The growing adoption and use of 5G mobile networks has led to questions about whether the technology poses risks to our health. So, what are the concerns being raised and is there sufficient evidence to support them?
As with previous cellular technologies, 5G networks rely on signals transmitted via radio waves, i.e. rays that are part of the electromagnetic spectrum and which are transmitted between transmitters (antennas) and phones.
Simply put? We are surrounded by electromagnetic radiation all the time. From the television and radio signals that surround us at all times, from countless forms of radiation-emitting technologies including cell phones, to natural sources like sunlight.
As reported by a relevant BCC study, the details of which are listed below, 5G uses higher frequency waves compared to previous mobile networks, allowing more devices to access the internet simultaneously, and at higher speeds.
When we are not talking about cities, these waves travel shorter distances, due to natural obstacles, so 5G networks require more transmitters, proportionally to previous technologies, placed closer to ground level, even closer to us.
Based on the above, the electromagnetic radiation used by mobile telephony, especially at the urban level, has led to an increased climate of concern about the risks it may pose to health, including the development of certain types of cancer.
Let’s look at some facts. In 2014, the World Health Organization stated that “there is no evidence of adverse health effects from the use of mobile phones.” However, the organization, as well as the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), have classified all radiofrequency radiation (of which mobile signals are a part) as “probably carcinogenic.” In contrast, eating pickles and using talcum powder are classified as products with the same level of risk. Alcoholic beverages and processed meat are classified as foods with a higher risk.
But let's look at another interesting and controversial piece of information: A toxicology report released in 2018 by the US Department of Health and Human Servicesfound that some male rats exposed to high doses of radiofrequency radiation developed a type of cancerous tumor in the heart.
In the study, rats were exposed to radiation for nine hours a day, every day for two years, before they were even born. However, the female rats studied did not develop tumors. Furthermore, the rats that were exposed to radiation and did not develop cancer lived longer than the control group.
However, as experts point out, the exposure of laboratory animals to radiation is not proportional to the exposure that people have when using a mobile phone.
In any case, the range of radio waves used in mobile phone is non-ionizing, meaning it does not have sufficient energy to break down DNA and cause cellular damage, says David Robert Grimes, a physicist and cancer researcher.
As we move up the electromagnetic spectrum, well beyond the frequencies used by mobile phones, there are clear health risks that arise from our extended exposure to them. The sun's ultraviolet rays fall into this harmful category and can lead to skin cancers. There are strict advisory limits for exposure to even higher levels of energy radiation, such as X-rays and gamma rays, both of which can lead to harmful effects on the human body.
“People are concerned about whether it could increase the risk of cancer, but it’s important to note that radio waves are much less energetic than even the visible light we experience every day,” says Dr. Grimes.
"There is no reliable evidence that mobile phones or wireless networks have caused our health problems," he concludes.
