If you've ever wandered through a town, you may have seen tiny 5G cell towers on street light poles. They look like small boxes, but they're actually broadcasting wireless signals from mobile providers to your mobile.
They are replacing larger specially-designed cell towers. Although they're not as visible but they can still 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 a person can be exposed to electromagnetic radiation from wireless devices. what is a safe distance from a cell tower for exposure are based on scientific data that show that RF energy could be harmful to human health.
The rate of absorption called the specific absorption rate (SAR) is an indicator of the amount of radiofrequency energy taken up by tissues. It's usually 1.6 milliwatts per kilogram averaged over one kilogram of tissue.
But, since 5g operates at higher frequencies and has the potential to increase the intensity of energy on the skin and other exposed body parts. This could lead to many possible harms, such as an increase in the development of skin conditions such as dermatitis, skin cancer and cataracts.
Due to the potential for harmful effects of radiation from 5G, PSU has chosen to set a general localized power density limit of 4 mW/cm2 based on the average over 1 cm2, and not exceeding 30 minutes for the entire 5G spectrum at 3000 GHz. This limit for localization is in line with the maximum spatial-average SAR of 1.6 W/kg, averaged over one g of tissue at 6 GHz.
The FCC's Maximum Exposure Thresholds
If you've ever used a mobile phone, you probably know that a safe range from the tower is around 400 meters. This is because the power of the transmission of a cell tower increases dramatically the further away the tower is.
While this sounds like something that's good but the truth is that those living close to towers may actually be more prone to health issues. For example, a study from 2014 in India discovered that people living within 50 meters of cell towers had significant more health issues than those who lived farther away from the antennas.
But, the study revealed that those who relocated to areas further away from the cell towers saw their symptoms return to normal within a couple of days. Studies have also demonstrated that exposure to extreme amounts of electromagnetic field radiofrequency (EMFs) can lead to brain tumors, cancer, and other health problems.
This is because RF radiation, which is used in wireless communication can be absorbed by the body's outer layer, called the skin. This is vital to be aware of since the skin functions as a protective barrier against mechanical injury, infection caused by pathogenic microorganisms and entry of toxic substances. The skin is the biggest organ in the human body and is accountable for maintaining 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 evidence. what is a safe distance from a cell tower include the incorrect assumption that short-term exposures to RF radiation is safe due to the limited radiation penetration in the human body (i.e. the heating of tissues).
The assumption also ignores the greater penetration of ELF components of modulated RF signals as well as the consequences of brief bursts of heat from pulsed RF waves. These assumptions are not in line with the current understanding of biological consequences of RF radiation, and thus, they should not be relied upon for health-protection exposure guidelines.
In addition to that, ICNIRP and FCC limit the maximum limits of exposure to peak local SARs, based on the maximum spatial specific absorption rate (psSAR), which can be described as an inadequate dosimetric tool to assess the amount of radiation exposure. Particularly, psSAR is inaccurate when frequencies exceed 6 GHz. Furthermore, psSAR has not been evaluated for RF radiation exposed to other environmental agents such as sunlight. In the event of interactions, RF radiation and other environmental agents may produce synergistic or antagonistic results. This could result in an increased risk of negative health effects. For example, exposure to RF radiation along with exposure to sunlight can increase the risk of developing skin cancer, as well as aggravate other skin disorders, such as acne.