If you've ever walked through a city and spotted tiny cell towers for 5G placed on poles for street lighting. They look like little boxes however they're actually sending wireless signals from cell phone providers to your phone.
The smaller ones are being replaced by larger specially-designed cell towers. Although they're not as visible but they can still create problems for those who live nearby.
The Federal Communications Commission's Radiation Exposure Thresholds
The FCC's Radiation Exposure Thresholds determine the maximum amount of time one can expose to electromagnetic energy from wireless devices. The limits of exposure are based on scientific data that show that RF energy can cause harm to health.
The specific absorption rate (SAR) is an indication of the amount of radiofrequency energy that is absorption by tissues. It is typically 1.6 milliwatts per kilogram calculated over one kilogram of tissue.
But, since what is a safe distance from a cell tower operates at higher frequencies this could be able to cause greater energy intensity on the skin and other directly-exposed body areas. This can lead to various possible harms, such as an increase in development of skin diseases like dermatitis, cancer of the skin and cataracts.
Due to the possible harmful effects of radiation from 5G, PSU has chosen to create a general limits on power density, which is 4mW/cm2 measured on 1cm2, and never to exceed 30 minutes for the entire 5G spectrum at 3000 GHz. This limit for localization is in line with the maximum spatial-average SAR of 1.6 W/kg, which is averaged over 1 grams of tissues at six GHz.
The FCC's Maximum Exposure Thresholds for Maximum Exposure
In the event that you've used cell phone, you're probably aware that a safe location from the tower is around 400 meters away. This is because the power of the transmission of the cell tower is significantly increased the further you are from it.
While it sounds like a good idea, the reality is that those living close to towers may actually be more susceptible to health issues. For example, a study from 2014 in India discovered that people who lived within 50m of cell towers had much more health problems than those who were far from antennas.
However, this study also showed that residents who moved to areas further away from cell towers noticed their symptoms return to normal within a few days. Studies have also demonstrated that exposure to extreme frequencies of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) can lead to brain tumors, cancers as well as other health issues.
This is because the RF radiation used in wireless communication, can penetrate the human body's outer layer, called the skin. It is crucial to know because the skin serves as a barrier to protect against injuries caused by mechanical forces, infections caused by pathogenic microorganisms and infiltration of toxic substances. It is also the biggest organ in the human body. It is accountable for protecting other organs.
The FCC's Minimum Exposure Thresholds
The FCC's Minimum Exposure Thresholds are based on many assumptions that aren't supported by scientific research. They include the incorrect belief that exposures to RF radiations are not harmful because of the minimal penetration into the body (i.e. thermal heating of tissue).
This also overlooks the greater penetration of ELF parts of the modulated RF signal, as well as the consequences of short bursts of heat caused by RF pulses. These assumptions do not correspond with current understanding of the biological effects of RF radiation. Therefore, they should not be considered for health protection exposure standards.
Additionally to safe distance to live from cell phone tower , ICNIRP and FCC are limiting the maximum limits of exposure to peak local SARs, based on the maximum frequency of absorption (psSAR) which is an inadequate dosimetric tool to determine the degree of exposure to RF radiation. Particularly it is inconclusive for frequencies above 6 GHz. Furthermore, psSAR has not been tested for safe distance from cell tower exposed to other environmental agents such like sunlight. In the event of interactions, RF radiation and other environmental agents could result in antagonistic or synergistic impacts. This could result in the risk of having adverse health consequences. For example, co-exposure to RF radiation with sunlight may cause an increase in the incidence of skin cancer and exacerbate other skin diseases such as acne.