5G technology bad for our health?

As 5G wireless technology is slowly making its way around the world, many government agencies and organizations recommend that there is no reason to be concerned about the impact of radiofrequency waves on our health. But some experts strongly disagree.

5G technology bad for our health

 5G refers to the fifth generation of mobile Phone technology. With promises of faster browsing, streaming, and download speeds, as well as better connectivity, 5G may seem like a natural evolution for our increasingly tech-dependent society.

But beyond allowing us to stream the latest movies, 5G is designed to increase capacity and reduce latency, which is the time it takes devices to communicate with each other.

For integrated applications such as robotics, self-driving cars, and medical devices, these changes will play a big role in how quickly we adopt technology in our everyday lives.

The mainstay of 5G technology will be the use of high-frequency bandwinds, just above the radiofrequency spectrum.

In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission has auctioned the first bandwidth - 28 GHz (GHz) - that will build the 5G network, with higher bandwidth being auctioned later this year.

But what does 5G have to do with our health?

In this spotlight, we look at what electromagnetic radiation is, how it can affect our health, the controversies surrounding radiofrequency networks, and what it means for the advent of 5G technology.

What is electromagnetic radiation?

An electromagnetic field (EMF) is a field of energy that is a form of electromagnetic radiation, energy that results from an electric current.

Wherever there are power lines or outlets, electric fields exist, whether the electricity is on or not. Magnetic fields are created only when electric current flows. Together, they produce EMFs.

Electromagnetic radiation exists as a spectrum of different wavelengths and frequencies, measured in Hz (Hz). This term refers to the number of cycles per second.

Electrical lines operate between 50 and 60 Hz, which is at the lower end of the spectrum. These are low-frequency waves, along with radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, and some ultraviolet spectrums - which take us to the MHz (MHz), GHz and Terahertz spectra - known as non-radiative radiation. is. .

Above this are the Pethertz and Xhertz spectra, which include X-rays and gamma rays. These are types of ionizing radiation, meaning that they carry enough energy to break down molecules and cause significant damage to the human body.

Radiofrequency EMF (RF-EMF) includes all wavelengths from 30 kHz to 300 GHz.

For the general public, exposure to RF-EMF is mostly from handheld devices, such as cell phones and tablets, as well as cell phone base stations, medical applications, and TV antennas.

The most well-established biological effect of RF-EMF is heating. High doses of RF-EMF can cause an increase in the temperature of exposed tissues, causing burns and other damage.

But mobile devices emit RF-EMFs at low levels. Whether this is a cause for concern is a matter of ongoing debate, reign from the arrival of 5G.

Radiofrequency waves 'possibly carcinogenic to humans'

In 2011, 30 international scientists, who are part of the Working Group of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), met to assess the risk of developing cancer as a result of exposure to RF-EMF.

The working group published a summary of its findings in The Lancet Oncology.

The scientists looked at a cohort study and five case-control studies in humans, each of which were designed to investigate whether there is a link between cell phone use and glioma of central nervous system cancer.

The team concluded that, based on the highest quality studies, "a causal interpretation is possible between mobile phone RF-EMF exposure and glioma." Small studies supported a similar conclusion for acoustic neuroma, but the evidence was not convincing for other types of cancer.

The team also looked at more than 40 studies in which mice and rats were used.

In view of limited evidence in humans and experimental animals, the Task Force has classified RF-EMF as "possibly carcinogenic to humans (group 2B)". "This assessment was supported by a large portion of the members of the working group," they write in the paper.

For comparison, group 2B contains aloe vera whole leaf extracts, gasoline engine exhaust fumes, and pickled vegetables, as well as drugs such as progesterone-only contraceptives, oxazepam and sulfasalazine.

Moving from 4G to 5G

The advent of 5G networks promises improved connectivity. What this means is, in fact, wider coverage and more bandwidth that allows our data to travel from A to B.

 Moving from 4G to 5G

To build networks at the high end of the RF-EMF spectrum, new base stations, or small cells, will appear worldwide.

The reason behind this is that high-frequency radio waves have shorter distances than low-frequency waves. Small cells that will allow data to travel relatively short distances will form an important part of the 5G network, especially in areas of dense network usage.

But when our lives can be transformed by fast browsing, integrated e-health applications, driverless cars, and real-life connectivity on the "Internet of Things", it will have a significant impact on the amount of RF-EMF we can Are my services exposed?

The short answer is, no one really knows, yet. Writing in Frontiers in Public Health earlier this month, Drs. A group of international scientists, including Hardell, comment on the potential risks of 5G technology.

"Radiation associated with high-frequency (low-wavelength) 5G does not penetrate the body as deeply as frequencies from older techniques, although its effects may be systemic," he explains.

"The extent and magnitude of potential effects of 5G technologies are researched, although significant biological consequences have been reported with millimeter-wavelength exposure. These include oxidative stress and altered gene expression, effects on the skin, and systemic effects on immunity Are included. Function, "the author continues.

Teams make a number of recommendations, including more rigorous testing and data gathering to identify links between RF-EMF exposure and health outcomes, sharing health risk information with users, and limiting exposure to under-16s . The last point of his list states the following:

"Cell towers must be away from homes, daycare centers, schools, and places frequented by pregnant women, men who father healthy children, and young people."

Bottom-line

There is certainly evidence that RF-EMF risks tie to a small increase in the risk of developing certain cancers and other adverse health outcomes.

But the jury is still out on how serious a threat RF-EMF is in general - and 5G bandweed in particular - to our health.

For those of us who live in densely populated areas, there can be no escape from the myriad radio waves flying through the air around us.

To reduce our risk for RF-EMF, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends how much time we spend on our cell phones, as well as our devices using speaker mode or hands-free kits And create greater distance between devices. Is our chief.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises limiting the time children and adolescents spend on mobile devices.

Long-term studies investigating the effects of exposure to digital networks are ongoing. One of these is the COSMOS study, which was launched in 2007 with the objective of assessing at least 290,000 people in six European countries for 20–30 years of their cell phone use and health outcomes.