Concerns about the potential harm of 5G technology are being overcome, according to two major new reviews of research recently published by scientists in Australia. Both found no clear evidence that the type of radio frequency energy used by 5G mobile networks poses a danger to human health.
5G is the next generation of wireless communication. It enables faster speeds and lower latency than LTE, and although we already see it, it will last on 5G phones years before the potential of 5G to transform industries such as autonomous cars becomes a reality.
That delayed promise did not hold back some people warning that 5G will only accelerate the damage allegedly caused by our existing use of wireless technology. The evidence for any health risks of our cell phones today is not especially strong, but it’s still something scientists are watching. In particular, there have been many studies in the laboratory and on animals trying to figure out how different levels of radiofrequency energy can potentially affect the body, including the type of energy released by 5G networks.
The two new articles are the work of researchers from the Australian Agency for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (ARPANSA) and the Swinburne University of Technology in Australia. Both wash published this week in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology and is considered the first reviews to focus specifically on 5G.
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Apart from investigating animal and laboratory experiments, one review also analyzed epidemiological studies on radar, using the same type of RF (low-level energy fields above 6 gigahertz to as high as 300 GHz) on which 5G is expected. Their conclusions, based on the review of data from more than 100 studies, should be reassuring.
“Finally, a review of all the studies provided no evidence that low-level radio waves, such as those used by the 5G network, are dangerous to human health,” said Ken Karipidis, assistant director of assessment. and advice at ARPANSA, said a statement released by the agency.
The second review, which focused on RF energy specifically in the millimeter wave (MMW) band, which will use 5G, also found no association between low levels of MMW exposure and health effects. According to the researchers, both findings are just more evidence that cell phones today and in the near future will continue to radiate RF levels that are far below the safety thresholds set by the International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). worldwide.
Some studies have found credible biological effects of this exposure to RF. But it is important that these studies are not usually repeated by others, similar experiments. In general, Karipidis and his team found that most of the studies they reviewed were of low quality.
That being said, these reviews will not be the last word to assess the safety of 5G and cell phone radiation in general. And the researchers hope that their work will help strengthen the ongoing research that is being investigated in it.
“We recommend that future experimental studies improve their design, particularly with regard to dosimetry and temperature control, and that future epidemiological studies continue to monitor the long-term health effects in the population regarding wireless telecommunications,” Karipidis said.