What is 5G? Is it Dangerous to Human Health?
Recently, there have been arguments and controversies surrounding 5G wireless cellular technology, and people are asking questions.
Some of these questions include:
What is 5G?
How safe is 5G?
Is 5G dangerous to human health?
Does 5G cause cancer?
Does 5G cause coronavirus?
And so many more.
So, we dug deep to find the answers to most of these questions and in this article, we are going to tell it all
Let’s start.
The previous generations include 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, and LTE (long term evolution), which is also a 4G technology.
The G stands for generation or the advancements in wireless cellular technology.
Latency is the time it takes to transfer data back and forth between two devices.
If the latency is high, there'd be some noticeable delay between when data is requested and when it's transferred.
This delay or lag can be quite obvious when you make video calls or stream games online.
The current 4G cellular network has a lag time of about 50 milliseconds, while 5G's latency is as low as 1 millisecond, meaning that data transfer and communication with 5G is going to be smoother and almost real-time.
The faster speed and very low latency of data transmission are what make 5G very appealing.
And this is why 5G networks will be deployed in areas such as robotics, driverless cars, drones, and the internet of things (IoT).
5G like previous and existing cellular technologies 3G and 4G uses microwave radiations to send data... however, 5G technology will use even higher frequency bands., starting from where 4G stopped and going further into the spectrum.
This radiation range is from 0.3 GHz to as far as 300 GHz, all in the microwave spectrum.
This spectrum has enough bandwidth to accommodate billions of devices without congestion.
The benefits of 5G are quite clear already, are they not?
5G technology is going to open up areas and applications of science and technology often only imagined and seen in Sci-Fi movies.
But here's even more reason for 5G.
As more devices are made and deployed to the existing 3G and 4G networks, the load is going to become so much and would lead to congestion.
Congestion is when a lot of devices are demanding and requesting data at the same time over the same network.
What happens is that data transfer is going to be so slow and frustrating
It is like experiencing the chaos and frustration of a typical evening as a driver or commuter in the infamous Lagos traffic gridlock...
As thousands of devices try to access the same road (frequency band) for data, everything is going to stall.
With 5G that would not be happening.
5G opens up a new spectrum of frequency bands that have not been accessed before.
And this increase in bandwidth means that data sharing and communication is going to be smoother, faster, efficient, and better, than 4G.
5G networks use microwave radiations for data transmission.
Microwaves are electromagnetic radiations with frequencies ranging from 300 MHz to 300 GHz.
These frequency ranges are used in various applications, from cellular networks to satellites, radar, and microwave ovens.
But how safe are microwaves?
Dr. Eleanor Adair, an American scientist, carried out several studies on both humans and animals to determine the effect of microwaves on humans.
Her studies showed that microwaves merely induce heat in tissues of the body but do not ionize, destroy cell structure or induce mutations which could lead to cancer.
Dr. Eleanor Adair, when asked if microwave exposure can cause cataract as often feared,
She said that you’d need to heat the eyes up to 45 degree centigrade and as well increase the field strength of the microwave radiation in other to make that happen.
Who would even be trying to do that to prove a point, by the way?
This simply means that mere exposure to microwaves is generally harmless.
So, if microwaves are not harmful then can we safely say that 5G is safe, and exposure to the microwave radiations from 5G networks is not harmful or dangerous?
Well, that’s not straight forward, there’s still much debate on this.
One of the big points for argument is that 5G networks use microwaves and millimeter waves which can only travel a few meters and can only be transmitted and received by line-of-sight,
What this means is that to make 5G communication work, there must be quite a number of 5G transmitters and relays installed close to one another to cover a given area and make point-to-point communication and data transfer over long distance, possible.
The argument is that the more we have these 5G infrastructure, the more people are going to be continuously exposed to the radiation. And that this increased exposure could pose health problems.
A study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, where scientists reviewed several studies on the effect of radiofrequency radiations on human health, however, says that there is inconclusive evidence to suggest that exposure to radiofrequency radiations can cause adverse health effects.
The study concludes that more research needs to be carried out to establish an adequate conclusion.
And as with everything new, controversies and conjectures are expected.
No one is sure of the health implications of continuous exposure to radiations from 5G infrastructures, however, studies show that these radiations on their own are harmless.
On the other hand, visible light from your lightbulb, TV, and laptop screens, propagate at higher frequencies, in fact, thousands of Hertz higher than radio and microwaves and we get exposed to them every day without getting harmed.
Visible light, infrared and radio and microwaves are non-ionizing radiations that do not have the energy to cause chemical changes in exposed tissues and cells.
Only ultraviolet rays, Xray and Gamma radiations are dangerous enough to cause cell ionization, which lead to mutations and chances of cancer.
So, if natural light with higher frequency radiations than radio waves and microwaves does not harm us, why should microwaves from 5G infrastructures cause harm?
The answer is that 5G is safe and not as dangerous as feared.
Sean Kitch, Science editor at The Sun thinks the same too.
5G is safe and would be even safer if government bodies continue to put up regulations and checks to monitor exposure ranges and deployment of the technology.
If pigs fly then, then there could be a possibility that 5G causes or caused the novel coronavirus outbreak.
For now, we'd keep up with our 3G and 4G networks.
Did you find this interesting?
Please spread the word by sharing it.
Some of these questions include:
What is 5G?
How safe is 5G?
Is 5G dangerous to human health?
Does 5G cause cancer?
Does 5G cause coronavirus?
And so many more.
So, we dug deep to find the answers to most of these questions and in this article, we are going to tell it all
Let’s start.
