Mail Today, Monday, August 3, 2009 Page 13

Radiating slow death

Cellphone WHAT IS MICROWAVE >>WHY SHOULD WE FEAR IT?
RADIATION? Microwave radiation can have thermal and

radiation These are electromagnetic waves with

frequencies in the range of 1,000-3,00,000
MHz. All transmitting towers, such as AM
non-thermal effects.
THERMAL EFFECT| Just as the water content in
any food heats up almost immediately when put
inside a microwave oven, body fluids absorb
can cause and FM towers and TV and mobile phone
towers, emit microwave radiation. So do
wireless computers, cordless phones and
microwave radiation from the atmosphere. The effect on the
brain, made up 90 per cent of water, is more pronounced
NON-THERMAL EFFECT| This relates to cell membrane per-
their base units, cellphones and all other
irreparable wireless devices, as well as home appli-
ances like the microwave oven >>
meability. Current safety standards are purely based on the
thermal effect — ignoring the non-thermal effects

harm to you >> HOW DOES IT

EFFECT US?
IMAGINE a life without The radiation can cause a
WiFi Internet, micro- host of debilitating illnesses
waved food, laptops and including brain tumour,
acoustic neuroma, lym-
mobile phones. Now, phoma, decrease in immune
imagine living with an function, sleep disorder, anxi-
invisible, dense fog that ety, autism, multiple sclero-
damages your brain, sis, Alzheimer’s disease,
heart, lungs, eyes, thyroid cataract, hypothyroidism,
gland and nervous system, diabetes, malignant
besides risking your preg- melanoma, testicular cancer,
nancy and sending you heart attack and strokes in young people. Children are even
into depression. more vulnerable as their skulls are thinner and their nervous
Plenty of research has been systems are still developing
done on the dangers of the
‘electro-smog’ that is
>>
enveloping us steadily in our HOW CAN WE >>
increasingly wired world.
Mobile phone companies and PROTECT ARE ALL APPLIANCES
service providers challenged all EQUALLY DANGEROUS?
research claims except the ones OURSELVES? No. Radiation absorp-
on radiation. Now, an IIT-Bom-  Minimise time on tion by the human body
bay professor, Girish Kumar, cellphone and is called the specific
and his daughter Neha, who has use briefly when absorption rate (SAR)
done B.Tech in biotechnology,
have put together the research
you have to and is measured in watts per kg of tissue
data to highlight the damage  Don’t call when (W/kg). Every mobile phone comes with an SAR
done by the radiation that is the signal is weak rating. Radiation depends on the phone’s
necessary for a cellphone to  Hold the phone design, antenna and how it is used. Thermal
function. away from the effects occur when the body’s energy absorp-
body while calling tion exceeds an SAR of 4 W/kg. But non-thermal
It can lead to cancer
and heart damage THE SILENT  Use headsets
with a plastic air-
tube between
the earpiece and
the phone
effects beginning from 0.1 W/kg can harm
MOBILE PHONE MODEL
(W/KG)
Motorola V195s
SAR OUTPUT

