Authors : Sanyogita Verma and Pramod R. Chaudhari
Page Nos : 37-44
Description :
The people everywhere are exposed to natural non-ionizing radiation levels due to the presence of radionuclides in the earth. Human body is acclimatized to these radiations up to certain level, above which it imparts health problems. The natural radiation level is increased by man-made radiations due to use of electronic gadgets and cell phone towers. The cell phones and gadgets are getting constantly upgraded, resulting in introduction of new ones in market, enhancing total radiation levels. The radiations emitted by diverse electronic equipments include radio waves, microwaves, and extremely low frequency waves. Thermal radiation from hot objects and electromagnetic field due to electric current flowing through power lines and electric appliances also has minor contribution to total radiation. The average natural radiation level to population is 2.299 mSv for India and 2.455 mSv for world population, which is now observed to be increased by around 100 times. There are public health problems over certain level of exposure, for which international norms and stricter Indian norms are available for mobiles and mobile towers, which are major contributor to radiation. The relevant information on health impact, preventive measures, and clarification of certain myths are available on the website of Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Govt. of India.
