Is 5G dangerous to health? Is 5G bad for your health? What are the health effects of 5G?
Questions like this have been of as much public interest as the rollout of 5G technology itself. In fact, 5G network health concerns have even threatened to overshadow the promise of this 5th Generation of mobile wireless, with its vastly higher data transfer speeds, minimal latency (the time it takes for a signal transmitted from one device to be received in a usable form by another), and potential to connect many more devices simultaneously than current networks can accommodate at present.
Much of the negative publicity around the health effects of 5G has its origin in the hype, scaremongering, and a certain amount of geo-politics, as nations reassess their attitudes to China (one of the principal providers of 5G network technology) with regards to that nation’s ongoing trade war with the United States.
However, in the light of hard science, there’s actually little in the way of indisputable evidence to confirm these suggested 5G health hazards.
Possible 5G Radiation Dangers
The proliferation of mobile technology in recent years has led to a significant increase in the number of cell phone towers (or base stations) that are situated in various communities. The antennas and electronic equipment in these towers receive and transmit cell phone signals using radio frequency (RF) waves.
These RF waves are a form of energy in the electromagnetic spectrum, somewhere between FM radio waves and microwaves. RF waves, FM radio waves, microwaves, visible light, and heat are all forms of non-ionizing radiation, which science has established as being incapable of directly damaging the DNA inside human cells.
Stronger kinds of radiation, such as X-rays, gamma rays, and ultraviolet (UV) rays, are judged to be able to cause cancer. This part of the electromagnetic spectrum consists of ionizing radiation and exists beyond the range of frequencies used by 5G.
5G networks will use some RF wavelengths in the range below 6GHz (gigahertz), as do earlier generation networks. Some higher frequency wavelengths at the lower end of the millimeter-wave (mmWave) spectrum ranging from 30GHz to 300GHz will also be employed. These are higher energy RF waves but still fall within the category of non-ionizing radiation, which lacks the ability to directly damage DNA.
One of the potential 5G health concerns revolves around the fact that at very high levels, RF waves can heat up body tissues – most specifically in the skin and eyes. So, in theory, exposure to RF radiation very close to the human body and at very high concentrations could make 5G bad for your health. But these concentrations would need to be very high indeed, and sustained for extremely long periods for any heating effect to become appreciable.
The higher frequency waves used by 5G travel shorter distances and are less able than lower frequencies to pass through solid objects such as buildings or trees. As a result, one of the 5G dangers often cited is that 5G networks will require many smaller versions of base stations (known as small cells), which will typically be mounted on streetlights, utility poles, buildings, and other structures in densely populated areas. This could result in 5G antennas being physically closer to people, exposing them to more RF waves generally.
What Existing 5G Health Studies Have to Say to the Question “Is 5G Dangerous”
To date, the expert organization’s view on the effects of radiofrequency waves that could make 5G bad for health is inconclusive and somewhat conflicting.
Summarizing a review of studies published up until 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified RF radiation as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” based on limited evidence of a possible increase in the risk of brain tumors among cell phone users, and inadequate evidence for the causation of other types of cancer.
Based on the results of studies published between 2008 and 2018 and national trends in cancer rates, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pretty much dismisses the health risks of 5G RF radiation, citing insufficient evidence to support a causal relationship between exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RFR) and the formation of tumors.
To date, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) is also taking a dismissive attitude to 5G health risks from radiation, excluding RF radiation as a causal factor in its Report on Carcinogens.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) doesn’t have an official position or statement on whether or not radiofrequency radiation from cell phones, cell phone towers, or other sources is a cause of cancer.
Ongoing and Future Studies into 5G Health Effects to Determine “Is 5G Dangerous”
Thus far, few studies have been conducted into potential 5G problems focusing specifically on cellular phone towers and cancer risk – and the results of these studies have yet to provide clear answers.
Several dozen studies have been performed, looking at the possible links between cell phone usage and the occurrence of tumors. Most have found no link between cell phone use and cancer, though this remains an active area of research.
Since higher frequency RF waves are less able to penetrate the body than lower frequency waves, they may be less likely to produce any 5G health issues. So far, however, this issue has not been well studied.
Yet, despite some gaps in the research, the answer to the question, “Is 5G dangerous?” remains “No” since there has been very little research indicating that the RF waves used in 5G networks are any more (or less) of a concern than other RF wavelengths used in cellular communications.
Fueling the 5G and Health Fire
In the online discourse on 5G health risks Reddit has been a major forum, hosting arguments on both sides of the issue.
“We have no reason to believe 5G is safe”, “5G potential health risk”, and “5G Danger: Hundreds of Respected Scientists Sound the Alarm About Health Effects As 5G Networks Go Up Nationwide” are just some of the arguments on the naysayers’ side.
“Is there any merit to the claim, ‘implementing a 5G network will be harmful – the radiation is harming us’?” and “The 5G Health Hazard That Isn’t” are typical of arguments on the other edge of the divide.
5G Health Risks Debunked
Is 5G dangerous? Let’s look at the myths and facts.
As we have observed, the overall consensus from major health agencies and the scientific community is that there is no causal relationship between cancer in humans and the radiations associated with 5G.
Other rumors surrounding the new technology have featured the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
In early January 2020, several websites posted claims that 5G high-frequency radio waves were weakening the human immune system and caused the COVID-19 outbreak to occur in Wuhan, China. There have also been claims that the higher frequency 5G millimeter waves helped to mutate the SARS virus into COVID-19.
There is no credible scientific evidence to back up either of these claims.
While Wuhan was one of the first places in China to roll out 5G, other large Chinese cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou had the same technology at the same time the coronavirus outbreak occurred – and no cases of COVID-19 were recorded at those locations.
The UK Public Health agency states that there is no evidence that 5G can damage the immune system, cause brain tumors, or have any significant biological effect on human health.
The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) state bluntly that: “5G technology does NOT cause coronavirus.”
Summary:
Is 5G Dangerous?
Is 5G dangerous? Let’s look at the myths and facts. As we have observed, the overall consensus from major health agencies and the scientific community is that there is no causal relationship between cancer in humans and the radiations associated with 5G. Other rumors surrounding the new technology have featured the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). In early January 2020, several websites posted claims that 5G high-frequency radio waves were weakening the human immune system and caused the COVID-19 outbreak to occur in Wuhan, China. There have also been claims that the higher frequency 5G millimeter waves helped to mutate the SARS virus into COVID-19. There is no credible scientific evidence to back up either of these claims. While Wuhan was one of the first places in China to roll out 5G, other large Chinese cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou had the same technology at the same time the coronavirus outbreak occurred – and no cases of COVID-19 were recorded at those locations. The UK Public Health agency states that there is no evidence that 5G can damage the immune system, cause brain tumors, or have any significant biological effect on human health. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) state bluntly that: “5G technology does NOT cause coronavirus.
