If you've ever wandered through a city, you may have seen tiny mini 5G cell towers on the poles of street lights. They appear like tiny boxes however, they're actually transmitting wireless signals from mobile providers to your phone.
These smaller towers are replacing larger specially-designed cell towers. Although they're not as visible, they still can create problems for those who live nearby.
A Federal Communications Commission's Radiation Exposure Thresholds
The FCC's Radiation Exposure Thresholds determine the maximum amount of time one can expose to electromagnetic energy generated by wireless devices. The limits for exposure are based upon scientific research which show that the energy of RF could be harmful to human health.
The specific absorption rate (SAR) is a measure of the radiofrequency energy absorbed by tissue. It is typically 1.6 Watts per kilogram calculated over one Gram of tissue.
Since 5g is able to transmit at higher frequencies and has the potential to create more energy on the skin and other directly-exposed body areas. This could lead to many possible harms, such as an increase in appearance of skin disorders like dermatitis, skin cancer and cataracts.
Due to the potential for severe effects of 5g radiation , PSU has chosen to set a general localized maximum power density of four MW/cm2 based on the average across 1 centimeter, but not exceeding 30 minutes for all 5G services at 3000 GHz. This localized limit is in accordance with the maximum SAR that is spatially averaged at 1.6 W/kg, averaged over one 5 grams of body tissue, at 6 GHz.
The FCC's Maximum Exposure Thresholds for Maximum Exposure
If you've ever used a mobile phone, you probably know that the safest range from the tower should be at least 400 meters. 5g disadvantages is due to the transmitting power of cell towers increases drastically the further the tower is.
While it sounds like a good idea however, people who live close to towers may actually be more susceptible to health issues. For example, a study from 2014 in India found that those who lived within 50m of cell towers experienced much more health problems than those living further far from antennas.
But, the study showed that residents who moved to areas that were further from cell towers experienced their symptoms improve within a few days. Studies have also demonstrated that exposure to extreme levels of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) can lead to brain tumors, cancer, and other health problems.
This is due to the fact that RF radiation, which is used in wireless communication, can be absorbed by the body's outer layer, the skin. It is crucial to know because the skin acts as a shield against mechanical injury, infection caused by pathogenic microorganisms and the entry of harmful substances. Additionally, it is the biggest organ in the human body, and is responsible for maintaining the integrity of other organs.
The FCC's Minimum Exposure Thresholds
The FCC's Minimum Exposure Thresholds rely on numerous assumptions that are not supported by scientific evidence. They include the incorrect belief that short-term exposures RF radiations are not harmful due to the limited radiation penetration in the human body (i.e., tissue heating).
This assumption does not take into account the more extensive penetration of ELF parts of the modulated RF signal and the consequences on the body of short bursts from pulsed RF waves. These assumptions do not correspond with current understanding of the biological effects of RF radiation, and thus, they should not be used for health protective exposure guidelines.
Additionally, the ICNIRP and FCC are limiting the maximum limits of exposure to peak local SARs, based on the peak frequency of absorption (psSAR) which is an inadequate dosimetric tool to assess the amount of radiation exposure. Particularly, psSAR is inaccurate for frequencies above 6 GHz. Additionally, psSAR hasn't been tested for RF radiation exposed to other environmental agents , such as sunlight. In the event of interactions, RF radiation with other agents in the environment could cause synergistic or antagonistic impacts. This could result in the risk of having adverse health effects. For example, exposure to RF radiation along with exposure to sunlight can cause an increase in the incidence of developing skin cancer, as well as aggravate other skin disorders, such as acne.