Are BTS stations harmful to human health?

(Baonghean) - In Nghe An province, there are currently 5 network operators providing terrestrial mobile information services with 2.3 million subscribers served by 3,800 2G and 3G BTS stations.

In recent years, the Information and Communications industry has made a breakthrough in infrastructure development to promptly meet the needs of communication, serving socio-economic development, national defense and security. The system of mobile information transmission stations (BTS) is increasingly appearing in densely populated areas, especially large cities.

Along with the network operators promoting the construction of BTS stations, the issue of the impact of electromagnetic waves from BTS stations has also been widely reported in the media. People have understood and recognized the safety of electromagnetic waves from BTS stations for health.

However, recently in some localities in the province such as Yen Son and Luu Son communes (Do Luong), town areas, Dien Minh commune (Dien Chau), Hung My and Hung Thong communes (Hung Nguyen), Nghi Thach and Nghi Van communes (Nghi Loc), Cong Thanh commune (Yen Thanh district)... there are still some cases of questions about the impact of BTS stations on human health.

This not only makes people worried but also hinders network operators in developing new BTS stations, especially in the context of new technologies such as 4G and 5G development, the number of BTS stations must be increased and must be installed in residential areas to ensure service quality for users.

In fact, during the process of developing the Vietnamese Standard TCVN 3718-1:2005, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and other competent authorities conducted many studies, thereby concluding: "With the frequency range of radio waves with the capacity of the equipment of the receiving and transmitting stations and the technical parameters of mobile phones in Vietnam today, there is no specific scientific evidence to confirm that the waves from the receiving and transmitting stations, including the mobile phones used by individuals, have negative and harmful effects on human health."

The Ministry of Science and Technology has prescribed the non-occupational exposure limit (for people living and working long-term within the range of BTS stations) for the frequencies of terrestrial mobile phone base stations, derived in the form of an equivalent plane wave power density of 2W/m2 (item 6.3, TCVN 3718-1:2005). This level is lower and more stringent than international and other countries such as the European Union, Japan, the US and Australia.

Calculations based on TCVN on radio frequency radiation safety management and national technical regulations on electromagnetic field exposure of public landline telephone base stations show that outside the horizontal range of 2-5 m from the BTS antenna mast, the level of electromagnetic exposure of the BTS has decreased below the safety regulations to ensure the long-term health of people living nearby, and current BTS stations all meet this condition.

Nghe An currently has 3,800 BTS stations of 5 network operators, mainly located in residential areas.

Since 1996, when mobile networks have developed strongly in developed countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) have conducted in-depth, long-term research and issued recommendations on this issue.

To date, these studies have concluded: “Considering the very low exposure levels and the research results collected to date, there is no convincing scientific evidence that weak radio frequency signals from base stations and wireless networks cause harmful effects on health.” The research results also determine a safe level (called safe electromagnetic field exposure level) for the long-term life of people in the area around BTS stations.

Health agencies of developed countries have also conducted in-depth studies on electromagnetic exposure from BTS stations and widely published them in the media, specifically: The Australian Radiation Protection Agency published a national scientific assessment: "There is no convincing evidence that exposure to electromagnetic fields from low-power radio spectrum has adverse effects on human health."

Similarly, the French Environmental Health Safety Agency concluded: “Given the concern for the occurrence of cancer, we accept that the low power levels in mobile phones and the radiation levels do not affect living tissues, and that experiments on animals exposed to long-term electromagnetic fields do not cause cancer or promote cancer development.”

The US Federal Communications Commission concluded: “There is no scientific evidence linking BTS base stations to cancer or other illnesses such as headaches, dizziness, vertigo or memory loss.” The Canadian Health Protection Agency asserted: “To date, there is no solid evidence that electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones has any adverse effects on humans.”

The competent authorities of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden concluded: “There is no scientific evidence of adverse health effects caused by mobile transmitting and receiving stations and handheld devices with power levels below those set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection.

In Vietnam in general, Nghe An in particular, BTS stations before being put into use are inspected to fully comply with safety standards on exposure to electromagnetic waves and issued with an inspection certificate, then they are qualified to operate, ensuring safety for people living nearby.

The results of the specialized inspection on compliance with regulations on electromagnetic exposure testing of BTS stations in 2015 by the Department of Information and Communications showed that 90% of the total number of BTS stations have been tested (1682/1867), the rest were newly installed in 2015 and are undergoing extended testing.

With current regulations and monitoring mechanisms, if telecommunications companies follow the correct procedures, we can rest assured about the impact of BTS waves on people's health.

Phan Manh