1. Abstract In recent years, people’s exposure to pulsed radiofrequency (RF) or microwave radiation from wireless technologies has exploded, mainly due to the roll-out of 5G. In addition to more base stations, millions of so-called smart water and electricity meters are being installed. This technology is forced upon people near or in theirownhomes,despiteacompletelackofresearchshowingthat 5G and wireless water and electricity meters are not harmful to human health. At the same time, the first two studies to date on the effects of 5G have shown that 5G base stations cause adverse healtheffectsinhumansandthatradiationsimilarto5Gdamages neuronsinthebraininanimalexperiments.Thebraindamageobserved could eventually lead toAlzheimer’s and other neurological diseases. In parallel with this explosion in radiation exposure, guidelines for permissible radiation are still being applied based on a seriously outdated approach. These guidelines only protect humansfromharmfuleffectsresultingfromextremeintensiveexposurethatcausesacutewarmingofthebody.Thismeansthat peoplearecompletelyunprotectedfromarangeofharmfuleffects, suchascancer,DNAdamage,oxidativestressandneurologicaleffectsthatthesciencehasrepeatedlyshownoccuratlevelswellbelowtheseguidelines.Theyoffernoprotectionwhatsoeveragainst harmfuleffectsonbiodiversity.Givenwhatisknowntodayabout therisksofthistechnology,itmustbeconsideredaviolationofhumanrightstoimposethisharmfulradiationonpeopleintheirown homes without their informed consent. More stringent regulatory framework on microwave radiation from wireless technologies is urgently needed. In the meantime, further rollout of 5G must be stopped.
2. Introduction The authors represent organizations that have performed own investigationsonRFradiationorfollowtheresearchinthisfield.We are constantly receiving new testimonies from people who have suffered from ill health after 5G base stations have been installed intheirvicinityorafterwirelesswaterandelectricitymetershave beeninstalledintheirhomes.Weareconcernedaboutseriouscon- sequencesforhumanhealthandtheenvironmentfromtheincreas - ing exposure to microwaves/RF radiation. Measurementscarriedoutinthespring2021aspartofaninterna - tional collaborative project showed that radiation in cities has in - creased significantly, with peak values (pulses) reaching between 200000andover1millionmicroWattspersquaremetre(μW/m²) [1].Another study reports that peak levels over 2 million μW/m² havebeenmeasuredattheSkeppsbroninStockholm,Sweden[2]. Thesearevaluesthatfarexceedthelevelsknowntocauseadverse effectsonhumanhealth,earlyknownasthemicrowavesyndrome [3,4]. In the first case study to date of the health effects of 5G, it was observed that 5G caused an extreme increase in radiation ina dwelling directly below a 5G base station. Radiation increased with maximum peak level from 9,000 to >2,500,000 μW/ m² [5]. Thereisacompletelackofresearchshowingthatthesehighlevels do not cause ill health with prolonged whole -body exposure.
3. Harmful Effects 5G is being rolled out, forcibly exposing people to microwave radiationintheirownhomeswithoutinformedconsent,despite a complete lack of research showing that 5G is safe for human health. Thefirsttwostudiesontheimpactof5Gwerepublishedin2022, after deployment had been on -going during two years. Both showed serious effects. The first, a case study, showed that a 5G base station caused an extreme increase in microwave radiationinanapartment.Residentssufferedtypicalsymptomsofexpo sure to microwave radiation within a few days, including severe sleep disturbances, dizziness, skin complaints, concentration problems, tinnitus,impairedshort termmemory, confusion, fatigue, tenden cytodepression,heartandlungsymptoms,heartpalpitations,and heavinessacrossthechest[5].Thesesymptomswereshowninre searchalready50yearsagoasaneffectofexposuretomicrowave radiationandhavebeenreferredtointhescientificliteratureasthe microwave syndrome [4]. The second study on the effects of 5G was published in October 2022.Thestudyshowedthatexperimentalanimalsexposedto5G frequency 3,5 GHz (GSM modulated) had an increased incidence of damage to neurons and increased oxidative stress in the brain. These are effects that could eventually lead to degenerative dis eases such as dementia, according to the researchers. In addition, hormones,whichhaveaprotectiveeffectonthebrain, werenega tively affected [6]. Thescientificreviewoftheavailablesciencecommissionedbythe EuropeanParliamenthasfoundthatRFradiationusedinwireless technologies ”are probably carcinogenic to humans”, “clearly affect male fertility”, and “possibly affect female fertility”. Further, the review concluded that these frequencies “possibly haveadverseeffectsonthedevelopmentofembryos,foetusesand newborns”[7].ResearchhasextensivelyshownthatRFradiation frompreviousgenerationsofwirelesstechnologycausesoxidative stress, DNA damage, cancer, harmful effects on blood, sperm, nerves, the brain, altered behavior, and an increased risk of brain tumours,acousticneuroma,andthyroidcancerfrommobilephone use [8 -10].
