Re: Are GSM Cell phone towers a health hazard?

Thank you for an excellent question. I cannot give you an absolutely certain answer, because - while there has been a great deal of research on the health effects of microwave radiation - the research is not totally conclusive as yet. Generally speaking, the results so far do not indicate health risks from low levels of electromagnetic signals, as from individual cellular phones, that are significantly different from the level of health risks that human beings normally encounter. On the other hand, the signals very close to a cellular phone tower are much higher levels of electromagnetic radiation. Consequently, there are standards to keep human beings far from the tower itself. For example, see: "GSM Frequently Asked Question: I live close to a GSM base station. Am I at risk?"

Living further away from a base station, the question you have about signal strength varying from area to area is a good question. In evaluating cellular phone communication systems, these variations are exactly what are studied - but primarily for the purpose of ensuring there is good coverage of the area for purposes of communication, so that nearly everyone using a GSM cellular phone can get reasonably good reception from the base station.

In terms of the health issue, the inverse square law works to our advantage. Because the signal power drops proportionally to 1/(distance from base station)² , the signal strength drops very rapidly with distance, so that even a short distance away, the power will drop substantially. So, while there may be areas where the signal strength will vary due to reflections and such, the signal strength will be of interest for communication purposes, but unlikely to pose any significant health hazards.

Here are some more sites that have information discussing health risks related to cellular phone base stations:

Ericsson site discussing health and GSM

an FCC site discussing health risks, with references

Microwave News-"The world's most authoritative source on EMF health risks."