If you've ever wandered through a town and spotted tiny mini 5G cell towers on the poles of street lights. They look like small boxes, but they're actually broadcasting wireless signals from cellular providers to your mobile.
They are replacing the larger built cell towers. While they're less noticeable, they still can cause issues for users.
is it dangerous to live near a cell tower determine the safe limit at which a person can be exposed to electromagnetic energy generated by wireless devices. The limits for exposure are based on scientific data that show that RF energy could be harmful to health.
The absorption rate specific (SAR) is an indication of the amount of radiofrequency energy absorbed by tissue. It's typically 1.6 Watts per kilogram spread over a Gram of tissue.
However, because 5g transmits at higher frequencies, it 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 conditions such as dermatitis and cataracts, and skin cancer.
Due to the possible harmful effects of radiation from 5G, PSU has chosen to create a general power density limit of 4 mW/cm2 averaged over 1 cm2, and not to exceed 30 minutes for all 5G services running at 3000 GHz. This localized limit is consistent with the highest SAR that is spatially averaged at 1.6 W/kg, which is averaged over 1 g of tissue at 6 GHz.
The FCC's Maximum Exposure Thresholds for Maximum Exposure
If you've ever used a cell phone, then you're aware that a safe distance from the tower is around 400 meters away. This is because the power of transmission from cell towers increases drastically the further away the tower is.
While this sounds like a good idea, the reality is that people who live close to towers may actually be more susceptible to health problems. For example, a study from 2014 in India discovered that people living within 50 meters from cell towers suffered much more health problems than those living further far from antennas.
But, the study found that people who moved to areas that were further from cell towers noticed their symptoms return to normal within a couple of days. Studies have also revealed that exposure to high amounts of electromagnetic field radiofrequency (EMFs) can lead to brain tumors, cancer, and other health problems.
This is due to the fact that radiofrequency radiation, used in wireless communication, can be absorbed by the body's outer layer of skin. It is crucial to know since the skin serves as a barrier to protect against injuries caused by mechanical forces, infections by pathogenic microorganisms, and entry of toxic substances. Additionally, it is the largest organ in the human body, and is accountable for protecting other organs.
The FCC's Minimum Exposure Thresholds
The FCC's Minimum Exposure Thresholds are based on numerous assumptions that aren't supported by scientific evidence. These include the erroneous assumption that exposures of a short duration to RF radiation are safe due to minimal radiation penetration in the human body (i.e. thermal heating of tissue).
This assumption does not take into account the more extensive penetration of ELF parts of modulated RF signals, as well as the effects on the body of short bursts caused by RF pulses. These assumptions are not in line with current knowledge of the biological consequences of RF radiation. Therefore they shouldn't be considered for health protection exposure standards.
In addition there is the fact that both ICNIRP and FCC are limiting their maximum limit of exposure to the local SARs, based on the maximum spatial specific absorption rate (psSAR), which can be described as not a sufficient dosimetric tool to assess the amount of radiation exposure. In particular it is inconclusive for frequencies above 6 GHz. Furthermore, psSAR has not been evaluated for RF radiation with co-exposure to other environmental agents such like sunlight. In the event of interactions, RF radiation with other environmental agents may produce synergistic or antagonistic effects. This can lead to an increased risk of adverse health consequences. For example, co-exposure to RF radiation and sunlight could increase the risk of skin cancer, as well as aggravate other skin disorders, such as acne.