Mobile Phones and Cancer Risk
- September 7, 2024
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
Mobile Phones and Cancer Risk
Sub: Sci
Sec: Health
Why in News:
A recent study, the largest of its kind, has thoroughly examined over two decades of research to determine whether mobile phones and wireless technologies increase the risk of cancer. This review, commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO), has provided strong evidence debunking the myth that mobile phones cause cancer.
No Link Between Mobile Phones and Cancer: A comprehensive review of 28 years of research concluded that mobile phones do not cause cancer. The study found no evidence of increased risk, even after 10+ years of exposure to mobile phone radiation. The review analyzed more than 5,000 studies, including 63 major studies from 22 countries, focusing on brain, pituitary, and salivary gland cancers, as well as leukemia.
Radiofrequency (RF) Waves: Mobile phones and wireless devices transmit signals using RF waves, a form of non-ionizing radiation.
Unlike ionizing radiation (such as X-rays and UV rays), RF waves do not have enough energy to damage DNA or body tissues.
RF waves from mobile phones, WiFi, Bluetooth, and 4G/5G networks operate at low frequencies that cannot cause cancer.
Electromagnetic Waves:
Generation: Created by the vibration of electrically charged particles, electromagnetic (EM) waves consist of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that move perpendicular to each other and to the wave’s direction of propagation.
Discovery: First predicted by James Clerk Maxwell and later confirmed by Heinrich Hertz, EM waves propagate at the speed of light and span a wide range of wavelengths, from radio waves to gamma rays.
Travel Through Vacuum: Unlike sound waves, EM waves can travel through a vacuum without requiring a medium.
Characteristics of Electromagnetic Waves:
Transverse Nature: Oscillations of electric and magnetic fields are perpendicular to the wave’s direction of travel.
Wavelength and Frequency: These two are inversely related; longer wavelengths correspond to lower frequencies and vice versa.
Speed: All EM waves travel at the same speed in a vacuum (speed of light, ~300,000 km/s).
Energy: Energy is directly proportional to frequency. Higher frequency waves (e.g., gamma rays) carry more energy than lower frequency ones (e.g., radio waves).
No Medium Required: EM waves do not need a physical medium to propagate and can travel through space.
Spectrum: The EM spectrum ranges from long-wavelength radio waves to short-wavelength gamma rays.
Reflection, Refraction, and Diffraction: EM waves can be reflected, bent, and spread, similar to other wave types.
Polarisation: Their electric fields can be oriented in specific directions, leading to polarization.
Interaction with Matter: EM waves interact with matter through absorption, transmission, and scattering, depending on wavelength and material properties.
Wave-Particle Duality: EM radiation exhibits both wave-like and particle-like (photon) behaviors.
Electromagnetic Spectrum:
The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all types of electromagnetic radiation, arranged according to frequency or wavelength. It includes waves that are both visible (like light) and invisible (radio waves, X-rays).
Order of Spectrum (from lowest to highest frequency):
- Radio Waves: Used in communication systems like radio, TV, and mobile phones.
- Microwaves: Used in radar systems, microwave ovens, and satellite communication.
- Infrared (IR) Waves: Emitted by hot objects; used in thermal imaging, remote controls.
- Visible Light: The only part of the spectrum visible to the human eye; essential for vision and photosynthesis.
- Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation: Found in sunlight; can cause skin tanning and sunburn.
- X-rays: Used in medical imaging and security scanners.
- Gamma Rays: Emitted by radioactive materials and used in cancer treatment and nuclear science.
Wavelength and Frequency:
- Long Wavelength → Low Frequency (Radio Waves)
- Short Wavelength → High Frequency (Gamma Rays)
Relationship: Wavelength and frequency are inversely proportional.
Health and Environmental Impacts:
- Lower frequency waves (radio, microwaves) generally pose no health risks.
- Higher frequency waves (UV, X-rays, gamma rays) can cause biological damage, such as DNA mutations or cancers, especially with prolonged exposure.
Spectrum Usage in Technology:
- Telecommunications rely heavily on radio and microwave frequencies for transmitting data.
- Medical field uses X-rays and gamma rays for diagnostic imaging and treatments.