Evaluation study of radio frequency radiation effects from cell phone towers on human health
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3103/S0735272721030055Keywords:
human immunity, GPS and GIS, EMF, cell phone towerAbstract
The presence of a large number of cell phone towers on the roofs of buildings inside cities raises several questions about whether the radiated electromagnetic frequency (EMF) and power spectrum density (PSD) affect the population even if the towers were installed based on the exiting conditions and standards in the cities. This paper aims to answer all these ambiguous questions by measuring the emitted EMF from the local towers built in a small city of Al-Kut in Iraq. This study was set to investigate the health impact of EMF radiation from the cell phone towers and determine how this EMF effects on the human immunity to diseases. The practical measurements were obtained using the EMF meter and the global positioning system (GPS) and employing the geographical information system (GIS). In this paper, two study groups were selected. The first one lived in the area with three installed towers at distance of 50–100 m between them. The second group resided in the area where towers were installed outside its borders at distances of more than 500 m. The results show that the first group suffers from a health problem much more than the second one. In addition, a high percentage of residences were the most educated, but the less knowledgeable people about EMF radiation impacts at long-term exposure, a fact that can be attributed to the academic curriculum deficiency. Therefore, the study has recommended integrating environmental concepts in the governmental institutions and organizations for all mature persons, irrespective of their academic qualification, to increase people’s awareness about this topic.
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![Distribution of cell phone towers in Al-Kut city](https://radioelektronika.org/public/journals/16/submission_204899_193089_coverImage_en_US.png)