Health Hazard Issues
In Japan, only the benefits of 5G are advertised and the health risks of 5G are barely mentioned in the media. However, when one focuses their attention to the world, anti-5G protests have been occurringin some areas such as Belgium, and the risks that 5G has on our health has been debated so much that the introduction of 5G has been stopped temporarily.
The main concern about the health effects of 5G is the high frequency "Extremly high frequency". Here we will look up to the health concerns about 5G's millimeter waves as objectively as possible.
In conclusion, there is little evidence that 5G causes cancer and other health problems.
Dangerous electromagnetic waves
"Frequency" is an important factor when considering health hazards. Radio waves, visible light and ultraviolet light are all part of the "Electromagnetic waves" and are classified according to their frequency.
Among electromagnetic waves, ionizing radiation with high frequencies include X-rays and gamma rays. These electromagnetic waves are known to be carcinogenic because they have extremely high energy and can damage DNA.
On the other hand, low-frequency "Non-ionizing radiation" includes millimeter waves, which are used in 5G, as well as visible light and infrared radiation. Non-ionizing radiation has a lower energy level than ionizing radiation and has less impact on the human body. However, the effects of non-ionizing radiation on the human body are not yet well understood.
View of the MIC
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) in Japan has recognized that mobile phone signals have a "Thermal effect" on the human body.
- Thermal effect
- Non-thermal effect
When radio waves hit the human body, some of them are absorbed inside and their energy is converted into heat. This increase in body temperature is called "Thermal effect". If too much radio waves are absorbed, it can have a detrimental effect on the human body, such as causing stress.
An unknown action that is not thermal effect is called "Non-thermal effect". In a report in 2018, The MIC stated that no scientific basis of unfavorable effects to human body has been found.[2] However, the same report says that there have been reports of studies pointing out the possibility of this unknown effect, and the existence of this effect excepting thermal and stimulatory effects are still scientifically examined worldwide. Therefore, the existence of non-thermal effects is not completely denied.
In Japan, the MIC has determined a regulation called "Regulation of protection from radiofrequency electromagnetic field" to protect the human body from thermal effects. A standard value for the strength of radio waves has been set, and mobile phone base stations cannot be placed unless they meet this standard value. These regulations are being referenced to international guidelines, and as long as these standards are met, mobile phones can be used with confidence. In addition,considering the apperance of 5G, high frequencies (6 GHz ～ 300 GHz)were revised in 2018. Furthermore, regarding 5G, the MIC mentions, "Although 5G will use radio waves in a relatively high frequency band, it will not change the effects on the human body."[3].
WHO's view
In a fact sheet on electromagnetic fields and health updated in 2014, the WHO states, "A large number of studies have been performed over the last two decades to assess whether mobile phones pose a potential health risk. To date, no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use." [1]. The WHO also stated that further research will be pursued due to the lack of data on long-term effects over a period of more than 15 years.
The suspicious death of starlings
In November 2018, a post saying that "Hundreds of birds died during a 5G experiment in The Hague, Netherlands," went viral on social media and became a hot topic. However, Snopes, a US-based company that verifies fake news, has determined that the mass death of starlings due to 5G was a "False".
According to Snopes, it is true that 337 starlings and two pigeons were found dead in a park in The Hague, Netherlands. It is also true that 5G communications tests were being conducted in the area near the park. The crucial discrepancy, however, is that the time periods in which each of these events occurred do not match up. The mass bird deaths took place from October to November of 2018, and the 5G communication tests took place less than four months earlier, in June. These are considered to be hoaxes tied to completely unrelated facts.
The relation between 5G and Covid-19
A series of conspiracy theories were posted on social networking sites, including one that claimed that "5G radio waves are suppressing the human immune system and spreading the new coronavirus." According to ABC News,in April 2020, a post appeared on Facebook inciting the destruction of 5G base stations based on that conspiracy theory. In fact, there have been several incidents of 5G towers being torched in the UK. However, there is absolutely no evidence for the claim that radio waves suppress immunity. It is safe to say that this theory is a total hoax.
Conclusion
So far, there is no clear evidence that 5G has any effect on health. However, it has not been proven that 5G is completely harmless, and more research is still needed to determine the relationship between 5G millimeter waves and the human body. We need to keep watching on new information.
When creating this page, I read several books that were emphasizing the risk of radio waves to the human body, but they were all written by journalists and others who had no expertise in the field of electromagnetic waves. There are people in the world who have a vague fear of new things and try to spread unsubstantiated information. On the other hand, there may be people who, for the sake of money, hide information that is detrimental to people and promote only useful information. In today's world of information, we need to listen to the opinions of people with different perspectives and examine them for ourselves rather than being biased towards one way of thinking.