People uploading videos in rural areas with 5G face almost twice the radiation exposure compared to city users, with phones working harder to send signals in low-coverage zones.
Matthew Phelan reports for The Daily Mail.
In short:
- Swiss researchers found rural users face 29 milliwatts-per-square-meter (mW/sq-m) radiation during uploads, nearly three times the WHO's recommended 10 mW/sq-m limit.
- Urban users experienced lower exposure at 16 mW/sq-m, while U.S. safety limits remain far higher at 10,000 mW/sq-m.
- Study measurements suggest actual exposure could be up to 10 times higher when phones are held close to the body.
Key quote:
"We have to keep in mind that, in our study, the phone was about 30 cm [11.8 inches] away from the measuring device. A mobile phone user will hold the phone closer to the body and thus the exposure to RF-EMF could be up to 10 times higher."
— Adriana Fernandes Veludo, epidemiology researcher at the Swiss Tropical And Public Health Institute
Why this matters:
Increased exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields in rural areas raises questions about long-term health effects, especially as 5G networks expand globally. The lead author of this study repeatedly notes in this story that the exposure levels they found could underestimate the risks, in part because their measurements were taken with the phone almost a foot away from the body. The reality is that most people use their phones very close to — or on — their body.
Related:
- Regulations on radiation exposure remain unchanged for decades
- Rethinking the safety of our wireless era
- 6G radiation impacts male rat fertility rates, new study finds
