The Union health ministry is studying the report of an inter-ministerial committee on the effect of radiation from mobile tower and mobile phones and may sanction long term scientific research related to the health aspect of radiation exposure.

Based on media reports and public concerns, Department of Telecommunications (DoT) constituted a committee on this in August last year, consisting of representatives from DoT, Indian Council of Medical Research, Ministry of Environment & Forest and Department of Biotechnology to examine the various studies on the effect of radiation from mobile tower and mobile phones.

One of the recommendations of the panel was to conduct the long term scientific research related to health aspect of EMF radiation exposure and associated technologies in India in the areas like health effect of RF exposure in children, and health effect of RF exposure in foetus, mothers and elderly persons.

Sources in the ministry said that the recommendations were being examined by the Government for taking appropriate action. The Ministry will go for long term comprehensive study as far as the health aspects are concerned.

Different studies have been done so far in this area. The international Agency for Research on cancer (IARC), a part of the World Health Organization (WHO), has classified radiofrequency electro-magnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B), based on an increased risk for gliaoma, a malignant type of brain cancer associated with wireless phone use. WHO will conduct a formal risk assessment of all studied health outcomes from radiofrequency fields exposure by 2012.

To study adverse effects of cell phone, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has initiated a study in Delhi to examine whether use of cell phone creates risk of neurological, cardiological, cancer, ENT and reproductive discords. Efforts will also be made to measure specific absorption rate, power density wave length and frequency of RFR emitted from various types of cell phones and cell phone towers under this study.

An animal study (2005-08) supported by ICMR to find out the effect of RFR (Radio Frequency Radiation) on male reproduction at Jawaharlal Nehru University suggested that decrease in sperm count and increase in apoptosis may be a causative factor due to mobile radiation exposure leading to infertility. A study conducted by PGIMER (Post Graduate Institute for Medical Education & Research), Chandigarh (2010) reported long term and intensive mobile phone use may cause inner ear damage.

The inter-ministerial committee had taken note of all these studies and made the recommendations to the Government, sources added.