SANGLA HILL:
The World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) says that radiation emitted from cell phones and towers are “possibly carcinogenic to humans” and may cause glioma, a type of brain cancer. The radio-frequency EMF given off is a type of non-ionising radiation. It is similar to the type of energy used in AM/FM radio and TV broadcast signals. In this regard, emission from towers are more dangerous than handsets because they emit greater-intensity radiation.
However, available scientific data on the effects of human exposure to radio-frequency energy shows no categorical proof of any adverse biological effects other than tissue heating and nerve stimulation, which can cause a tingling sensation in your skin. This heating depends on the intensity of the radio-frequency, the distance from the source, and how long you are exposed to radiofrequency EMF. There are numerous studies which indicate that excessive use of smartphones can lead to mental laziness at best. If you give people the ability to store information remotely, outside of their brain, they become more dependent on that, which can negatively affect people’s memories. Nothing life threatening, such as cancer, can occur.
Regardless of the debate, one must be safe rather than sorry. Thus, great precautions should be taken when making cell towers so that they are placed away from the populated areas. We must also refrain from using our cellphones excessively.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 19th, 2021.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
