NYC Cell Phone Tower Radiation Testing
Cell phone tower radiation testing can be performed using a spectral frequency analyzer.
The power density emitted from a cell phone tower is measured in Watts per square meter across various frequency ranges using a spectral analyzer, and the levels are compared to FCC exposure guideline levels to evaluate your exposure to radio frequency radiation.
Radio frequency measurements can be taken throughout your apartment, in the common areas of your building, and outdoors to measure radiation transmission intensities over several broadband frequency ranges, typically 0-to-1 giga hertz, 1-to-2 giga hertz, and 3-to-4 giga herz. This covers TV, radio, cell phone carrier and Wi-Fi frequencies.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
The IARC has classified RF fields as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” based on limited evidence of a possible increase in risk for brain tumors among cell phone users, and inadequate evidence for other types of cancer.
Studies in people
Some people have expressed concern that living, working, or going to school near a cell phone tower might increase the risk of cancer or other health problems. However, very few human studies have focused specifically on cellular phone towers and cancer risk.
In one study, researchers compared a group of more than 2,600 children with cancer to a group of similar children without cancer. They found that those who lived in a town that could have exposed them to higher than average RF radiation from cellular phone towers in the previous 5 years had a slightly higher risk of cancer, although not of any certain type of cancer (like leukemia or brain tumors). This study estimated the children’s possible exposure based on the number of towers in their town and how strong the signals were from the towers. It did not look at actual exposure of any individual child based on how far their home or school was from a tower. This limitation reduces confidence in the results of the study.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states:
Some people are concerned about potential health effects, especially on the developing brains and bodies of children. Some studies suggest that heavy long-term use of cellphones could have adverse health effects. The EPA acknowledges that “At very high levels, RF energy is dangerous. It can heat the body’s tissues rapidly.
The US National Toxicology Program (NTP)
A recent large study by the US National Toxicology Program exposed groups of lab rats and mice to RF energy over their entire bodies for about 9 hours a day, starting before birth and continuing for up to 2 years (which is the equivalent of about 70 years for humans, according to NTP scientists). The study found an increased risk of tumors called malignant schwannomas of the heart in male rats exposed to RF radiation, as well as possible increased risks of certain types of tumors in the brain and adrenal glands.