Smartphone users and many industries globally are experiencing more performance than ever as providers are looking to expand the connectivity range and reliability to countries that have not yet adopted the new 5G network. The countries already using the 5G network are looking to ensure that the 5g network connects virtually everyone and everything, including devices, machines, and objects. The evolution and advancement of this network mean a lot to various global developments.
Part 1: Is 5G harmful to humans?
Even though the 5G network demonstrates higher performance and improved efficiency that empowers new experiences, the new mobile network has raised many questions about whether there are health risks. Why would researchers and scientists claim that about this incredible wireless technology? What is different about the 5G? How worried should 5G users be worried about their health and the environment? Let's learn about what happens behind the scene and it may impact the future of our health.
If there are concerns about the widespread of 5G wireless technology and its supposed health hazards, there is a need to begin taking precautions now. The main concerns about the 5G lead to the radiation that is associated with transmitting the technology. 5G is proven to be more robust than the previous ones, including the 4G, 3G, 2G, and 1G network. The concerns revolve around cancer issues and the spread of the COVID-19.
Beware that the 5G network relies on the radio waves that carry signals on the air. The radio waves are part of the electromagnetic spectrum transmitted through the antennas or the mast of our smartphones. It means that we are now surrounded by electromagnetic radiations the entire time 5G is part of our daily lives. The frequencies used with this technology are higher than those experienced with earlier mobile networks, indicating that people should be worried about the increased health risks, including risks to certain types of cancer.
Even though some conspiracy theories circulate online concerning the 5G network's health risks, the evidence has no credence yet. However, the concerns seem legitimate with this new developing technology. The scarcity of evidence towards the potential future risks is due to the long latency for the manifestation of the health issues. Nevertheless, the current generation should not assume the application of the 5G network and the possible health effect linked to this wireless network to the future generation.
The international agencies have attacked the claims on the 5G health risks, campaigning that there are no adverse effects linked to the 5G network. Even the International Agency for Research on Cancer claim that the radiation does not cause any harm to body tissues or cause any damage to DNA. It means there is not anticipation for public health as long as the overall exposure to 5G radio waves remains under the international guidelines. It means the scientific picture remains at the odds of international regulator positions, and no actions are likely to be taken to bring clarity to the health risk concerns.
Beware that in addition to the microwaves used in older mobile networks, the 5G technology employs millimeter waves for more coverage. Many people in the 5G coverage are exposed to this millimeter-wave radiation. It is proven that these mmWaves can be absorbed within few millimeters on the skin and the surface layer of the cornea. The exposure can cause psychological effects to the cardiovascular system, nervous system, and overall immune system.
Part 2: Is 5G harmful to the environment?
The development of the fifth-generation wireless network has promised faster speed and vast capacity for various devices. However, the effects of this wireless network on the environment are overlooked. Since the environment is more delicate, overlooking it might cause adverse effects in the ecosystem for future generations. Many allegations are coming the 5G way, stating the technology is causing health and environmental risks, slowly contributing to the ecosystem's killing due to the high-frequency characteristic of the 5g network.
Biologists and environmental scientists are still studying the environmental impact of the 5G network. However, even with the several controversies, theories, and hoaxes, it is unclear what long-term impact 5G can cause to the environment. The environmental concerns revolve around the effects that the 5G's higher frequencies can cause on humans, animals, diverse plants, and how energy is consumed.
While the dangers of the 5G network on the environment are overlooked even with the international organizations, there still could be adverse effects that may take a while to realize. This means the future generations are likely to suffer consequences linked to the new technology.
If you wonder whether 5G is harmful to the environment, the short answer is that 5G is not suitable for the ecosystem. We understand that 5G emits high-frequency waves that range between 30GHz and300GHz. It means that there must be antennas with proximity, which means more radiation. Therefore, the cellular network will require more energy. Since much of the energy comes from fossil fuels and natural gas, high energy demand will lead to more gas and oil demand, leading to environmental issues. There is a need to look at the bigger picture before ignoring the future consequences of this fast-growing 5G wireless network.
When looking into the effects of the 5G wireless network on plants' health, the millimeter waves are particularly suspected to be absorbed by the rain and plants. The process could leave the food not safe to consume. The irradiated water from rain could ruin the ecosystem. Even the seedlings exposed to radio frequencies are likely to suffer hazardous symptoms, which will cause unknown long-term impacts to the environment and animals.
On the other hand, the 5G technology could lead to weather satellite interference. The frequency bands used in the weather forecast systems to detect the atmospheric water levels are similar to the bands used by 5G wireless technology. Therefore, interfering with these weather satellite frequencies could lead to adverse effects and degrade the weather forecasting. Interference on the weather satellite could lead to large-scale weather events that could lead to harmful climate and environmental risks in the future. If there are chances of interfering with the weather satellite, questions will arise concerning some parametric insurance policies' accuracy.
It is clear the climate change has many underlying contributors, but a few are gaining attention to its severity in causing adverse effects. Before 5G was introduced, the statistics indicated that the ICT industry contributed about 2% of the greenhouse gas emission. The 2% contributor may not seem like a significant portion, but it translates to enormous tons of greenhouse gas emitted. Now that many companies are looking to integrate the 5G network to develop AI systems and communication devices, the chances of contributing to climate change in a higher percentage are increasing. We already understand that the greenhouse gas emission could lead to adverse natural disasters such as droughts and floods, which might increase the severity over the years.
As many people and companies take advantage of the fast-growing 5G technology, new devices are manufactured, leading to high chances of abandoning the old devices. This means a lot of e-waste is likely to stick around, especially the non-renewables. Discarding the old 5G non-compatible devices means that we invite a vast environmental problem if proper plans are not implemented yet.
Further impacts are likely to be experienced regarding the advancement of the 5G network across many countries. The full deployment of 5G means building towers almost everywhere, including on the mountains, forests, and so on, to ensure a robust connection is established. The process could lead to increased radiation to the delicate contributors to the safety of the ecosystem.
We have birds that are likely to be exposed to these towers, and research has revealed that they produced disfigured eggs due to the effects of 5G around their habitats. In countries with high 5G coverage, the breeding, nesting, and roosting of birds have been interfered with by the microwave radiations generated from the cell towers. Similarly, the wireless frequencies interfere with birds' circadian rhythm and the navigation system that help bird during migration. In the process, there is a disturbance of the ecosystem directly. Another study indicates that the 5G spectrum and mid-band affect insects' behavior, especially the honeybees.
Since many carrier companies are looking to expand their 5G network coverage in various countries globally, millions of small towers are likely to be installed in the future. The number of towers built within a square kilometer will increase significantly to establish a powerful connection and accessibility to reliable and fast communication between devices. As such, we are expecting unknown effects on the existing environment. The ubiquitous mmWave will likely harm the plants, plants, birds, and insects of different species leading to an interruption in the ecosystem.
Conclusion
The effects of 5G wireless technology can be adverse to human health and the future environment. International groups of scientists and researchers have published materials to claim the future impacts that may affect next generations, but the industrial influence is shutting them down. Nevertheless, there is a need to plan to develop a comprehensive regulatory framework that will ensure humans and the environment is protected from the radio frequencies linked to the 5G network. The precautions will consider the aspects of RF radiations, exhaust gases, space debris, global warming, possible health issues, and preservation of the ecosystem to ensure the technology is sustainable without causing unknown adverse impacts in the future.
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Axel Nash
staff Editor