Dangers of Cell Phone Towers

Since its introduction around 20 years ago, a cell phone has become an integral part of our life. Today there are millions of cell phone users in the United States and to provide proper service to this growing customer base, companies have set up several towers all over the country. Cell phone towers form an important component of the cell phone network. In North America, the word cell site is used to refer to a site wherein antennas or other electronic communication equipment are attached to a tower to create or enhance the cell network.

Dangers of Living Near Cell Phone Towers

Cell phones work on radio frequencies ranging from 300 MHz to 3000 MHz. The wavelengths of these ultra high frequencies ranges from 10 to 100 cm. Chronic exposure to such frequencies can be dangerous, especially if you are exposed to them for a prolonged duration. Those who live in the vicinity of a cell phone tower are continuously exposed to harmful cellular radiations, and hence are vulnerable to several health risks of the same.

Various studies have revealed that frequent exposure to these RF (Radiofrequency) radiations can lead to health related problems ranging from chronic fatigue to DNA damage. Research done by Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center, California, revealed that even at low levels of RF radiation, there is evident damage to cell tissue and DNA. These radiations also reduce the competence of the immune system. Leukemia is one of the major illnesses among people living in the vicinity of cell phone towers. A study by Dr Bruce Hocking from Australia, revealed that children living near these towers had double the risk of childhood leukemia than those who lived at least 7 miles away from the towers. Problems like eye cancer, miscarriage, cardiac arrests and brain tumors are also considered common health risks of living near these towers.

It also leads to other relatively less serious health issues, like, sleep disturbance, chronic fatigue, irritability, anxiety and depression. Some researchers argue that these harmful radiations can also lead to memory loss and infertility. Dangers of cell phone tower radiations are not just restricted to humans but their harmful effects, such as abnormal growth, have also been seen in animals and plants. In Germany, a study of dairy cows revealed that these cows were affected by their proximity to cell phone towers and showed traits of behavioral abnormalities as well as a reduction in milk production.

The biggest problem however, is the lack of proper evidence to support all these claims about the health risks of cell phone towers, especially to the people living near these towers. Officials from cell phone companies claim that they follow all the norms laid down by FCC, and hence there are no threats of these towers. Even people who use cell phones are in a way exposed to low level radiations, so does it mean that we should stop using cell phones - now that's a question which has to be given a serious thought.