COAI launches awareness campaign on effects of the mobile emissions!

COAI brings experts from various fields related to physics and medicine on a common platform to dispel citizens’ concerns about effects of the mobile tower antennae and phone emissions on human health. 

“We have been using X-ray radiations for more than 115 years, and we still haven’t been able to establish the relationship of cancer and radiation to any great extent. And the mobile tower radiation is inherently a type of radiation that we believe does not produce any kind of significant harm to humans”, said Dr. Bhavin Jankharia, the 

COAI, the leading Mobile Communications Association representing six of the largest mobile service operators and the majority of telecom equipment manufactures and network service providers in India, has collated the views of independent experts from various disciplines to dispel the various ‘myths” about mobile emissions and asserting the truth behind the technology which enables 6 billion people in the world to communicate with each other.

The experts from various relevant disciplines such as oncology, radiology, molecular and physical science and World Health Organisation (WHO) have been brought together on a common platform as part of the series “Mobile Networks and Public Health” - to dispel unwarranted fears of harmful effects/ health hazards from the emissions from antennae on mobile phone towers and handsets.

Mr. Rajan S Mathews Director General, COAI, said: “Over the last 20 years, the mobile industry has been successful in putting India on the global map, making us the second largest telecom market in the world. This has also brought in concerns about the Electromagnetic Field with regards to Cell Towers & Handsets. COAI is happy to bring experts from the relevant disciplines such as Physics and Medicine on a common platform to dispel the fear psychosis created by some people who are oblivious of the science and safety regime behind the technology. The video and communication series ‘Mobile networks and Public Health’ will put forth the scientific and safety regime adopted by the Government and industry.”

Massive growth in the number of mobile phones in India has given rise to concerns regarding the public health and the Electromagnetic Field (EMF) emissions from the antennas on the cell towers and mobile phones on human health. Myths without any reasonable scientific basis have been floated by people with vested business interests that the EMF emissions lead to health hazards. However, rigorous and independent scientific studies and researches across the globe led by WHO, have
negated all such “fears” of health effects from mobile tower antennae and phones.

The first part of the series “Mobile Networks and Public Health” features Professor R V Hosur - Senior Professor, Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR); Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee - Oncologist, Columbia University and Indian-born American physician, scientist and the Pulitzer prize winning writer of the book, ‘The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer’; Dr. Rakesh Jalali - Professor, Radiation Oncology and Convener, Neuro Oncology Group, Tata Medical Centre; Professor Michael Repacholi - Chairman Emeritus of ICNIRP and Ex-EMF Project Co-Ordinator, World Health Organization; and Dr. Rajesh Dixit - Department of Epidemiology, Urology (DMG), Tata Medical Centre. The series is being introduced by Mr. Rajan S Mathews, Director General of COAI. A twelve minute video film captures the “science and safety regime” behind the mobile emissions.

Highlights of the expert speak are the following: Professor R V Hosur, Senior Professor, Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) said: “Ionising radiation causes damage to the molecules – they break the chemical bonds and can cause health hazards. But non-ionizing radiations (from mobile tower antennae and phones) do not cause the breakage of bonds and do not cause damage to the molecules. Non-ionizing radiation such as mobile emission causes only local change in temperature depending on the extent of use”.

Rejecting fears arising out of the classification of mobile emissions as “possibly carcinogenic”, Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, Oncologist, Columbia University and Indian-born American physician, scientist and the Pulitzer prize winning writer of the book, ‘The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer’ said: “If there is a link between EMF and Cancer, I think it must be occurring through a mechanism that lies outside anything that we know about the standard mechanisms of carcinogenesis. One would have to invent a novel mechanism of carcinogenesis in order to understand how radiation in that part of the spectrum can cause cancer.”
India’s top brain-tumour specialist, Dr. Rakesh Jalali, Professor, Radiation Oncology and Convener, Neuro Oncology Group, Tata Medical Centre said: “The RF waves used in the mobile phone technology are probably at the lowest end of the electromagnetic spectrum and does not cause any DNA kill.”

Professor Michael Repacholi, Chairman Emeritus of ICNIRP and Ex-EMF Project Co-Ordinator, World Health Organization said: “WHO fact sheet states very clearly that the mobile phones do not cause cancer. A number of studies conducted to ascertain relationship between the electromagnetic radiation and cancer have not found anything to indicate mobile radiation causing cancer.” Reassuring pregnant women about EMF radiation from mobile tower antennae and handsets, Repacholi said that the penetration depth of the EMF is only 1-2 mm, so it never really gets close to the foetus in any significant amount to cause any damage.
Dr. Rajesh Dixit, Department of Epidemiology, Urology (DMG), and Tata Medical Centre, who is leading a study on effect of mobile emissions on human health in Mumbai said: “A number of researches and studies have been conducted around the globe to ascertain if there is any relationship between the RF emissions from the mobile phone and cancer. However, there is not enough evidence proving mobile phones cause cancer in humans.”

COAI has been working with the Government of India, industry associations, medical practitioners, academicians and activists to dispel myths about adverse effects of cell phones and mobile towers.