Impact of Radiation from Mobile Phone Towers on Human Beings and Wildlife
Introduction
The rapid increase in mobile phone usage across the country has led to the proliferation of mobile phone towers in cities, towns, and even rural areas. While mobile communication has become a necessity of modern life, there are growing concerns about the possible impacts of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from these towers on wildlife and human health.
Health Impacts on Humans
- Mobile phone towers emit electromagnetic radiation from each antenna, and a single tower often hosts multiple operators, increasing the overall power intensity. This radiation is strongest near the tower and diminishes with distance. EMR can produce both thermal and non-thermal effects on human health. The thermal effects result from the absorption of microwave radiation, leading to heating of body tissues. Prolonged exposure has been associated with genetic defects, reproductive and developmental problems, and disturbances in the central nervous system. Non-thermal effects, caused by low-level radiofrequency fields, disrupt the movement of calcium and other ions across cell membranes, which may lead to symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, irritability, nausea, loss of appetite, and psychological disorders. Current safety standards primarily consider thermal effects, though evidence of non-thermal effects is emerging.
Impacts on Wildlife
- Wildlife, particularly birds and bees, are highly sensitive to electromagnetic radiation due to their smaller size and physiological characteristics. Birds have a relatively larger surface area to body weight ratio, making them absorb more radiation than humans. Their low body fluid content causes them to heat up quickly under exposure. EMR also interferes with birds’ magnetic navigation abilities, leading to disorientation and erratic flying patterns. Many birds are killed each year in collisions with telecommunication masts. Bees, too, are adversely affected, as EMR can impair their foraging and homing behaviors, threatening pollination and ecosystem balance.
Responsibilities of Stakeholders
Mitigating the impacts of mobile tower radiation requires coordinated action among multiple stakeholders.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
- The MoEFCC is responsible for assessing and notifying the impacts of communication towers on wildlife and human health and for prescribing regulatory standards on safe EMR limits.
State and Local Bodies
- State and urban local bodies must regularly monitor and audit EMR levels in residential, industrial, educational, hospital, recreational areas, and ecologically sensitive zones. Ecological Impact Assessments should be mandatory before approving tower construction in wildlife habitats and protected areas.
State Environment and Forest Departments
- These departments should run awareness campaigns to educate the public on EMR dangers and regulatory norms. They also play a key role in monitoring and enforcing compliance in sensitive areas.
Department of Telecommunications
- The Department of Telecommunications must ensure that high-radiation fields from overlapping towers are avoided. No new tower should be permitted within one kilometer of an existing tower. Locations and frequencies of towers should be made publicly accessible. GIS mapping of towers should be maintained, particularly in and around wildlife areas, to monitor impacts on bird and bee populations. Indian standards on safe exposure limits should be updated based on emerging research, and stricter precautionary measures should be adopted.
Other Agencies
- All studies on the impact of electromagnetic radiation on wildlife should be shared widely to aid informed policy-making and regulatory improvements.