Public Awareness of the Health Effect of Radiation Emitted From Telecommunication Mast (Case Study of Enugu State)
Chapter One
Objective of the study
The objectives of the study are;
- To create awareness of the dangers associated with living close to a telecommunication mast.
- To know the radiation protection measures that should be taken in other to prevent the hazardous effect of radiation emitting from a telecommunication mast.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
Several studies have addressed the subject matter. For example, Abdel et al (2007) in their Northern Ireland studies observe that residents living in Dunanon Local Government districts within 1-5km service radius close to mast location do suffer several number of cancer cases including lings, prostate, breast and lungs cancer. Other forms of ailment caused by mast location as reported by Abdel et al 2007 are that of leukaemia, lymphoma and haematopoietic which damaged blood cells and causes death of residents. They also observe untimely death, fever, headache as a result of vibration and pollution of environment due to various activities of generators and mast installation. They (Abdel et al 2007) further observe that land retained for mast or uses converted to mast affect the overall land use summation in an area which has effect on other land uses. Other planning requirements, in terms of application, allocation, rejection or grant of planning permits for mast location in an area, are not studied by Abdel et al (2007) work. This study attempts to unravel this. The study of Santini et al (2003) in the United Kingdom equally confirms further the effect of telecommunication mast on the health of people of United Kingdom in which they observe that mast operators around the Northern United Kingdom were asked by the residents and native authority to evacuate their telecommunication masts due to the negative impacts on the residents. Not only that Santini et al (2003) equally reports twenty seven (27) cases of fallen masts tower as a result of weather problem. He however recommends for strong and effective location of mast on a sound base to resist against tensile, weather, vibration and other gravitational forces. In the same vein, Onifade et al (2011) identify various side effects of mast location like vibration arising from generator and mast working on a regular basis. Noise pollution from mast and generator location exhausts fumes from generator, which causes lucomia and other ailments. His findings show that there is a significant relationship between mast location and health of the residents. The other health implication of mast location is the release of ultraviolent rays and pollution of ground water as a result of oil spillage into the soil which pollutes the nearby well water. Although the health implication of mast location within residential neighbourhood are critically dealt with by Onifade et al (2011)’s work, however the study does not show the severity and nature of the problem as will be addressed by this study.
Health Implication of Telecommunication Mast
The rapid growth in the use of mobile phone in recent years has been accompanied by public concern over the issues of health and safety risks attributable to microwave radiation and the adverse visual amenity aspect of the sitting of telecommunication masts (Santini, 2003). The remit for researching the possible hazards associated with radiation which includes microwaves, RF radiation and electromagnetic radiation (Ruediger, 2009). The National Radiological Protection Board had said that there is radioactive exposure from mast which may be microwave radiation, electromagnetic radiation and RF radiation. The electromagnetic radiation emitted from masts on the height and type of mast but the wave ranges from 50w/m2 and 200w/m2. Some waves emitted by some masts are not hazardous but most masts emit more than 100w/m2 which is said to be hazardous if human being stays around the mast for a long time (Abdel-Rassoul, 2007). According to the Abdel-Rassoul (2007) the short effect of these waves causes actual burn to the skin, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea while long exposure can cause epilepsy, short term memory, sleep disorder, increase in leukemia, and speed of cancerous growth which might lead to death. He also stressed further that micro waves emits high radioactive frequency which causes damage to children’s brain. Also, noise, vibration and fumes are generated from the standby power generators positional at the telecom base station. The noise causes pollution to the environment and this causes partial deafening of ear if it persists. Fumes from the generator emit carbon monoxide which may block the respiratory organ when inhaled in large quantity and this may result to death. The vibration from the mast may curse headache, sleepless night and risk of brain tumor for people living around the area
Hazardous Materials and Waste
