If you've ever been through a city you might have noticed tiny cell towers for 5G placed on poles for street lighting. They appear like tiny boxes however they're actually sending wireless signals from cellular providers to your phone.
The smaller ones are being replaced by the larger, purpose-built cell towers. While they're less noticeable, they still can create problems for those who live nearby.
It is the FCC's Radiation Exposure Thresholds
The FCC's Radiation Exposure Thresholds establish the maximum amount of time one can expose to electromagnetic energy from wireless devices. The exposure limits are based on scientific data that show that RF energy can cause harm to health.
The rate of absorption called the specific absorption rate (SAR) is a measure of the radiofrequency energy that is absorbed by tissue. https://www.proteckd.com/blogs/emf/what-is-a-safe-distance-from-a-5g-cell-tower is typically 1.6 watts per kilogram, averaged over one gram of tissue.
However, because 5g transmits at higher frequencies and has the potential to cause greater energy intensity on the skin as well as other body areas. This can result in various potential harms, including exacerbated development of skin diseases like dermatitis, skin cancer and cataracts.
Due to the possible severe effects of 5g radiation, PSU has chosen to create a general maximum power density of four MW/cm2 measured over 1 cm2, and not to exceed 30 minutes, for the entire 5G spectrum at 3000 GHz. This localized limit is in accordance with the highest spatial-average SAR of 1.6 W/kg, averaged over one 5 grams of body tissue, at 6 GHz.
The FCC's Maximum Exposure Thresholds
Have you ever used a mobile phone, you're probably aware that the safest range from the tower is around 400 meters away. This is because the power of transmission from cell towers increases drastically the further away you are from it.
While this sounds like an ideal idea, the reality is that people who live close to towers may actually be more susceptible to health issues. For instance, a 2014 study in India discovered that people who lived within 50m of cell towers experienced significant more health issues than those living further far from antennas.
But, the study found that people who moved to areas further away from cell towers noticed their symptoms improve within a few days. Other studies have shown that exposure to high levels of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) can cause brain tumors, cancer and other health issues.
This is because the RF radiation used in wireless communication can be absorbed by the body's outer layer, called the skin. It is crucial to know because the skin serves as a protective barrier against injuries caused by mechanical forces, infections by pathogenic microorganisms, and infiltration of toxic substances. The skin is the biggest organ in the human body and is accountable for keeping the integrity of other organs.
The FCC's Minimum Exposure Thresholds
The FCC's Minimum Exposure Thresholds rely on many assumptions that aren't supported by scientific research. They include the incorrect belief that exposures to RF radiation are safe due to the limited absorption into body (i.e. thermal heating of tissue).
This also overlooks the more extensive penetration of ELF components of modulated RF signals and the effect of short bursts of heat caused by RF pulses. These assumptions do not correspond with current understanding of the biological consequences of RF radiation. Therefore, they should not be used for health protective exposure standards.
Furthermore, the ICNIRP and FCC are limiting its maximum levels of radiation exposure for local peak SARs that are based on the peak spatial specific absorption rate (psSAR) that is not a sufficient dosimetric tool for determining the level of exposure to radiofrequency radiation. Particularly, psSAR is inaccurate for frequencies that exceed 6 GHz. Additionally, psSAR hasn't been tested for RF radiation that is exposed to other environmental agents , such as sunlight. The interactions of RF radiation and other environmental agents may produce synergistic or antagonistic effects. This would result in the risk of having adverse health adverse effects. For instance, exposure to RF radiation and sunlight could increase the risk of skin cancer, and may also exacerbate other skin diseases such as acne.