International Health Authorities on 5G and EME health risk

In Australia, ARPANSA is the regulatory body charged with setting standards around EME emissions to ensure that our mobile networks are safe. The Australian standards set by ARPANSA are based on global scientific research and the allowable EME limits are set well below levels at which harm to people may occur.

As well as ARPANSA in Australia, there are similar regulatory bodies in other countries that conduct research and set standards for EME exposure.

The following are statements by authorities from Germany, Finland, Norway and the United Kingdom on the topic of 5G EMF exposures and possible health risks.

Germany: BfS, the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, (30/08/18):

‘If the limit values are adhered to, no health-relevant effects are to be expected according to the current scientific knowledge. However, with regard to the 5G planned use of additional frequency bands in the centi- and millimeter wavelength range, only a few results of the investigation are available. Here the BfS sees still need for research.’

Finland: STUK, the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, (08/01):

‘In the light of current information, exposure to radio frequency radiation from base stations will not rise to a significant level with the introduction of the 5G network. From the point of view of exposure to radio frequency radiation, the new base stations do not differ significantly from the base stations of existing mobile communication technologies (2G, 3G, 4G).’

Norway: DSA, the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, (11/01):

‘The overall research shows that the radiation from wireless technology is not hazardous to health, as long as the levels are below the recommended limit values. This is the prevailing view among researchers in many countries today, and it is supported by the EU Scientific Committee. We have used cell phones and radio transmitters for decades and much research has been done on how this affects our health. Risk factors of importance to public health have not been found. With the knowledge we have today, there is no need to worry that 5G is hazardous to health.’

United Kingdom: PHE, Public Health England, (17/04/18):

‘…the highest frequencies being discussed for future use by 5G are around ten times higher than those used by current network technologies, up to a few tens of GHz. Their use is not new, and they have been used for point-to- point microwave links and some other types of transmitters that have been present in the environment for many years. ICNIRP guidelines apply up to 300 GHz, well beyond the maximum (few tens of GHz) frequencies under discussion for 5G…The main change in using higher frequencies is that there is less penetration of radio waves into body tissues and absorption of the radio energy, and any consequent heating, becomes more confined to the body surface. It is possible that there may be a small increase in overall exposure to radio waves when 5G is added to an existing network or in a new area; however, the overall exposure is expected to remain low relative to guidelines and as such there should be no consequences for public health.’