4. Consequences for Wildlife The ongoing dramatic increase in human exposure to microwave radiationfromwirelesstechnologiesisexpectedtoleadtoserious consequences in terms of deteriorating public health and harm - fuleffectsonplants,insects,birdsandotheranimals.Research is increasingly showing that radiation is harmful to humans and otherbiologicallifeatlevelswellbelowthoseapprovedbythere - sponsibleNordicauthorities.Researchreportshaveconcludedthat theincreasingradiationinourenvironmentcancausecatastrophic consequences for wildlife, especially birds and insects [11]
5. Outdated Recommendations Scientists,doctorsandelectedofficialshavebeencallingforyears on governments to reconsider current thermal (heating) based guidelines as they are seriously inadequate to protect against demonstratedhealthrisks.Adequatesciencebasedexposurelimits mustbeintroducedallowingonlymuchlowerexposures,nomore than 1 -100 μW/ m² [12], thus far below the current guidelines of 10 000 000 μW/ m² averaged over 6 minutes. Sixteen scientists joined under the new International Commis - siononBiologicalEffectsofElectromagneticFields,ICBE -EMF, concluded that current guidelines developed by the International CommissiononNon -IonizingRadiationProtection(ICNIRP),and recommended by the EU, the WHO, and adopted by most coun - triesovertheworld,arebasedonoutdatedanderroneousassump - tions. The main invalid assumption being that radiation can only harm health if it is so intense that it heats up tissue within a very short time. Many harmful effects have been shown at levels well below the ICNIRP guidelines.ICBE -EMF therefore concluded thatRFradiation“continue[s]topresentapublichealthharm”[8].
6. Appeals for Better Protection In2017, the 5G AppealtoEUwaslaunched (www.5Gappeal.eu). Theappeal, whichiscurrentlysignedby430medicaldoctorsand scientists from around the world, asks policymakers to halt 5G deployment because of the risk of serious human health conse - quencesuntiltheriskshavebeeninvestigatedbyscientistswithno ties to industry [13]. TheEMFScientistAppealwaslaunchedin2015(www.emfscien - tist.org)andiscurrentlysignedby258scientistsfromthisfieldof research. They call for better protection of the general public by strengthenedguidelinesandregulatorystandardsandfurthermore byinformingthepublicandthemedicalprofessionabouttherisks. In 2011, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe madearecommendationthatmemberstatesshouldstrivetokeep radiationlevelsinsocietyaslowaspossible,andtoreducethepermissibleradiationlimitto100μW/m²fromthecurrentextremely highguidelinesfromICNIRP2020.TheICNIRPallowsexposure to be as high as 10 000 000 μW/m2whole body exposure av- eraged over 30 minutes and 40 000 000 μW/m2 local exposure averaged over 6 minutes [14,15]. Children and other vulnerable peopleshouldbegivenspecialprotection.Governmentswerealso urged to ensure that the public is widely informed about known risks [16].
7. Risks and the Need for Stronger Protection are Ignored Despite the accumulating scientific evidence of harmful effects and repeated appeals from the scientific community, the medical profession,electedrepresentatives,andtheresponsibleauthorities continueto ignore the increasingevidenceof clearrisks.They argue that the current guidelines, which allow people to be exposed toradiationthatsciencehasshowntobeharmful,wouldbesuffi- cient to protect them. In support of their position, the authorities relyonaratherlimitedgroupofexpertsthatarenotrepresentative of the scientific community at large. The majority of them have conflictsofinterestsintermsoftiestothetelecomcompanies or membership of the ICNIRP that recommended the inadequate guidelines [14,17].
8. Call forUrgent Measures 1. Newguidelinesmustbedevelopedtoprotectagainstalldemonstrated health and environmental risks at levels far below current reference values. This must be done with the help of experts who are free from ties to the concerned industry, and with representativesfromthevastmajorityofscientistswhohaveconcludedthat the risks are considerable at levels well below the ICNIRPguidelines. 2. 5Gdeploymentmustbehalteduntilanindependentcommission has investigated the risks.Again, the risk assessment of 5G must be carried out by experts who are free from ties to the concerned industry or to the ICNIRP, and with representatives from the part ofthescientificcommunitythathaveidentifiedtherisksassignificant. 3. In order to prevent injuries, risk education must be organizedat all levels of society. This applies, for example, to health care, schools, nursery schools and the general public. 4. Bestavailabletechniquesmustbeusedtoprotecthumanhealth andtheenvironment.Prioritymustbegiventowiredtechnologies that minimize harmful radiation.
9. Conclusion There is now clear evidence that the ICNIRP guidelines [13,14] are not adequate scientific basis for the protection of health and the environment for exposure to RF radiation. Not only heating (thermal) but also non-thermal effects need to be taken into accountinriskevaluation.RFradiationnotonlycausestissueheating, as ICNIRP claims, but many other serious biological effects far below ICNIRP’s tissue heating thresholds. New policy must considerlongtermtotalradiationandsignalcomplexityincluding aggregations of pulses [18], and taking full account of long term, non-thermal harmful effects.For a sound scientific evaluation, a new committee comprised of qualified scientists independent of industry is urgently needed.
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