Mobile phones and home appliances have been the subject of many studies and assumptions, the most alarming of which was the hypothesis that they emit harmful radiation or electromagnetic fields that increase the risk of developing malignant brain tumors. Many scientists dispute these theories and say that radiation emitted by mobile devices is not dangerous to health.
There are several types of radiation
The word “radiation” sounds scary, but in reality, it includes any type of electromagnetic wave – gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet light, microwaves, radio waves, gigahertz, megahertz, etc.
The electromagnetic spectrum is divided into ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation – which includes ultraviolet, X-ray and gamma rays – has enough energy in a photon to remove electrons from atoms or to break chemical bonds. Because of this potential for DNA damage, which can cause cancer, we wear a lead vest when doing x-rays or we recommend using sunscreen, especially in the summer. We cannot avoid natural sources of ionizing radiation, but it is best to limit exposure as much as possible.
Non-ionizing radiation includes light from light bulbs, infrared light from a microwave oven, gigahertz light from the wifi router, megahertz light emitted by our cell phones and radio waves. These are not harmful in small doses because a photon does not have enough energy to ionize atoms and / or destroy molecules. However, in very high doses, non-ionizing radiation can be harmful. For example, a luminous laser with a very high power (at least several hundred times larger than a normal laser), which is concentrated in a small enough place, will burn your skin.
Are cell phone radiations harmful?
Mobile phones support frequencies ranging from 450-2000 MHz, but 800 or 900 MHz is the most common frequency encountered. The power emitted by a mobile phone varies throughout the call. It can reach up to 2 volts at the beginning of a call and can go down to .02 volts during call 1.
Moreover, scientists say that exposure to radiation emitted by the mobile phone increases the temperature of the outer layer of the cerebellum, known as the cortex, by only 0.1 degrees, a very small number compared to the temperature variation that the body has to keeps it constant. When we talk to the cell phone, the body sends a little more blood to the periphery to cool down, so that it doesn’t heat up.
What changes occur in the brain
In a study, the scientists monitored the brain waves of the participants, after they had a mobile phone near the head. They found alpha wave changes that are associated with relaxation, but the effects were subtle: mobile phone exposure improved alpha wave activity by about 5%.
The link between cancer and radiation
Some research that correlates cancer with radiation emitted by the mobile phone comes in the form of “controlled case studies”. These studies were based on questioning people, with and without brain tumors, about how they use their cell phones. But there is a flaw in the protocol: human memory is not as good as we would like it to be.
Therefore, scientists have been investigating whether there has been an increase in the incidence of brain cancer since 1987, after mobile phones were introduced in Australia 3. At the end of the research, the specialists concluded that there was no increase in the number of brain cancers reported from 1982 to 2013, even in the years after mobile phones have grown in popularity.
Leave a Reply