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venerdì 28 novembre 2014

MORTALITY BY NEOPLASIA AND CELLULAR TELEPHONE BASE STATIONS IN THE BELO HORIZONTE MUNICIPALITY, MINAS GERAIS STATE, BRAZIL

Authors


a Minas Methodist University Center Izabela Hendrix, Belo Horizonte City, Minas Gerais State, Brazil
b Municipal Government of Belo Horizonte, Municipal Health Department, Belo Horizonte City, Minas Gerais State, Brazil
c UFMG—Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais-Belo Horizonte, Environmental and Sanitary Engineering Department, Belo Horizonte City, Minas Gerais State, Brazil
d UFCG—Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Center of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, Academic Unit of Electrical Engineering, Paraíba State, Brazil
e MRE Engenharia (Electromagnetic Radiations Measurement—Engineering), Belo Horizonte City, Minas Gerais State, Brazil
f Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medicine-Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte City, Minas Gerais State, Brazil
g UFMG—Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais-Belo Horizonte, Urban Health Observatory, Belo Horizonte City, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Abstract
Pollution caused by the electromagnetic fields (EMFs) of radio frequencies (RF) generated by the telecommunication system is one of the greatest environmental problems of the twentieth century. The purpose of this research was to verify the existence of a spatial correlation between base station (BS) clusters and cases of deaths by neoplasia in the Belo Horizonte municipality, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, from 1996 to 2006 and to measure the human exposure levels to EMF where there is a major concentration of cellular telephone transmitter antennas. A descriptive spatial analysis of the BSs and the cases of death by neoplasia identified in the municipality was performed through an ecological–epidemiological approach, using georeferencing. The database employed in the survey was composed of three data banks: 1. death by neoplasia documented by the Health Municipal Department; 2. BSs documented in ANATEL (“Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações”: ‘Telecommunications National Agency’); and 3. census and demographic city population data obtained from official archives provided by IBGE (“Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística”: ‘Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics’). The results show that approximately 856 BSs were installed through December 2006. Most (39.60%) of the BSs were located in the “Centro-Sul” (‘Central-Southern’) region of the municipality. Between 1996 and 2006, 7191 deaths by neoplasia occurred and within an area of 500 m from the BS, the mortality rate was 34.76 per 10,000 inhabitants. Outside of this area, a decrease in the number of deaths by neoplasia occurred. The greatest accumulated incidence was 5.83 per 1000 in the Central-Southern region and the lowest incidence was 2.05 per 1000 in the Barreiro region. During the environmental monitoring, the largest accumulated electric field measured was 12.4 V/m and the smallest was 0.4 V/m. The largest density power was 40.78 μW/cm2, and the smallest was 0.04 μW/cm2.

Highlights

Base Station (BS) clusters and deaths by neoplasia in the Belo Horizonte municipality have been identified. 
The mortality rate has been higher for the residents within an area of 500 m from the BS. 
The radiation superposition near the BS has also been observed; the nearer the stronger. 
Measured values stay below Brazilian Federal Law limits that are the same of ICNIRP. The human exposure pattern guidelines are inadequate. More restrictive limits must be adopted urgently

All the authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.






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