Are 5G base stations harmful to the human body?

By the end of 2020, my country has built a total of 718,000 5G base stations. With the steady progress of base station construction, many professionals predict that by 2021, my country will have more than one million 5G base stations. Compared with 4G base stations, 5G is obviously more dense and seems to be closer to us, which makes people start to worry again: Do 5G base stations have radiation? Will it harm our bodies?

Many people are concerned about 5G base stations and the radiation they emit｜Pixabay

Ordinary people are always instinctively afraid of unknown things, so in the process of 5G promotion and coverage, we can also see such behaviors: people in a certain place in the UK burned down a 5G base station due to fire, and residents in a certain place in China refused to build a 5G base station near the community. "Shock! Cactus can absorb 5G radiation!" Such articles began to spread in the circle of friends again.

So are 5G base stations harmful to us? Before discussing this issue, let’s first understand the concept of “radiation”.

In our daily lives, we often hear that radiation is harmful to the body; if we log on to Taobao and do a quick search, we can also see many anti-radiation products; there are also warm reminders posted everywhere in the hospital's radiology department.

The word "radiation" seems to be naturally covered with dangerous spikes, making people afraid?

The radioactive symbol is synonymous with danger for many people｜Pixabay

But in fact, as long as the temperature is above absolute zero (-273.15℃), objects are constantly radiating radiation. Whether it is the stars in the sky, you and me on the ground, the air that you can't touch, or even the radiation protection suit itself, there is no exception.

Radiation is everywhere and cannot be avoided. If you are always afraid of radiation, you will be like a frightened bird and will never have a moment of peace. If you are really afraid of radiation, you should actually stay calm and figure out what kind of radiation will harm your health.

Scientists divide common electromagnetic radiation into two categories: ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation. There is a significant difference between these two types of radiation, that is, the radiation energy (the energy contained in the radiation) is different, and the harm of radiation to health mainly depends on the size of the radiation energy.

Generally speaking, ionizing radiation generally has high radiation energy and is indeed harmful to the human body. Common ionizing radiation includes X-rays, gamma rays, etc. Therefore, when doing CT scans in hospitals, in order to reduce the harm of X-rays, the examiner needs to wear a lead suit to protect the non-examination parts, and the doctor also needs to stay in the next room to perform the operation.

Non-ionizing radiation generally refers to radiation with lower energy, such as visible light, infrared, ultraviolet, microwave, radio waves, etc. Generally speaking, the shorter the wavelength and the higher the frequency of electromagnetic waves, the higher the energy and the greater the radiation damage. Therefore, non-ionizing radiation is not completely safe and harmless. For example, the shorter wavelength ultraviolet rays in it can cause certain harm to our bodies. Therefore, not only do we need to leave the corresponding room when using ultraviolet lamps for indoor sterilization, but we also wear sunglasses and apply sunscreen in our daily lives to protect our bodies from ultraviolet damage.

However, there is a saying in the field of popular science: "Talking about toxicity without talking about dosage is just hooliganism." Water is the most non-toxic and harmless substance. We cannot live without water every day, but drinking 10 liters of water a day is unbearable for anyone.

Therefore, some people may say that although X-ray radiation is very strong, ordinary people only take one or two X-rays a year. But 5G base stations are different. They are right above our house, radiating radiation to us every second, and this radiation does not exist naturally. Does the base station need to artificially enhance it?

This concern is not excessive. Like 4G base stations, 5G base stations use radio waves to transmit signals. So when 5G base stations are in operation, what is the extent of the radio wave radiation energy emitted? How much radiation is there?

While enjoying the convenience of 5G, people always remember to think about its potential risks｜Pixabay

First of all, as we mentioned earlier, the higher the frequency of the radiation, the shorter the wavelength, the higher the energy, and vice versa. The frequency range of radio waves used by 5G signals can be roughly divided into two types: one belongs to centimeter waves, which is not much different from our current 2/3/4G. There is another type, which is relatively high and belongs to the category of millimeter waves, but it has not yet been deployed in my country. However, whether it is the 2G/3G/4G used before, or the millimeter wave level 5G, its frequency is smaller than visible light. Therefore, from the properties of the radiation itself, the energy contained in radio waves is lower than that of visible light, and it does not harm us.

What about the power and radiation of base stations? China's measurement standards for electromagnetic radiation from communication base stations are: the requirement for 3500MHz is no higher than 0.47W/m2, and the requirement for 28GHz is no higher than 2W/m2. This value means that the radiation of a compliant base station is smaller than the radiation of electrical appliances in ordinary people's homes. So are our standards looser than those abroad? Don't worry about this. China's measurement standards for electromagnetic radiation from communication base stations are much stricter than those of developed countries in the European Union and North America. Will the actual operation of the base station secretly increase the radiation? Increasing the radiation is of no benefit to the base station and is not necessary at all. Moreover, compared with some actual measurement values, we will find that the radiation of the base station is much lower than the national regulations.

So, the communication speed of 5G base stations is so much faster than that of 4G base stations. Is it because the amount of radiation has increased?

No. Just like our home wired network can increase the speed by upgrading the bandwidth, the reason why 5G is faster than 4G is that the bandwidth has increased. The increase in bandwidth is related to the frequency, not by increasing the power of the base station or increasing the radiation. Even the millimeter wave level 5G communication has a frequency lower than visible light, which is not harmful to us.

So if the 5G base station is built on the building above us, does it mean that we will be exposed to greater radiation?

In fact, it is quite the opposite. The transmission of radio waves is mainly concentrated in the horizontal direction, so in the vertical direction of the base station, it is actually a "darkness under the lamp" state, and the radiation is actually much weaker.

A hundred years ago, people were afraid of taking photos, fearing that their souls would be trapped in the photos. Today, people's fear of 5G base stations also stems from the unknown and ignorance. However, ignorance is not stupidity. The denial of the unknown and ignorance is the real stupidity. For emerging technologies, we should maintain a more open and tolerant attitude, and learn and understand when we have questions, rather than being used by those with ulterior motives to spread rumors.

The arrival of the 5G era will bring us faster and better information communication experience, and will also promote the development of emerging technologies such as big data, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, blockchain, and artificial intelligence. The "high-speed information highway" paved by 5G technology will be a bridge for the development of the digital economy and a new engine for the development of the digital economy.

Finally, let us look forward to the arrival of a more convenient and free 5G era and a better digital economy era.

References

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[2]Ionizing radiation, health effects and protective measures. World Health Organization. 29 April 2016. Archived from the original on 29 March 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2020.

[3] Tang Yuancheng. Discussion on environmental monitoring and evaluation of electromagnetic radiation from mobile communication base stations[J]. Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection, 2020(08):38-39.

[4] “Monitoring Methods for Electromagnetic Radiation Environment of Mobile Communication Base Stations” (HJ972-2018). Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China

[5] 5G speed vs 5G range-What is the value of 5G speed,5G range. rfwireless-world.com. Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2019.

[6] Huang Huanjun, Zhou Yong. Development status and trends of 5G mobile communication technology[J]. Information and Computer. 2020, (1). 194-196.