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Modern gadgets ‘posing health hazards’
Saudi Arabia Created: 20 Nov 2012
Over exposure to electromagnetic field (EMF) and radio frequency in devices such as cellular phones, microwave oven, intercom and other everyday electronic gadgets could have biological effects or cause serious damage to the body, according to a medical physicist.

EMF or EM field is a physical field produced by moving electrically charged objects.
“There are more use of communication devices, which make use of radio frequency waves nowadays and all of them have biological effects in the body; but it has not really raised concerns because the body repair these damages itself but when the body is over exposed to electromagnetic field, the body might not be able to repair the damage, which explains why we are yet to find causes of many cancers,” said Rabih Wafiq Hammoud, chief medical physicist at HMC’s National Centre for Cancer Care and Research Radiation Oncology.
He was speaking to journalists yesterday on the sideline of a one-day ‘First Hamad Medical Corporation’s occupational health and safety symposium’.
“We are exposed to EMF daily in our surroundings, through lights, cabling underground and other devices that emit EMF radiation in the home, at work and other places and it has been stated that there are health effects of EMF, which can be dangerous, for instance if one is exposed to high radiation during an X-ray or even at minimal level such as when exposed to isolated cable,” he said.
Mobile phone radiation and health concerns have been raised, especially following the enormous increase in the use of wireless mobile telephony throughout the world, he said.
He said that mobile phones use electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range, higher than that of the power line and some medical sources believe this may be harmful to human health.
“These concerns have induced a large body of research, both epidemiological and experimental, in animals as well as in humans. Concerns about effects on health have also been raised regarding other digital wireless systems, such as data communication networks,” Hammoud said.
“A recent study conducted on assessment of radio frequency exposure on human health, for instance on the use of cellular phone, shows that heat is produced when you put the phone on your ear for long periods of time, its thermal effect affects the brain and it could also have other health effects on the users,”
he added.
“Now, more and more recommendations are done to minimise the use of cellular phones, because it is in the higher frequency level, same as the microwave level. In fact, cellphones have more effect than a high power line, that you see on the streets,” he added.
However, he maintained that the results of studies conducted across the world to establish the harmful effects of EMF on human health are still ‘scattered and not harmonised’.
There have been a number of studies carried out on this issue across the world, but none has been conclusive to establish that fact. “For instance, there were major studies on finding out if EMF are linked to breast cancer and leukemia, especially in children,” he mentioned.
HMC occupational health and safety department director Dr Huda al-Naimi corroborated Hammoud’s statements saying: “There are still no clear recommendations from the international organisations on health hazards of EMF. We are hoping that some will start working on it soon.”
She also mentioned that HMC might be conducting research in co-operation with the Qatar Foundation in that regard.
Other topics discussed at the symposium included ‘occupational health exposure and monitoring’ by a guest lecturer from the University of Brunei Darussallam Prof David Koh.
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Source: Gulf Times, Noimot Olayiwola, 15 Nov 2012

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