Operation and maintenance activities of base stations and other telecom facilities may also result in the generation of electronic wastes like circuit boards from computer and other electronic equipment. For instance, the operation of certain types of switching and transmitting equipment in Base Stations may require the use of backup power systems to keep the Base Station powered and functional at all times.8 This power backup system may consist of a combination of batteries (typically lead-acid batteries) and dieselfuelled backup generator sets.9 The operation and maintenance of backup generators and service vehicles may also result in the disposal of used tires, waste oils and used filters, while the electric transformer equipment and the refrigerants may contain hazardous chemicals like Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and other potential ozone depleting substances (ODSs) 10 which have been considered to be injurious to human health and environment.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to Public awareness of The health effect of radiation emitted from telecommunication mast (case study of Enugu state)
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information on Public awareness of The health effect of radiation emitted from telecommunication mast. 200 residents in Enugu state was selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain Public awareness of The health effect of radiation emitted from telecommunication mast( case study of Enugu state) In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of Public awareness of the health effect of radiation emitted from telecommunication mast
Summary
This study was on Public awareness of The health effect of radiation emitted from telecommunication mast( case study of Enugu stat). two objectives were raised which included: To create awareness of the dangers associated with living close to a telecommunication mast and to know the radiation protection measures that should be taken in other to prevent the hazardous effect of radiation emitting from a telecommunication mast.. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 selected residents in enugu state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up men, women, civil servant and businessmen were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
It also provides an insight into the effect of distance from (and by implication proximity to) telecommunication masts in the study area. It is interesting to note that the perceived impacts, particularly the physiological one is observed to be considerable and statistically significant. Yet people still cluster around such telecommunication facility as if everything is normal. This though may not be unconnected to the fact that there is ineffective physical development control in the study area, it also is a pointer to the problem of poverty, which prevents people from looking for alternative housing accommodation, either for residential or other purposes. It is also an indication of the fact that the service providers themselves are not alive to their social responsibility to the community where they operate, as it is observed from the study that that was no measure in place to cushion any likely effects of the mast location on the residents. What was noted in the course of the study is that once the providers acquire the plots of land for the masts, particularly through lease, they and the land ‘owners’ or dealers are only concerned about the amount to be paid for the acquisition of the land and nothing about the environmental impact of the operation of the facility.
Recommendation
The standard of 50m setback radius to residential houses should be observed by all operators of telecommunication in sitting the mast.
- Also the telecommunication operators should collaborate among themselves in installing their network service on a single mast instead of proliferation of different masts that defaces the urban built environment.
Research efforts should also be directed at unravelling the other factors affecting residents’ health, which may also be related to mast location in residential and other land use environment.
References
- Abdel- Rassoul, G; Abou El- Batanouny, M; Salem, E. (2007) ‘‘Neuro Behavioural Effects among Inhabitants around Mobile Phone Base Stations’’.
- Afon, A.O. (2011). Environmental Auditing Report of the Performance of Telecommunication mast in Ile-Ife Osun State. Environmental Impact Paper Review.
- Akwule Raymond, (1992) Global Telecommunication: The Technology Administration and Policies, Butterworth- Hienenmann, Stone ham.
- Alleman and Emmerson (1989), Perspective on the Telephone Industry: The Challenge for the future, New York.
- Bortkiewikz, A; Zmyslony, M Gadzicka; E (2004) ‘Subjective Symptoms Reported by People Living in the Vicinity of Cellular Phone Base.
- Helman, C. (1990) ‘culture, Health and Illness, Oxford Butterworth Heineman. (National Radiological Protection Board Scotland 1995).
- Ilesanmi, K.O. (2009): Socio-economic Importance in Telecommunication Mast on the People of Ikotun in Alimoso L.G.A. of Lagos State. A working paper Yaba College of Technology Lagos.
- Olaseni, A.M. and Nubi T.G. (2006) ‘Rescuing the Perishing: MDGs Initiatives and Some Slum Communities in Lagos’. Book of the Proceedings of the 1st National Conference. Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Yaba College of Technology 10th-13th October, 2006. Pp 102-111.
