5G is safe – and won’t turn you into your favourite superhero – the international body in charge of limiting exposure to radiation has confirmed in its first guideline update in 22 years.
The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) has released new guidelines addressing the fears and concerns that surround 5G.
The main changes include a restriction for exposure of 5G frequencies above 6 GHz to the whole body, a restriction for brief exposures to small regions of the body and a reduction of the maximum exposure permitted over a small region of the body.
These restrictions apply primarily to mobile devices and not 5G masts and infrastructure.
“The most important thing for people to remember is that 5G technologies will not be able to cause harm when these new guidelines are adhered to”, said ICNIRP Chairman Dr Eric van Rongen.
Related: 5G in the UK
The update doesn’t just address 5G exposure. The guidelines promote the protection of people exposed to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from a long list of sources, including AM and DAB radio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G and 4G mobile networks.
This is the first update the German scientific body has made to the guidelines since 1998, with the new advice having taken seven years to develop.
“We know parts of the community are concerned about the safety of 5G and we hope the updated guidelines will help put people at ease”, said van Rongen.
Related: Is 5G dangerous?
“The guidelines have been developed after a thorough review of all relevant scientific literature, scientific workshops and an extensive public consultation process. They provide protection against all scientifically substantiated adverse health effects due to EMF exposure in the 100 kHz to 300 GHz range”.
It’s a clarification worth breaking the commission’s 22 year streak, as fears over 5G health risks have floated around the web since the technology began deployment last year.
Fortunately, the ICNIRP told the BBC that it has found no scientific evidence that 5G could lead to cancer or cause any harm to the human body.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.