Mobile phone and base stations: Radiation and its effects on human health and environment: A Review
Abstract
Mobile phone and base stations: Radiation and its effects on human health and environment: A Review Jayaraju Nadimikeri, M. Pramod Kumar, G. Sreenivasulu, T. Lakshmi Prasad, B. Lakshmanna, K. Nagalaksmi, M. Madakka. Mobile phone and base stations: Radiation and its effects on human health and environment: A Review. Sustainable Technology and Entrepreneurship. 2022. doi: 10.1016/j.stae.2022.100031. Abstract A review of the impact of mobile phone and base station radiation on human health and the environment has been presented here. Cell phone is an important invention in human history that has revolutionized people's lifestyles. As mobile phones have become an integral part of human daily routine, the quality of life around the world has improved significantly. However, concerns about the exposure of people, flora and fauna to radio frequencies are not new. The satisfaction and convenience derived from the use of cellular phones is threatened by claims that the radiation emitted by the devices has unfavorable impacts on human health. The effects of radiation may be classified into non-thermal and thermal. Thermal effects are similar to those of cooking in a microwave oven. The non-thermal effects are not properly defined, but it is been learnt that these effects are three to four times more hazardous than the thermal, which remains controversial. A brief picture of the Indian scenario of cell phone industry and the number of mobile towers in India was discussed. The effects of radiation emitted from cell phones and base stations on wildlife, humans and the environment were summarized with suitable examples and studies conducted by various voluntary organizations. Conclusion This study reports and summarises some research done by different institutions and organisations. The work was motivated by the fact that the public is concerned about the threat posed by the use of mobile phones. The use of mobile phones is increasing tremendously day by day, but most people are not aware of the impact of mobile phones on human health. However, operators are competing with each other to attract more customers and are building mobile towers in every possible corner of the country to expand their own network coverage, even though the operators claim there are no health concerns. Some studies (Maregu, N. 2016; Larik et al., 2016; Asl, et al., 2019; Singh et al., 2020;) report that there is a strong correlation between mobile phone radiation to the major health problems in people. However, some studies report that there is no impact on non- ionisation radiation exposure from mobile phones and base stations (Meena et al., 2016; Schüz et al 2006; Schoemaker et al, 2005). On the other hand, some reports suggest that prolonged use of cell phones and exposure to mobile and base stations leads to abnormal mental disorders, sleep disturbances, concentration difficulties, headaches, irritability, dizziness and hypertension (Loenn et al., 2004). Nevertheless, everyone has observed a sharp decline in the population of house sparrows (passer domesticus), which can be attributed, among other things, to radiation from base stations. Therefore, it is high time to conduct multidisciplinary studies to decipher the effects of radiation from mobile phones and cell towers on humans and the environment. It is also imperative that policy makers and executive bodies enforce stringent radiation norms. Open access paper: sciencedirect.com
AI evidence extraction
Main findings
This narrative review summarizes studies and reports on mobile phone and base station RF radiation and discusses both thermal and non-thermal effects. It describes that some cited studies report correlations with major health problems and various symptoms with prolonged exposure, while other cited studies report no impact from non-ionizing radiation exposure. The authors also mention an observed decline in house sparrow populations that they suggest could be attributed in part to base station radiation, and they call for multidisciplinary research and stricter radiation norms.
Outcomes measured
- Human health effects (thermal and non-thermal)
- Mental/neurological symptoms (abnormal mental disorders, sleep disturbances, concentration difficulties, headaches, irritability, dizziness)
- Hypertension
- Wildlife population changes (house sparrows decline)
- Environmental impacts (general)
Limitations
- Narrative review with no described systematic search, inclusion criteria, or quality appraisal in the abstract
- Relies on examples and studies by voluntary organizations and unspecified institutions, with unclear evidentiary weight
- Mentions correlations and observations without detailing exposure assessment, confounding control, or effect sizes
- Broad scope (humans, wildlife, environment) without specifying methods for synthesizing evidence
Suggested hubs
-
cell-phones
(0.9) Focuses on radiation from mobile phones and related health/environment claims.
