5G: All The Light We Can't See

I've seen some posts in my circles about concernds for 5G and negative health effects. In this blog post, I'll discuss some basic Radiation Physics and why I'm not worried about health effects from electromagnetic radiation in the frequency bands that will be used by 5G.

Disclaimer: I'm working in the 5G industry. This means that I'm familiar with the radio technology and some of the standards of 5G. I also own stocks in ERICSSON B.

Excecutive Summary:
  • 5G is most likely safe.
    • The frequencies that 5G will use are far below the dangeerous (Ionizing Radiation) frequencies.
    • As long as one stays more than ten meters away from a base station, the total energy absorbed (heat) will be below the ICNIRP recommendations.-
  • According to WHO, no harmful effects of wireless communications has been found.
  • Lights from lamps will deliver more energy to you, with much more energetic photons. They are safe, too.
  • Light from the sun will have much higher power and photon energy, that can be dangerous.
  • Listen to trusted information, such as the NHS, WHO, FCC, ICNIRP and CDC. They provide much more reliable information than Youtube, social media and blogs(!).
A text book in Basic Radiation Physics.
When Is Electromagnetic Radiation Dangerous?
When one is exposed to photons, two effects can be dangerous:
  • Energy is absorbed in the body, which can cause heating.
  • If the incoming photons have high energy, they can break up the molecules in your body. In worst case, it can harm living cells.
Absorption of Energy
If you absorb too much energy, your body can heat up and you can get burn injuries. Sun burns is a common example. SAR values indicates how much energy you absorb from different devices. The International Commision of Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection is an NGO that sets recommendations for SAR values. The limits vary between different regions, and different parts of the body. 

Put simply, the power density (watts per square meter) needed to increase the body temperature five degrees Celsius is calculated (200 W/sqm). For the general public, that number is divided by 10 and that is the reference level (20 W/sqm). The exclusion zone for the public sets an even lower requirement (10 W/sqm). If you are at the exclusion zone, you'll absorb 5% of the energy needed to heat up your skin 5 degrees.

For a High-band 5G cell, that exclusion zone would be ~10 meters from the antenna array. This means that you'll be exposed to 5% of the power to heat up your skin 5 degrees, if you are that close to a base station. Since base stations are mounted on masts, the general public isn't allowed to climb on those masts. As long as you don't climb on 5G masts, the heating effect from 5G masts will be very small. 

Here, it is relevant to compare with the sun. The incoming radiation can be up to 1380 W/sqm - more than 60 times higher than the ICNIRP reference levels. 

SAR Values from Handsets
Before handsets are sold to the public, they undergo extensive testing by external test houses to comply with 3GPP and FCC standards. The allowed maximum transmit power is 23 dBm, that translates to 200 mW. That can, in theory heat up small parts of ones body. But it would take a mobile 1½ hours to heat a cup of tea one degree. The heating effect from 5G mobiles is very small.

Ionizing Radiation from the Photons
To understand this section, it is important to know the electromagnetic spectrum.
Ionizing Radiation has higher frequencies than visible light.
The energy is proportional to the frequency:
E = h f
where h is Plancks constant.

Electro magnetic radiation where the frequency is more than a one PHz (a million GHz) is strong enough to be able to rip electrons from atoms/molecules. That radiation is called ionizing radiation and is dangerous. You want to avoid ionizing radiation.
It's important to protect from UVA and UVB radiation.

 There are two frequency ranges for 5G: FR1 (400 MHz up to 6 GHz) and FR2 (6 GHz up to 53 GHz) (3GPP TS 38.104). The strongest 5G photon is some 20 000 times weaker the weakest ultra violet (UV) photon. The spectrum used for 5G is not ionizing radiation.

So, is 5G Safe?
From a radiologic perspective, given the knowledge we now have about electromagnetic radiation, 5G is safe in FR1 and most likely safe in FR2. I am more concerned with sunlight that causes sun burns and is related to skin cancer.

According to WHO, the research so far hasn't found harmful effects caused by 5G or other wireless technologies.

Possible Risks from 5G and Wireless Technology
The risks that I see with mobile communications:

  • Cyber Security
  • Ergonomics
  • Privacy
  • Manufacturing new electronics will have environmental impact. 
Those subjects are outside my competence, so I won't discuss them now.

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