Concerns about the potential harms of 5G technology are being overstated, according to two major new reviews of research recently published by Australian scientists. Both have not found clear evidence that the type of radio frequency energy used by 5G mobile networks is a danger to human health.
5G is the next generation of wireless communications. It allows higher speeds and lower latency than LTE and, while we already see that in action on 5G phones, it will take years before 5G’s potential to transform industries such as autonomous cars became a reality.
This belated promise did not stop some people warning that 5G will only accelerate the alleged damage caused by our current use of wireless technology. The evidence for any health risks from our cell phones today is not in particular strong, but it is still something that scientists are pursuing. In particular, there have been many laboratory and animal studies that have tried to figure out how different levels of radio frequency energy could affect the body, including the type of energy that would be emitted by 5G networks.
The two new papers are the work of researchers from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) and the Swinburne University of Technology in Australia. Both They were published this week in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology and are billed as the first reviews focusing primarily on 5G.
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In addition to examining animal and laboratory experiments, one analysis also looked at epidemiological studies of radar, which use the same type of RF (low-level energy fields over 6 gigabytes up to 300 GHz) that 5G is expected to rely on. . Their findings, based on a review of data from over 100 studies, should be reassuring.
“In conclusion, a review of all studies did not provide substantiated evidence that low-level radio waves, such as those used by the 5G network, are dangerous to human health,” said Ken Karipidis, Deputy Director of Assessment and Counseling at ARPANSA. A statement issued by the agency.
The second review, which focused on RF energy specifically in the Millimeter Units (MMW) band, which 5G will use, found no link between low levels of MMW exposure and health effects. According to researchers, both findings are just more evidence that today’s and in the near future mobile phones will continue to emit RF levels well below the safety thresholds set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) that have been adopted worldwide. .
Some studies have found plausible biological effects from this type of RF exposure. But importantly, these studies have not usually been replicated by others, similar experiments. In general, most of the studies they analyzed were considered to be of low quality, concluded Karipidis and his team.
That being said, these reviews will not be the last word on checking the safety of 5G radiation and mobile phones in general. Researchers also hope that their work will help strengthen ongoing research.
“We recommend that future experimental studies improve their design with a focus on dosimetry and temperature control, and that future epidemiological studies continue to monitor the long-term health effects of wireless telecommunications,” Karipidis said.