Latest research confirms 5G waves are safe for human health

5G is considered the next generation of mobile technology that is being commercially deployed by many countries around the world. 5G technology will allow users to experience higher data transmission speeds and lower latency than 4G-LTE networks. Actual test results have also confirmed the superiority of 5G technology compared to previous mobile generations. The new 5G mobile technology will be fertile ground for virtual reality, real-time applications, self-driving cars, drones, Internet of Things (IoT) connections, etc.

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5G network is expected to explode in the near future and will create a revolution in speed and stability for mobile devices, eliminating the gap between mobile and fixed bandwidth speeds as well as activating an unprecedented wave of new technologies and applications, solving the challenges of connecting anytime, anywhere.

However, the superior features of 5G technology cannot prevent the emergence of rumors that 5G will only increase the level of harm of the mobile technology that people are using. In fact, there is no convincing evidence to confirm that our mobile phones today are harmful to health. However, scientists are still closely monitoring this issue. Specifically, many studies have been conducted in laboratories and on animals to determine what level of radio frequency energy can affect the body, including the frequencies used in 5G networks.

The two newly published papers are the work of researchers from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) and Swinburne University of Technology (Australia). Both papers were published in mid-March 2021 in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology and are considered the first two works to focus on the impact of 5G technology.

In addition to animal and laboratory experiments, the ARPANSA report also analyzed epidemiological studies of radar waves, using the same frequency bands that 5G technology uses (6 GHz to 300 GHz). Based on data from more than 100 different studies, the team concluded that we can be completely confident about 5G.

Regarding this issue, Dr. Ken Karipidis - Deputy Director of ARPANSA said in a statement issued by the agency that: "In summary, the analysis of all research works did not find any credible evidence that low-frequency radio waves, similar to the radio waves used in 5G mobile networks, pose a risk to human health."

“We recommend that experimental design in future studies be improved, and in particular, scientists intending to demonstrate the dangers of 5G networks should pay attention to measuring the dose and controlling the temperature that phone waves cause to biological cells,” added Ken Karipidis.

A second report from Swinburne University of Technology also looked at radiofrequency energy in the millimeter wave (mmWave) band, which is also used for 5G. It also found no link between exposure to low-power mmWave waves and human health problems. According to the researchers, both studies provide evidence that mobile phones today and in the near future will emit radiofrequency energy levels well below the internationally accepted safety thresholds set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).

However, these two studies are not the final word on the safety of 5G and cell phone radiation in general. The researchers hope their work will add to ongoing research on the issue.

Also related to the issue of the impact of mobile phone base stations on human health, the Department of Radiation and Medical Devices Management under the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand also conducted a survey in Bangkok, 5 provinces surrounding the capital and 16 other provinces in the Central Plains region of Thailand from 2019 to 2020. The survey results showed that the level of exposure to radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields emitted from mobile phone base stations in the surveyed locations was 500 to 1,000 times lower than harmful levels.

Specifically, the survey results show that the electromagnetic field energy level at frequencies from 950 MHz to 2100 MHz ranges from 0.000255 - 0.01776 W/m², 500 to 1,000 times lower than the maximum level considered safe according to the standards set by ICNIRP.

According to the standard set by ICNIRP, the electromagnetic field energy level emitted from mobile base stations using the frequency of 950 MHz must not exceed 4.5 W/m²; the electromagnetic field level emitted from mobile base stations using frequencies of 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz respectively shall not exceed 9 W/m²and 10 W/m².

From the test results, Dr. Supakit Sirilak - Director of the Department of Radiation and Medical Devices Management of Thailand affirmed that people living near mobile phone base stations are guaranteed safety from any health risks that may occur when exposed to electromagnetic waves.

Meanwhile, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which reviews evidence of cancer risk, has classified radio frequency signals as group 2B, in the same category as eating pickles and exposure to gasoline and oil fumes (meaning there is little evidence that they can cause cancer in humans).

In 2018, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) also confirmed that exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields emitted from base stations of mobile communication systems is not harmful to humans.

According to Dr. Supakit Sirilak, although the results of the recent survey on the level of electromagnetic fields emitted from mobile base stations showed that they are safe, the agency will continue to monitor and assess the risks that they may pose to people's health.

References

https://gizmodo.com/no-good-evidence-that-5g-harms-humans-new-studies-find-1846513518

https://www.bangkokpost.com/tech/2093435/mobile-waves-pose-no-risk