Concerns about the potential downsides of 5G technology have been exaggerated, 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 cellular networks poses any danger to human health.
5G is the next generation of wireless communication. It allows for faster speeds and lower latency than LTE, and while we’re already seeing that in action on 5G phones, it’s needed years before 5G’s potential to transform industries such as self-driving cars becomes a reality.
That delayed promise has not stopped some people warning that 5G will only accelerate the damage reportedly caused by our existing use of wireless technology. The evidence for any health risks of our cell phones is not in particular strong, but it’s still something scientists are keeping an eye on. In particular, there have been many studies in the lab and in animals trying 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 goods published this week in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology and are announced as the first reviews specifically targeting 5G.
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Aside from looking at animal and laboratory experiments, one review also analyzed epidemiological studies of radar, which uses the same kind of RF (low-level energy fields above 6 gigahertz to as high as 300 GHz) that 5G is expected to rely on. Their conclusions, based on reviewing data from more than 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 hazardous to human health, “said Ken Karipidis, assistant director of assessment and advice at ARPANSA. a pronunciation released by the agency.
The second review, which focused specifically on RF energy 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 simply more evidence that cell phones will continue to emit RF levels today and for the foreseeable future well below the safety thresholds set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) adopted. worldwide.
Some studies have found plausible biological effects from this type of RF exposure. But more importantly, these studies were usually not replicated by other, similar experiments. Overall, most of the studies they reviewed were considered of low quality, Karipidis and his team concluded.
That said, these reviews won’t be the final word on judging the safety of 5G and cell phone radiation in general. And the researchers hope their work will help bolster ongoing research into the study.
“We recommend that future experimental studies improve their design with particular attention to dosimetry and temperature control, and that future epidemiological studies continue to monitor long-term health impacts in the population related to wireless telecommunications,” said Karipidis.