What the Expert Community Tells Us

“This report reviews studies on electromagnetic fields (EMF) and health risks published from January 2021 to December 2021. It is the seventeenth in a series of annual scientific reviews that systematically discuss and assess relevant new studies, placing them in the context of available information… No newly established causal links between EMF exposure and health risks have been identified… New research on brain tumors and mobile phone use aligns with previous studies, which primarily suggest an absence of risk.”

Acute and long-term effects of RF EMF exposure from the use of mobile phones have been studied extensively without showing any conclusive evidence of adverse health effects… The overall evaluation of all the research on RF EMF fields as emitted by mobile phones leads to the conclusion that RF EMF exposure below the thermal threshold is unlikely to be associated with adverse health effects.

To date, no credible evidence of adverse health effects has been established for cell phone use or being in proximity to cell towers… The question of adverse health effects from cell phones has been studied by scientists and health agencies since the early 1990s. In response to public concerns, industry and governments have supported numerous animal and human studies, and there is now a large amount of relevant scientific literature on the topic. These reports agree that available credible evidence does not show that the use of cell phones or exposure to emissions from their base stations (cell towers) causes brain cancer or any other health effect.

Overall, studies have not shown an association between cell phone use and radiogenic health effects, such as cancer.

To date, and after much research performed, no adverse health effect has been causally linked with exposure to wireless technologies.

The effect of electromagnetic radiation from mobile radio on humans has been well researched. Below the limit values, no health effects have been proven.

We’ve had large scale public mobile phone technology for over 20 years and we know that those older mobile phones and masts which operated at higher powers don’t cause cancers so we can be even more confident that modern versions also pose no cancer risk.

The overall evaluation of all the research on RF EMFs leads to the conclusion that RF EMF exposure below the thermal threshold is unlikely to be associated with adverse health effects.

The effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) on people have been subject of significant research. This includes the radio frequencies used and envisaged for 5G in mobile communications and other applications. No health effects have been proven at levels below the ICNIRP guidelines for members of the public.

So far the research has found that mobile phone users are not at any greater risk of brain cancer than people who don’t use mobile phones.

What the Science Tells Us: …there is currently no evidence that non-ionizing radiation increases a person’s cancer risk.

Using mobile phones does not increase your risk of cancer… There is also no reliable evidence that 4G and 5G mobile networks cause cancer.

Researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and partners have delivered the most recent results of the Cohort Study of Mobile Phone Use and Health (COSMOS) project, which investigates the potential long-term health effects related to the use of wireless communication technologies. The latest findings of this prospective cohort study indicate that people with the most total hours of mobile phone calls do not have a higher risk of developing a brain tumour compared with light users of mobile phones… These findings suggest that mobile phone use is not associated with increased risk of developing these tumours.

There is no science to link health problems to cell phone use.

Despite the feeling of some people that more research needs to be done, scientific knowledge in this area is now more extensive than for most chemicals. Based on a recent in-depth review of the scientific literature, the WHO concluded that current evidence does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure to low level electromagnetic fields. However, some gaps in knowledge about biological effects exist and need further research.

Current research indicates that there is no established evidence for health effects from radio waves used in mobile telecommunications. This includes the upcoming roll-out of the 5G network. ARPANSA’s assessment is that 5G is safe.

…there is no convincing scientific evidence that the weak RF signals from base stations [cell towers] and wireless networks cause adverse health effects.

No consistent evidence for an association between any source of non-ionizing EMF and cancer has been found.

Based on the evaluation of the currently available information, the FDA believes that the weight of scientific evidence has not linked exposure to radio frequency energy from cell phone use with any health problems at or below the radio frequency exposure limits set by the FCC.

…radiofrequency emissions from antennas used for cellular and PCS transmissions result in exposure levels on the ground that are typically thousands of times below safety limits. These safety limits were adopted by the FCC based on the recommendations of expert organizations and endorsed by agencies of the Federal Government responsible for health and safety. Therefore, there is no reason to believe that such towers could constitute a potential health hazard to nearby residents or students.

Extensive research for more than a decade has not detected anything new regarding interaction mechanisms between radiofrequency fields and the human body and has found no evidence for health risks below current exposure guidelines.

Many different kinds of studies have been carried out to try to investigate whether cell phone use is dangerous to human health. However, the evidence to date suggests that cell phone use does not cause brain or other kinds of cancer in humans.

Recent surveys have indicated that RF exposures from base stations and wireless technologies in publicly accessible areas (including schools and hospitals) are normally thousands of times below international standards . . . From all evidence accumulated so far, no adverse short- or long-term health effects have been shown to occur from the RF signals produced by base stations.

At ground level near typical cellular base stations, the amount of energy from RF waves is hundreds to thousands of times less than the limits for safe exposure set by the US Federal Communication Commission (FCC) and other regulatory authorities… Some people have expressed concern that living, working, or going to school near a cell phone tower might increase the risk of cancer or other health problems. At this time, there isn’t a lot of evidence to support this idea.

ICNIRP has just released new guidelines for exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields, and we considered all possible adverse health effects. The only proven effect is that of heating of (parts of) the body, and the guidelines are set to such a low level that this will not occur if they are observed. Adverse health effects resulting from effects on the immune system have not been found and thus also cannot form a basis for exposure guidelines.” – Eric van Rongen, Chairman, International Commission on Non‐Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)

Any individual study might find something unusual,’ Dr. Dauer says. ‘But what’s most important to consider is the weight of evidence across all of them.’ And that, he says, does not show any clear link between cell phones and cancer… The argument that cell phones cause cancer lacks biological plausibility because the energy contained in the waves is too low to cause damage.

…the vast majority of scientific research to date does not support a link between RF energy exposure and human cancers . . . With respect to cell phone towers, as long as exposures respect the limits set in Health Canada’s guidelines, there is no scientific reason to consider cell phone towers dangerous to the public.

Overall, the epidemiological studies on mobile phone RF EMF exposure do not show an increased risk of brain tumours. Furthermore, they do not indicate an increased risk for other cancers of the head and neck region.

In summary, although a substantial amount of research has been conducted in this area, there is no convincing evidence that RF field exposure below guideline levels causes health effects in adults or children.

In conclusion, a review of all the studies provided no substantiated evidence that low-level radio waves, like those used by the 5G network, are hazardous to human health,

The studies have been performed on cells and tissues, and in animals and humans. The effects that have been studied apply to changes in organ systems, functions and other effects. There are also a large number of population studies with an emphasis on studies of cancer risk. The large total number of studies provides no evidence that exposure to weak RF fields causes adverse health effects.