Do 5G antennas increase the risk of brain tumours? What science says
The National Medical Association's team of doctors and anti-fraud experts answers the most important health questions
Key points
Fifth-generation mobile phone masts, known as 5G, are the focus of much concern. Alarming claims are circulating on social media linking them to brain tumours and other serious illnesses. Science, however, tells a different story: the electromagnetic fields emitted by 5G belong to the category of non-ionising radiation, i.e. they do not have sufficient energy to damage DNA. On the occasion of World Brain Tumour Day, we try to shed some light on 5G and health.
Are 5G waves as dangerous as X-rays?
No, and the difference is fundamental. Radiation falls into two families: ionising radiation, such as X-rays and gamma rays, and non-ionising radiation, such as the radio waves used by mobile phones, Wi-Fi and 5G antennas. The former have enough energy to break chemical bonds in DNA, which is why they are an established health risk if you are exposed to them excessively. The latter do not possess this capacity: their energy is too low to modify biological molecules (we discussed this in detail in 'Do microwaves, mobile phones or Wi-Fi give you cancer?')
5G antennas emit radio waves at frequencies between a few hundred million and around 27 billion oscillations per second. These types of waves are well known to scientists: similar effects have been studied for decades with previous generations of mobile networks. The only effect that radio waves produce on the body, at sufficiently high levels, is a slight warming of tissue. But the levels to which we are exposed in daily life are far lower than those needed to produce even this effect.
There is an antenna on the roof of the building opposite. Should I be worried?
This is the most widespread concern among citizens, and it is understandable. However, it is worth understanding how exposure really works. Mobile phone masts - the ones we see on building roofs, pylons or poles - radiate their signal mainly towards the horizon, to cover an area on the ground. The electromagnetic field, however, decreases very quickly with distance: even a few tens of metres from the antenna - the typical distance between a building and the one opposite - the levels measured are usually a small fraction of the legal limits, which are already very cautious. The regional environmental protection agencies (ARPA) carry out systematic measurements in the area and verify compliance with these limits. Anyone with doubts about an antenna near their home can request an assessment from their local ARPA.
An important and sometimes counterintuitive fact: mobile phone masts are not the main source of exposure to electromagnetic fields. Instead, the mobile phone we hold in our hand or near our ear is, because it is only a few centimetres away from our body. When we move away from an antenna, the mobile phone has to emit more power to maintain the connection. This is why having so many antennas distributed over the territory - and not just a few - paradoxically reduces the power emitted by the phones themselves.
