Bangalore: Scientific studies on the impact of cell phone towers and use of mobile phones have proved that they pose no health hazard, a former WHO official said here on Tuesday.
While releasing a book Mobile Phones and Public Health — Myths and Reality, former WHO expert on electromagnetic fields Prof Michael Repacholi said there were no proven studies to claim that mobile phones can cause health hazards.
He denied claims that base stations and handsets may be carcinogenic. “During 1960s, 70s there was a transistor boom. Radio was accessed by millions. Radio towers emit five times more radiation than mobile phone towers. But no one has had cancer due to radio usage. The claim that mobile phones can cause brain cancer is baseless,” Repacholi pointed out.
According to him $300 million have been spent by WHO so far towards the effects of electro magnetic fields, but no study proves health hazards through mobile phones.
“From all the high quality studies that have been published and reviews of all the studies by international public health authorities, it can be safely said that it has not been established that use of mobile phone causes or is associated with any health risks,” said Repacholi.
The book contains articles by Prof Vasant Natarajan, Department of Physics, IISc, Bangalore.
