5G is set to vastly improve the speed and efficiency of wireless data. However, many fear that there may be health related consequences to using the technology. The 5G opposition says thousands or even tens of thousands of studies show dangers, but do they? Here’s what we found…
5G Explains Why the Coronavirus Began in Wuhan
Some have claimed that Wuhan, China was the first city in the world to install 5G towers which explains why the current coronavirus pandemic began there. While it is true that the city of Wuhan was one of the first to adopt 5G cell towers, they were not alone.
There are also countries that have no 5G towers, but they are still being affected. Iran is one of those countries, and it has been one of the hardest hit by the virus.
5G Makes the Coronavirus Worse by Weakening Our Immune Systems
Some believe that while 5G didn’t create the virus, it has exacerbated its spread and lethality. The main concern seems to be that 5G weakens our immune systems. Similarly to the previous claim, it is partially debunked by the fact that the places where the virus has hit the hardest do not seem to be correlated with where 5G has been rolled out.
There was a study done that reviewed the literature on the effects of cellular radiation on humans, including their immune systems. Some studies found negative effects, some found positive effects, and looking at the collection of research as a whole, there did not seem to be evidence to suggest that cellular radiation has an effect on immune systems. It is highly recommended that further research is completed on this topic to confirm these results.
5G Waves Cause Brain Cancer
In the early 2000s, a researcher named Bill Curry made the claim that a new study of his proved that radio waves caused cancer. The general claim made was that the higher the frequency of emitted waves, the greater the risk of causing cancer. This claim has come back up repeatedly since then as we have progressed through 3G, 4G, LTE, and now 5G.
The study he produced exposed tissue samples to increasing frequencies of radio waves. His results showed that the higher the frequency, the higher the absorption of radiation was. However, this study didn’t account for what researchers call the shielding effect. Essentially, the skin and the skull block electromagnetic waves from reaching organs such as the brain. In fact, as the frequency of these waves increases, they penetrate less deeply. If there were cancer risks related to wireless communication, they would likely be occurring with the skin or the eyes, which leads to the next claim.
5G Alters Human DNA
The assertion here is that the high frequency waves of 5G cause human DNA to break down or mutate in strange ways which can lead to health complications like cancer. A study exposed DNA strands to waves with frequencies ranging from 30 to 60 gigahertz of millimeter wavelength radiation, and they found no effects on DNA. The frequency of 5G ranges between 30 and 100 gigahertz. It would not hurt if more studies were done using different techniques or higher frequencies, but the existing evidence does not support the claim.
5G Causes Hormonal Changes
One claim has been that exposure to 5G waves causes changes in the hormone production of humans. One study in 1998, and another in 2008, explored the effects of cellphone radiation on hormone levels in their subjects. The studies did not find any lasting damage. One study found short term effects with the cortisol (stress hormone) levels in children after a cell phone call. However, the psychological effects of speaking on the phone while being studied were not accounted for. Studies done measuring the specific effects of 5G will have to be done, but as of now, the evidence does not suggest that we should be worried about major effects on hormone production.
5G Waves Operate at Higher Frequencies Than Previous Cellular Networks
This is technically true. 5G towers emit higher frequency EMF waves than 4G, 3G, and Wi-Fi networks. However, 5G is still operating at a lower frequency than visible light waves. In other words, the lightbulbs in your house emit higher frequency radiation than 5G networks. This does not mean that 5G waves should not be studied, just that having a higher frequency than previous communication networks isn’t cause for concern on its own.
5G Radiation Will Make People Sterile
One fear is that the increased radiation will make people sterile, preventing them from reproducing and having families. There is some truth to these concerns. Studies testing the effects of cellphone use showed a lower sperm count in participants. However, the cause of this seemed to be the heat generated by the devices. The specific radiation associated with cellphone use was not implicated in these results. Sperm counts fluctuate in general, and there seemed to be no lasting effects.
5G Will Turn the Earth into a Microwave Oven
5G transmits higher frequency waves across shorter distances. Due to the shorter distances the waves travel, more transmitters need to be installed for the coverage to be effective. Many have proposed the idea that more towers means more danger. However, this does not work out logically.
For one, this is the same with FM and AM radio stations. FM transmits higher frequency radiation across shorter distances which requires more stations. Also, if 5G is not shown to be harmful, then this claim is irrelevant to public health.
5G Waves Have Been Killing Birds
A story of how 5G towers caused birds to die en masse has been passed around the internet for the past couple of years. This was shown to be little more than a rumor, but there was some science that was involved in this. A study was conducted in 2014 that showed that AM radio waves could influence the migratory paths of birds. While this isn’t as severe as the original claim, it is worth exploring. It was found that birds were able to adjust to the radio waves, and it seems that higher frequency waves, like 5G, do not have this effect.
No Research Has Been Done on the Safety of 5G
This is somewhat true. For large scale research on how the new technology affects humans, the technology has to be used at scale, and researchers have to monitor changes it causes across time. However, research has been done on the effects of waves in similar frequencies (30-100 gigahertz) to 5G. This research was largely done to understand the general effects of wireless transmission, but it still applies to 5G.
It is normal to question new technologies. Skepticism is one of the foundations of science itself. No one questioned the health effects of smoking when it was first popularized, and the lack of skepticism turned out to be deadly.