Prof Kumar, who tracked his
bloated fingers to the extraordi-
nary radiation in his study,
found that IIT Bombay, despite
its dense foliage, could not block
the radiation from a cluster of
transmitting towers. This
spurred him to look up available
literature on the subject.
There are a number of studies
which have sought to establish a
link between mobile phones and
brain tumours, sleep problems
and hearing loss. The report com-
piled by Neha and Prof Kumar,
who has invented a device to
block radiation, also looks at
other lesser known effects.
A paper published by Prof
Henry Lai and N.P. Singh in 1995
documented DNA damage in
the brain cells of rats exposed to
cell phone radiation. But the
paper was contested by cell-
phone manufacturers.
Other studies found that
mobile phone radiation can
cause irreparable damage to the
DNA. According to Prof
Kumar’s report, when the DNA
is damaged faster than it can be
repaired, it can lead to cancer.
Yet, rather than advocating
dumping cellphones, Lai said, “If
KILLER
THE CONVENIENCE OF USING ELECTRONIC GADGETS
COMES AT A HIGH COST. HERE IS A LOOK HOW
By Seema Kamdar
in Mumbai
the results are confirmed in fur-
ther studies, we can engineer our
way out of the problems, just as
we engineered the technology in
the first place.”
Hungarian scientists found a
30 per cent drop in sperm count
in frequent mobile phone users.
Not just using a mobile phone,
but also carrying it in pocket
could affect a man’s sperm
count and the sperm motility
(speed of movement).
Some doctors in South Ger-
many found that people living
close to two transmitter anten-
nas installed in 1993 and 1997
faced three-times the risk of
 Use a loud-
speaker phone
 Avoid WiFi con-
nections
 Avoid cordless
Nokia E710
LG Rumor 2
Sony Ericsson W350a
Samsung Instinct
phones Samsung Soul
 Stay away from
radiation towers Nokia 9300
cancer than those living 400 Developed countries like Swe-
metres away from it. den, France, Germany, Italy,
Data was gathered from nearly Greece and Israel are facing the
1,000 patients who had been liv- aftermath of radiation. For
ing at the same address for 10 example, the advent of the new
years. The study showed that third generation wireless phones
radiation within the 400 m- (and related community-wide
radius of the towers was 100 antenna RF emissions)
times higher compared to the prompted several complaints of
outer area. illness in the Netherlands.
Another French study showed A 1998 survey by the California
that people living within 300 department of health services
metres of a base station reported indicated that 1,20,000 Californi-
increased incidence of fatigue; ans, and by extrapolation one
those within 200 metres had million Americans, were unable
more headaches, sleep distur- to work because of electromag-
bance, and discomfort; and netic pollution.
those within 100 metres reported Overpopulated Mumbai, too,
irritability, depression, loss of has its own share of microwave
memory, dizziness and drop in radiation. The safe limit of radi-
libido. Women were found to ation for human beings is 100
have more symptoms than men. microwatts per square metre.
1.6
1.53
1.51
1.48
1.46
0.24
0.21
Prof Kumar’s study revealed
that several residential areas
had more than 1,000 microwatts
per square metres.
He said, “The blood-brain bar-
rier, or tight junctions between
adjacent cells of capillary walls,
let only nutrients pass through
from the blood to the brain while
keeping out toxic substances.
However, a research by Swedish
neurosurgeon Leif Salford on
microwave radiation showed
albumin, a protein, managed to
penetrate the barrier and dam-
age the brain.”
The work of Allen Frey and
others indicates that microwave
radiation damages similar
mechanisms that protect the
eye and the foetus, Prof Kumar’s
report says.

King Khan too gets bogged down by superhero tag

PARVEEN NEGI
Shah Rukh Khan at an event in Delhi.
By Prashant Singh in New Delhi
HE IS the full entertainment pack-
age and that’s what makes Shah
Rukh Khan a brand par excellence.
So, if SRK calls himself the “biggest
superhero” in India, no one bats an
eyelid. But sometimes the “super-
hero” too feels the pressure.
“At times, I feel weighed down by all
the titles bestowed upon me. For
instance, it makes me slightly old if I am
called Datuk Padma Shri Dr Shah Rukh
Khan. But nonetheless, such honours
bring a lot of joy,’’ says Khan.
In town recently as a quizmaster for
Indian Institute of Planning and Manage-
ment, SRK says, “I want a certain level of
maturity but I still want to be foolish.”
“I want my kids to look at me as ‘old’
and ‘mature’,” SRK adds.
However, when it comes to movies, the
superstar is very serious. He says his next
film, My Name Is Khan, is “different and
interesting”.
“It deals with a problem of how the
world is breaking into factions. It’s not
about terrorism, destruction or Muslim
anger. The film explores misconceptions
‘I want a level of maturity
but still be a little foolish’
about religion, creed, caste and family
through the eyes of an autistic man,”
said the actor.
Shah Rukh has high expectations from
My Name Is Khan, especially since it’s been
bought by Fox Studios for Rs 100 crore.
“I think association with Fox is going to
be wonderful because it will be the first
Bollywood film produced in India but
released and distributed like Hollywood
films,” said Shah Rukh.
The picture though is not very rosy
about SRK’s other passion – his Indian Pre-
mier League team — Kolkata Knight Rid-
ers (KKR). “Besides picking up captain and
coach, we will also try to come up with a
winning formula in our next meeting on
August 4,” he said. SRK denied that Sourav
Ganguly had been selected as the captain.
SRK is also excited about playing a
superhero in his VFX-laden home pro-
duction, Ra.One, despite experiencing
pain. But doctors have advised Shah
Rukh to avoid doing action sequences for
at least two months.
Well, if you happen to be India’s biggest
star, your life will surely be full of action
— on screen or off it.