Dr. S. S. VERMA; Department of Physics, S.L.I.E.T., Longowal; Distt.-Sangrur (Punjab)-148 106
Modernization has brought a heavy pollution of Earth. There is no stopping of pollution. Different forms of pollutants have wreaked havoc. From air pollution to noise pollution to water pollution natural resources have been spoiled. Environmental pollution is largely thought of in terms of toxic gases and dangerous substances, but there is now another more insidious source of pollution which can be added to this list and that is electronic pollution. Invisible electronic pollution surrounds us twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, interrupting our bodies’ natural flow of energy. Unlike well known types of environmental pollution, electronic pollution can neither be seen nor smelt and hence is more dangerous. As such its effects are hard to determine, yet logic alone should be enough to assess its potential hazards.
Many electronic innovations are frequently dialed, watched, surfed, charged, booted up, commuted on, cooked with, and plugged by us in our daily life. Considering our typical day, like most of the people, it starts in front of our coffee maker and toaster, ends as we set the alarm on our cell phone, and involves no end of computers and gadgets, televisions and microwaves in between. It is no exaggeration to mention that we are almost zapped all around with electronic gadgets. Today a large section of the society owns a cell phone, watch TV and use Wi-Fi. With such a growing association and dependence of electronic items in our day to day life style, we are ignoring to a great extent the adverse effects of their uses on our health just to satisfy our comfort and style. It is a well established fact that all most all the electronic gadgetry like mobiles, TV sets, electric lines, high voltage lines and computers etc. are electromagnetic polluters. The very electronic innovations that have changed our lives are also exposing us, in ways big and small, to an unprecedented number of electromagnetic fields.
A look at the wide range of such emissions gives a sobering insight into the problems we are creating. As well as millions of new mobile phone subscribers, the air is also saturated with radio, television, and satellite broadcasts. The number of stations and channels is growing by
the day. Then add to this, signal from TV remote controls, microwave ovens, as well as computer games, faxes, photo copiers, scanners, and printers, and we have an environment that is already overloaded with electronic emissions. The bewildering thing is there are no plans to curb this pollution; just a chillingly complacent attitude that what cannot be seen cannot do damage. This it must be recalled was the attitude to nuclear energy. Initially it was looked upon as clean and safe and when voices of protest were raised these were dismissed as extremist. Yet the trouble with electronic pollution is that so far as no-one has yet appreciated the future hazards. Even worse is that by the time this problem is identified it will be difficult if not impossible to tackle.
We are talking here of the threats to health posed by the burgeoning number of electromagnetic signals all around us from various electronic gadgetry we are surrounded. The reality is that the atmosphere around us is swamped by hundreds of thousands of these emissions. We are being bombarded by them every moment of our life, and it seems the height of naivety to imagine this electronic chatter is having no effect on us. And for some, that pollution has reached the point of toxicity, causing fatigue, irritability, weakness, and even illness. However, health and pollution experts are always ready with strategies for avoiding and mitigating the damaging effects of electro-pollution.
The intensity of electronic pollution is very strong. As more and more electronic gadgets are used, pollution coming from these equipment’s is destroying the human lives and atmosphere. Not only the current generation is suffering but also the generations to come will be made to pay heavily for the present mindless electronic pollution. It is believed that the effect of electronic pollution will be apparent in a large number of ways. Predominantly these will be manifest in a growing list of psychological complaints including confusion, panic, paranoia, strong mood swings and violent and aggressive behavior. Complaints of this nature have already seen a marked rise in incidence, and we believe that in the coming years this trend will escalate quite dramatically. Electronic pollution may also cause benign and malignant tumors as well as a wide number of physiological complaints that will be hard to account for. The fact is that this is a situation we should have never been faced with. Proper research should have eliminated the possibility of harmful electronic effects. But then with so much money involved it was always inevitable that such concerns would be carelessly brushed aside. There are number of non-conclusive reports on the use of say mobiles and such studies will just continue on with their “inconclusive and misleading” outcomes until enough persons are affected personally and begin to demand realistic and proper testing.
Studies on health effects of electromagnetic radiations indicate that:
- Symptoms such as asthma can occur within a period of two weeks for continuous nighttime exposure while a human infant is sleeping.
- Exposure may be associated with Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, heart disease, miscarriage, birth defects, infertility, mood disturbances such as depression, and quality of sleep.
- Of particular concern is the link between EMFs and cancer, especially brain tumors in cell phone users.
- Electronic pollution poses particular dangers for children.
Controls
Recognizing that some exposure to electronic pollution cannot be avoided but there is need to exercise retrains in the use of electronic gadgetry.
- Do not use any electronic gadget other than for a couple of seconds in an emergency.
- Eating nutritional food and regular exercises may help physically shield us against the negative health effects of electronic pollution.