View raw extracted JSON
{
"publication_year": null,
"study_type": "review",
"exposure": {
"band": "RF",
"source": "mobile phone, base station",
"frequency_mhz": null,
"sar_wkg": null,
"duration": "prolonged use/exposure (mentioned)"
},
"population": "Humans; wildlife (e.g., house sparrows); environment (flora/fauna)",
"sample_size": null,
"outcomes": [
"Human health effects (thermal and non-thermal)",
"Mental/neurological symptoms (abnormal mental disorders, sleep disturbances, concentration difficulties, headaches, irritability, dizziness)",
"Hypertension",
"Wildlife population changes (house sparrows decline)",
"Environmental impacts (general)"
],
"main_findings": "This narrative review summarizes studies and reports on mobile phone and base station RF radiation and discusses both thermal and non-thermal effects. It describes that some cited studies report correlations with major health problems and various symptoms with prolonged exposure, while other cited studies report no impact from non-ionizing radiation exposure. The authors also mention an observed decline in house sparrow populations that they suggest could be attributed in part to base station radiation, and they call for multidisciplinary research and stricter radiation norms.",
"effect_direction": "mixed",
"limitations": [
"Narrative review with no described systematic search, inclusion criteria, or quality appraisal in the abstract",
"Relies on examples and studies by voluntary organizations and unspecified institutions, with unclear evidentiary weight",
"Mentions correlations and observations without detailing exposure assessment, confounding control, or effect sizes",
"Broad scope (humans, wildlife, environment) without specifying methods for synthesizing evidence"
],
"evidence_strength": "low",
"confidence": 0.7399999999999999911182158029987476766109466552734375,
"peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
"stance": "concern",
"stance_confidence": 0.66000000000000003108624468950438313186168670654296875,
"summary": "This review discusses potential impacts of RF radiation from mobile phones and base stations on human health and the environment, distinguishing thermal and non-thermal effects. It reports that the literature it cites is mixed, with some studies suggesting correlations with health problems and symptoms under prolonged exposure and others reporting no impact. The authors also suggest a possible link between base station radiation and declines in house sparrow populations, and they advocate for more multidisciplinary research and stricter radiation norms.",
"key_points": [
"The paper is a review of mobile phone and base station radiation and potential effects on humans and the environment.",
"It distinguishes thermal effects from non-thermal effects and notes controversy around non-thermal effects.",
"The cited evidence is described as mixed, with some studies reporting correlations with health problems and others reporting no impact.",
"Prolonged use/exposure is mentioned in relation to symptoms such as sleep disturbances, headaches, dizziness, and hypertension.",
"The review discusses wildlife impacts and mentions an observed decline in house sparrows as potentially attributable in part to base station radiation.",
"The authors call for multidisciplinary studies to clarify effects and for policymakers to enforce stricter radiation norms."
],
"categories": [
"RF Exposure",
"Cell Phones",
"Base Stations",
"Human Health",
"Wildlife & Environment",
"Policy"
],
"tags": [
"Mobile Phones",
"Cell Towers",
"Base Stations",
"Radiofrequency Radiation",
"Non-Ionizing Radiation",
"Thermal Effects",
"Non-Thermal Effects",
"Sleep Disturbance",
"Headache",
"Hypertension",
"Wildlife Impacts",
"House Sparrows",
"Environmental Effects",
"Precautionary Policy"
],
"keywords": [
"mobile phone",
"base station",
"radiation",
"radio frequencies",
"thermal effects",
"non-thermal effects",
"human health",
"environment",
"wildlife",
"sleep disturbances",
"headaches",
"hypertension"
],
"suggested_hubs": [
{
"slug": "cell-phones",
"weight": 0.90000000000000002220446049250313080847263336181640625,
"reason": "Focuses on radiation from mobile phones and related health/environment claims."
}
],
"social": {
"tweet": "Review summarizes mixed evidence on RF radiation from mobile phones and base stations, discussing thermal vs non-thermal effects and calling for more multidisciplinary research and stricter radiation norms.",
"facebook": "This review discusses reported effects of RF radiation from mobile phones and base stations on human health and the environment, noting mixed findings across cited studies and urging further multidisciplinary research and stricter radiation standards.",
"linkedin": "A review article on mobile phone and base station RF radiation summarizes mixed findings on potential health and environmental effects (thermal and non-thermal) and highlights the need for multidisciplinary research and stronger radiation norms."
}
}
AI can be wrong. Always verify against the paper.
Comments
Log in to comment.
No comments yet.