Effects of mobile phones on human body

Introduction

The rapid development of mobile phones in India started around 1980s. At that time it was popularly known as first generation mobile phones that allowed transmitting sound only using analogue technology. Digital transmission i.e. GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) started around 1990s. This is known as second generation (2G) mobile communication. Apart from voice transmission GSM facilitates internet accessing such as email, fax etc. For both analogue and digital mobile phones, the signal transmitted and received are in the form of waves in radio frequency (RF) and microwave parts of electromagnetic spectrum.

In the year 2000, several reports have reviewed relevant studies and summarized current knowledge about mobile phones and health. The aim of this article is to combine the available epidemiological evidence to learn whether exposure to RF and microwave radiation from mobile phones and their base station can affect health.

Communication Technologies and Radiation

GSM phones transmit around 900 MHz frequency are now-a-days replaced by UMTS phones that transmit around 2.1 GHz = 2.1 billion cycles per second. Health and behavior studies conducted on 3G (third generation) UMTS frequencies likely to be outdated 4G and 5G became widely available.

Radiation is a combination of electric and magnetic energy that travel through space at speed of light. It is also referred to as electromagnetic radiation. Basically radiation is categorized into two basic types.

(i) Ionizing radiation (IR) : This radiation is capable of causing changes in atoms or molecules in the body that can result in tissue damage such as cancer. Example of IR includes X-rays and gamma rays.

(ii) Non-ionizing radiation (NIR): This radiation doesn’t cause any changes in human body, rather it can prompt molecules to vibrate. This can raise the temperature in the body as well as other effects. Example of NIR includes ultraviolet radiation like sunlight, visible light, light bulbs, microwave energy, GSM UMTS transmission and radio frequency energy.

Radiation Effects from Mobile Phone:

The mobile phone system is just like a two-way radio system where one side is individual handset and other side is a base station. The mobile device has a radio receiver and a transmitter and that base station antenna are mounted high off the ground. Mobile phone base station emits relatively constant level of RF radiation. When you make a call the phone uses RF radiation via its antenna to talk to nearby base station. The emission of RF by cellphone at that time depends on three things:

· How long we use the phone

· How close we hold the phone to our body

· How close we are to the base station

According to World Health Organization (WHO) radiations by mobile phones and base stations can break chemical bonds or cause ionization in human body. Federal Communication Commission (FCC) also suggests cell phone users to keep a minimum of 20 cm distance between your mobile phone and your body to significantly reduce radiation effects.

Risks that can Occur:

Evidence so far suggests that mobile phones aren’t harmful still then constant use of cellphones can cause following risks.

1. Generate negative emotions: While two or more persons are talking face to face and in between that if anyone gets a call and get busy talking over phone; this creates negative feelings towards the person who has his or her device visible.

2. Negative effects on stress level: The constant ringing, vibrating alert and reminders can put cellphone user can have negative effects on stress level.

3. Increase risk of illness in your immune system: The constant touching of your cellphone can harbor germs on your handset.

4. Increase risk of chronic pain: While replaying to any message, cellphones require constant use of hands. This can cause pain and inflammation our joints in hand.

5. Increase risk of eye vision problem: Generally cellphone screens are smaller than computer or laptop screens; therefore it needs more stress and strain on your eyes while reading messages.

Precautions to be taken:

Cellphones are the integral part of our day-to-day life. Therefore different scientific reasons are there to treatas precautions while using it so that we can reduce exposes to RF radiation.

· While purchasing a cellphone check out how much radiation your phone emits by looking at its SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) which is a measure of amount of radiation absorbed by your body. SAR is defined as the power absorbed per mass of tissue, measured in watts per kilogram (W/Kg).

· Limit the number of calls you make.

· Restrict the length of your call.

· Use hand-free devices such as wired cellphone devices such as headsets or wireless ones like Bluetooth. Bluetooth and wired headsets are classified as low-power, no licensed radio frequency devices by FCC.

· If you are not using a hands-free device, put the loud speaker on and hold the phone away from your ear.

· Avoid carrying your phone in switch on mode in your pocket, on your belt or anywhere closer to your body since cellphones emit radiation.

· Use alternate side of cellphone while speaking.

· Text message instead of talking.

Types in Research Methodology

Research methods are classified based on different criteria. They are of various kinds, nature of the study, the objective of the study, and the research design. There are case studies and interviews depends on research methodology. In some research studies, two or more methods are clubbed, while in some, very few methods are taken to study.

 

Based on General Category,

1. Quantitative Research

Quantitative means the numbers where data is gathered based on numbers, and a summary is taken based on these numbers. Graphs and statistics help to quantify the results in quantitative research.

2. Qualitative Research

Qualitative means the non- numerical data in the research. When the data cannot be understood in terms of numbers, qualitative research comes to rescue the researcher. Though unreliable as much as quantitative, qualitative research method helps to make a better summary in terms of theory of information.

 

Based on the nature of the research,

3. Descriptive Research

Facts and figures are considerable in descriptive methods and surveys and case studies are done to verify the facts. This helps to figure out and explain with the examples, the facts, and they are not rejected. Many parameters can be used in descriptive research methods to explain the facts.

4. Analytical Research

Analytical research method uses the facts that have been verified, which are already used to make the fundamental basis for the research and critical evaluation of the research material is carried out in this method. Analytical methods make use of quantitative methods, also.

 

Based on the purpose of the study,

5. Applied Research

Applied research method is action and implementation research where only one area of research is considered and the facts and figures are generalized. Variables or parameters are considered constant and forecasting is made so that the methods can be implemented easily in applied research. The technical language is used in this research method and the summary is made on technical facts and figures.

6. Fundamental Research

Fundamental research method is purely basic research done to determine an element or a theory that has never been in the world, until. Several domains and area are connected and the purpose is to determine how conventional things can be modified or something new can be developed. The summary is basically in common understandable language and logical findings are applicable in the research.

 

Based on research design,

7. Exploratory Research

Exploratory research studies are based on the theories and the detailed explanation and it does not give any conclusion for the research topic. The structure is improper and the methods offer a flexible and investigative strategy for the study. The hypothesis is not tested and the result will not be of much useful to the world. The findings will be topic related that helps in determining more in the research.

8. Conclusive Research

The purpose of conclusive Research method is providing an answer to the questions asked in research topic and has a proper design framework in the methodology. A well-designed framework helps in formulating and solving the hypotheses and report the results. The results will be unique and general, and help the outside world. Researchers will have an inner pleasure to resolve the problem issue and to help society.

9. Surveys

Surveys plays an important role in the research methodology. It helps to gather a vast amount of real-time data which is useful in the research process. It is done at a low cost and can be done comparatively faster than any other method. Surveys is conducted in both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative surveys are considered above qualitative surveys as they give numerical outputs or result and the data is real. Surveys are mainly used in the business to know the demand and supply of a product in the market and to forecast the production depending on the results from the survey.

10. Case Studies

Case studies method of research methodology where different cases are studied and the genuine one is selected for the research. Case studies used to form an idea of the research and helps in the fundamental base of the research. Various facts and figures are considered from the case studies that used to make genuine reviews about the research topic. Researchers can make the topic general or can make specific based on the literature reviews from the studies. A general understanding of the research can be made from the case study.