HMC mulls study on radiation’s effect on health

LANI ROSE R DIZON

DOHA THE Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is planning to conduct a study on the health effects of electromagnetic radiation field (EMF) to residents in Qatar, officials said.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the 1st HMC Occupational Health and Safety Symposium on Wednesday, Dr Huda al Noimi, director of Occupational Health and Safety at HMC, said, “Electromagnetic radiation is one of the fields that need more research not only at HMC but also in the world. Through the years, thousands of international studies have been trying to identify the biological and health effects of exposure to electromagnetic radiation, and relate it to the increasing number of cancer cases and other diseases today. This is an important subject because we are all exposed to electromagnetic fields everyday. We’re now planning to conduct a research on this field with a team from the National Center for Cancer Care and Research through the Qatar National Research Fund.” Sources of electromagnetic radiation (also called electromagnetic field), include power lines, microwave ovens, computer and TV screens, security devices, radars, hair dryers, and mobile phones and their base stations among others.

Dr Rabih Waqif Hammoud, chief medical physicist, radiation oncology at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research, also said, “More and more recommendations are done to minimise the use of cellular phones nowadays.

Some studies even suggest that you can get higher radiation frequency levels by using mobile phones compared to being exposed to a power line on the street. And everyday we use these electromagnetic field sources such as hair dryers and microwave ovens. Some of the major international studies suggest that there is a correlation between exposure to electromagnetic fields and breast cancer. Other studies suggest exposure to higher electromagnetic fields leads to a relatively increased risk of leukaemia in children.” However, Hammoud also pointed out that despite the large number of studies conducted on the subject, there has never been a well-defined study yet which includes cellular, animal, human and epidemiological research with a clear conclusion about the health effects of one’s exposure to electromagnetic fields.

Speaking on the planned study, he said, “We’re thinking about conducting an epidemiological research on the subject. Some of the ideas we’re considering to do is to look for areas in Qatar with high power lines and antennas, get some measurements in the area and analyse what kind of electromagnetic fields are there. And maybe we can get some data from the population.”