Mobile masts produce electromagnetic radiation that interferes with serotonin and melatonin, which are vital brain hormones responsible for biological and emotional functions such as immunity, mood and sleep. The hormonal interference may result in frequent nose bleeds, anxiety, sleep disorders and loss of appetite; this weakens the body's ability to fight diseases, putting the body at risk for various ailments and fatigue.
People living on the top floor of a British building hosting mobile masts on the roof developed cancer at 10 times the rate of the national average from 2002 to 2007. According to Sir William Stewart, former chairman of the United Kingdom's Health Protection Agency (HPA), long-term exposure to mobile phone handsets can be harmful to children, and strong mobile mast beams should be directed away from school compounds, again due to the relationship between mobile mast waves and cancer cases.
Standard mobile mast radiation limits in many developing countries are set in favor of political and economic considerations, not safety-based research. This is because governments want to increase mobile phone penetration to stimulate economic growth. This may increase the number of health complications in a country, putting strain on government and individual medical expenditures.
According to a Bavarian State Government report published in 1998, milk production in dairy cattle reduces with exposure to mobile mast radiation. Low milk production can lead to high milk prices, and this may affect companies that use milk as a raw material to manufacture products such as butter and ghee. High cost of raw products increases the business operation's costs, and this may affect a country's economy as industries such as dairy may have to down scale or lay off some workers.