Effects of cellphone radiations
radiation from mobile phones may damage blood cells by increasing the forces they exert on each other, indicates a recent study. The findings prove yet again that mobile phones can cause cancer and other ailments. Conventionally, radiations are considered damaging to cells only if they are strong enough to break their chemical bonds or heat their tissue. Cellphone manufactures maintain that radiations of their products are too weak to produce either of these effects (see: 'Calling trouble', Down To Earth, December 31, 2003).
Bo Sernelius, a physicist at Sweden's Link pings University, has found that the radiations can affect the cells by alternative mechanisms. During his research, he concentrated on the cells' dielectric properties, whereby they do not conduct electricity but can sustain an electric field. Their water molecules have poles of positive and negative electric charge that create attractive forces between them; these forces are known as van der Waal forces. These are normally extremely weak, typically around a billion-billionth of a newton. Using a mathematical model, Sernelius calculated what affect electromagnetic fields of different radiation frequencies would have on the forces of two red blood cells.
He found that the cells' water molecules attempt to align their positive and negative poles when exposed to the radiation. They all end up pointing in the same direction, and this strengthens the van der Waals. In electromagnetic fields of 850 megahertz -- the radiation frequency of most cellphones -- the attractive forces appear to leap to the micronewton strength; this is a huge jump of around 11 orders of magnitude than what is normal. Such strong forces can make cells clump together, or cause blood vessels to contract.
If the findings are confirmed, they could form the basis of holding the industry responsible for the adverse health affects of their products. Camelia Gabriel, who is taking part in uk's Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme, says the results are plausible. But she points out that the study model is simple, and what applies to two cells may not necessarily apply to more. But at any rate, the findings, published in the journal Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (Vol 6, No 7, April 2004), highlight the need to judiciously use the phones.
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