A study with an aim to sensitise the general public on the ill effects of excessive cell-phone usage caused by electromagnetic radiation has been recently conducted at Panjab University (PU).

The study has shown that eggs exposed to four working mobiles become half-boiled in very little time. Not only this, the study has also informed that the Sectors 8, 9, 17, 18, 21, 23, 27, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 38, 44, 45, 46, 59 and 51 in the city are exposed to electromagnetic radiation released by the mobile phone towers, far more than the prescribed limit (as per a petition filed in the Supreme Court).

Prof V P Sharma, Dr R K Kohli and Dr H P Singh have conducted the study. While both Dr Kohli and Dr Singh are from the Department of Botany, Prof Sharma is from the Department of Zoology.

“We conducted research with an aim to sensitise the general public and make them aware of the fact that long hours of talking over cell phones can really damage the ears,” Dr Kohli told Newsline.

The study has shown that mobile towers have two kinds of effects: thermal effect and non-thermal radiation effect. These effects are being studied simultaneously by the university on plants, honeybees and chicken eggs.

Meanwhile, the ENT department of the PGI has also conducted a similar study and found that spending long hours on the cell phone may result in loss of hearing. Some international studies also say that it can cause brain tumours.

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