwave radiation-free zones (as with auto-free areas).

Many scientists are now comparing this radiation hazard and the widespread lack of recognition of its potential danger, to epidemics of the past including tobacco, asbestos and mad cow disease. In all these latter cases they believe many lives would have been saved if a more precautionary approach based on commonsense was adopted. In the case of cell site radiation, the evidence of its danger is overwhelming and therefore the general reluctance to act is inexcusable.

Cellular technology is important in today’s world as such technology enables mobile communication over large distances without the cost and inconvenience associated with wired systems. Unfortunately the radiation emitted by cell phone base stations is dangerous to health and must be appropriately limited.

Based on the extensive scientific literature detailing the findings of numerous experts on the real dangers associated with cell site radiation, I believe that cell sites should be remote from where people live and work and away from hospitals and schools and that a standing committee on electromagnetic radiation and its dangers should be established to help formulate radiation standards for Trinidad and Tobago. Cell site radiation is a major issue that demands urgent national attention.

Stephan Gift, PhD

Professor of Electrical Engineering, UWI