What is 5G?
5G is the fifth generation of wireless cellular technology, that is currently gaining adoption all over the world.The previous generations include 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, and LTE (long term evolution), which is also a 4G technology.
The G stands for generation or the advancements in wireless cellular technology.
What are the promises of 5G?
- 5G promises fast data transfer; which means faster download, upload, and streaming of your favorite games and Netflix shows.
- 5G promises lower latency as well.
Latency is the time it takes to transfer data back and forth between two devices.
If the latency is high, there'd be some noticeable delay between when data is requested and when it's transferred.
This delay or lag can be quite obvious when you make video calls or stream games online.
The current 4G cellular network has a lag time of about 50 milliseconds, while 5G's latency is as low as 1 millisecond, meaning that data transfer and communication with 5G is going to be smoother and almost real-time.
The faster speed and very low latency of data transmission are what make 5G very appealing.
And this is why 5G networks will be deployed in areas such as robotics, driverless cars, drones, and the internet of things (IoT).
How does 5G work?
5G like previous and existing cellular technologies 3G and 4G uses microwave radiations to send data... however, 5G technology will use even higher frequency bands., starting from where 4G stopped and going further into the spectrum.
This radiation range is from 0.3 GHz to as far as 300 GHz, all in the microwave spectrum.
This spectrum has enough bandwidth to accommodate billions of devices without congestion.
Why 5G?
The benefits of 5G are quite clear already, are they not?
5G technology is going to open up areas and applications of science and technology often only imagined and seen in Sci-Fi movies.
But here's even more reason for 5G.
As more devices are made and deployed to the existing 3G and 4G networks, the load is going to become so much and would lead to congestion.
Congestion is when a lot of devices are demanding and requesting data at the same time over the same network.
What happens is that data transfer is going to be so slow and frustrating
It is like experiencing the chaos and frustration of a typical evening as a driver or commuter in the infamous Lagos traffic gridlock...
As thousands of devices try to access the same road (frequency band) for data, everything is going to stall.
With 5G that would not be happening.
5G opens up a new spectrum of frequency bands that have not been accessed before.
And this increase in bandwidth means that data sharing and communication is going to be smoother, faster, efficient, and better, than 4G.
Is 5G dangerous to human health?
5G networks use microwave radiations for data transmission.
Microwaves are electromagnetic radiations with frequencies ranging from 300 MHz to 300 GHz.
These frequency ranges are used in various applications, from cellular networks to satellites, radar, and microwave ovens.
But how safe are microwaves?
Dr. Eleanor Adair, an American scientist, carried out several studies on both humans and animals to determine the effect of microwaves on humans.
Her studies showed that microwaves merely induce heat in tissues of the body but do not ionize, destroy cell structure or induce mutations which could lead to cancer.
Dr. Eleanor Adair, when asked if microwave exposure can cause cataract as often feared,
She said that you’d need to heat the eyes up to 45 degree centigrade and as well increase the field strength of the microwave radiation in other to make that happen.
Who would even be trying to do that to prove a point, by the way?
This simply means that mere exposure to microwaves is generally harmless.
So, if microwaves are not harmful then can we safely say that 5G is safe, and exposure to the microwave radiations from 5G networks is not harmful or dangerous?
Well, that’s not straight forward, there’s still much debate on this.
One of the big points for argument is that 5G networks use microwaves and millimeter waves which can only travel a few meters and can only be transmitted and received by line-of-sight,
What this means is that to make 5G communication work, there must be quite a number of 5G transmitters and relays installed close to one another to cover a given area and make point-to-point communication and data transfer over long distance, possible.
The argument is that the more we have these 5G infrastructure, the more people are going to be continuously exposed to the radiation. And that this increased exposure could pose health problems.
A study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, where scientists reviewed several studies on the effect of radiofrequency radiations on human health, however, says that there is inconclusive evidence to suggest that exposure to radiofrequency radiations can cause adverse health effects.
The study concludes that more research needs to be carried out to establish an adequate conclusion.
Wrapping up.
5G cellular network is a huge topic at the moment, especially as it is being rolled out and adopted all over the world.And as with everything new, controversies and conjectures are expected.
No one is sure of the health implications of continuous exposure to radiations from 5G infrastructures, however, studies show that these radiations on their own are harmless.
On the other hand, visible light from your lightbulb, TV, and laptop screens, propagate at higher frequencies, in fact, thousands of Hertz higher than radio and microwaves and we get exposed to them every day without getting harmed.
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| image source: computerhope.com |
Visible light, infrared and radio and microwaves are non-ionizing radiations that do not have the energy to cause chemical changes in exposed tissues and cells.
Only ultraviolet rays, Xray and Gamma radiations are dangerous enough to cause cell ionization, which lead to mutations and chances of cancer.
So, if natural light with higher frequency radiations than radio waves and microwaves does not harm us, why should microwaves from 5G infrastructures cause harm?
The answer is that 5G is safe and not as dangerous as feared.
Sean Kitch, Science editor at The Sun thinks the same too.
5G is safe and would be even safer if government bodies continue to put up regulations and checks to monitor exposure ranges and deployment of the technology.
P.S. And for the question.
Does 5G cause coronavirus?
No, it doesn't, that's another twisted imagination of conspiracy theorists.If pigs fly then, then there could be a possibility that 5G causes or caused the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Is 5G in Nigeria?
At the moment, 5G has not being deployed in Nigeria, but it won't be long before that happens.For now, we'd keep up with our 3G and 4G networks.
Did you find this interesting?
Please spread the word by sharing it.