As of now, the evidence does not seem to support the idea that 5G will bring adverse health effects. The evidence is not entirely conclusive though, and new research on the topic should be completed. There doesn’t seem to be a need for outright fear.
5G Explains Why the Coronavirus Began in Wuhan
Some have claimed that Wuhan, China was the first city in the world to install 5G towers which explains why the current coronavirus pandemic began there. While it is true that the city of Wuhan was one of the first to adopt 5G cell towers, they were not alone.
There are also countries that have no 5G towers, but they are still being affected. Iran is one of those countries, and it has been one of the hardest hit by the virus.
5G Makes the Coronavirus Worse by Weakening Our Immune Systems
Some believe that while 5G didn’t create the virus, it has exacerbated its spread and lethality. The main concern seems to be that 5G weakens our immune systems. Similarly to the previous claim, it is partially debunked by the fact that the places where the virus has hit the hardest do not seem to be correlated with where 5G has been rolled out.
There was a study done that reviewed the literature on the effects of cellular radiation on humans, including their immune systems. Some studies found negative effects, some found positive effects, and looking at the collection of research as a whole, there did not seem to be evidence to suggest that cellular radiation has an effect on immune systems. It is highly recommended that further research is completed on this topic to confirm these results.
5G Waves Cause Brain Cancer
In the early 2000s, a researcher named Bill Curry made the claim that a new study of his proved that radio waves caused cancer. The general claim made was that the higher the frequency of emitted waves, the greater the risk of causing cancer. This claim has come back up repeatedly since then as we have progressed through 3G, 4G, LTE, and now 5G.
The study he produced exposed tissue samples to increasing frequencies of radio waves. His results showed that the higher the frequency, the higher the absorption of radiation was. However, this study didn’t account for what researchers call the shielding effect. Essentially, the skin and the skull block electromagnetic waves from reaching organs such as the brain. In fact, as the frequency of these waves increases, they penetrate less deeply. If there were cancer risks related to wireless communication, they would likely be occurring with the skin or the eyes, which leads to the next claim.
5G Alters Human DNA
The assertion here is that the high frequency waves of 5G cause human DNA to break down or mutate in strange ways which can lead to health complications like cancer. A study exposed DNA strands to waves with frequencies ranging from 30 to 60 gigahertz of millimeter wavelength radiation, and they found no effects on DNA. The frequency of 5G ranges between 30 and 100 gigahertz. It would not hurt if more studies were done using different techniques or higher frequencies, but the existing evidence does not support the claim.
5G Causes Hormonal Changes
One claim has been that exposure to 5G waves causes changes in the hormone production of humans. One study in 1998, and another in 2008, explored the effects of cellphone radiation on hormone levels in their subjects. The studies did not find any lasting damage. One study found short term effects with the cortisol (stress hormone) levels in children after a cell phone call. However, the psychological effects of speaking on the phone while being studied were not accounted for. Studies done measuring the specific effects of 5G will have to be done, but as of now, the evidence does not suggest that we should be worried about major effects on hormone production.
5G Waves Operate at Higher Frequencies Than Previous Cellular Networks
This is technically true. 5G towers emit higher frequency EMF waves than 4G, 3G, and Wi-Fi networks. However, 5G is still operating at a lower frequency than visible light waves. In other words, the lightbulbs in your house emit higher frequency radiation than 5G networks. This does not mean that 5G waves should not be studied, just that having a higher frequency than previous communication networks isn’t cause for concern on its own.
5G Radiation Will Make People Sterile
One fear is that the increased radiation will make people sterile, preventing them from reproducing and having families. There is some truth to these concerns. Studies testing the effects of cellphone use showed a lower sperm count in participants. However, the cause of this seemed to be the heat generated by the devices. The specific radiation associated with cellphone use was not implicated in these results. Sperm counts fluctuate in general, and there seemed to be no lasting effects.
5G Will Turn the Earth into a Microwave Oven
5G transmits higher frequency waves across shorter distances. Due to the shorter distances the waves travel, more transmitters need to be installed for the coverage to be effective. Many have proposed the idea that more towers means more danger. However, this does not work out logically.
For one, this is the same with FM and AM radio stations. FM transmits higher frequency radiation across shorter distances which requires more stations. Also, if 5G is not shown to be harmful, then this claim is irrelevant to public health.
5G Waves Have Been Killing Birds
A story of how 5G towers caused birds to die en masse has been passed around the internet for the past couple of years. This was shown to be little more than a rumor, but there was some science that was involved in this. A study was conducted in 2014 that showed that AM radio waves could influence the migratory paths of birds. While this isn’t as severe as the original claim, it is worth exploring. It was found that birds were able to adjust to the radio waves, and it seems that higher frequency waves, like 5G, do not have this effect.
No Research Has Been Done on the Safety of 5G
This is somewhat true. For large scale research on how the new technology affects humans, the technology has to be used at scale, and researchers have to monitor changes it causes across time. However, research has been done on the effects of waves in similar frequencies (30-100 gigahertz) to 5G. This research was largely done to understand the general effects of wireless transmission, but it still applies to 5G.
It is normal to question new technologies. Skepticism is one of the foundations of science itself. No one questioned the health effects of smoking when it was first popularized, and the lack of skepticism turned out to be deadly.
As of now, the evidence does not seem to support the idea that 5G will bring adverse health effects. The evidence is not entirely conclusive though, and new research on the topic should be completed. There doesn’t seem to be a need for outright fear.
