In a new study, researchers found 5G networks have few health impacts.
The research was conducted by a team at Oregon State University.
Fifth-generation or 5G wireless technology, which began being deployed worldwide in 2019, provides faster connectivity and more bandwidth, meaning higher download speeds.
But because 5G technology is so new, little is known about the potential health effects from its radiofrequency radiation, which is higher than the current industry standard 4G.
In the study, the team conducted the research using embryonic zebrafish, a model organism often used to discover interactions between environmental stressors and biological systems.
Zebrafish and humans have similar developmental processes and are similar on a genomic level, meaning zebrafish research can easily be applied to humans.
The team exposed embryonic zebrafish for two days to 3.5 GHz radiofrequency radiation, the frequency typically used by 5G-enabled cell phones.
They found no significant impacts on mortality, how the embryos formed, or the embryos’ behavioral response to light.
They did find a modest impact on a test that measures the embryos’ response to a sudden sound that they will investigate further.
Based on the study, the researchers don’t think 5G radiation is that harmful. They say it’s predominately benign.
Future research will look at the 5G radiation effects on the same zebrafish used in the study at a gene level and as they develop from embryos to adults.
The researchers also would like to study the impacts of higher frequencies and higher exposure levels on zebrafish to keep pace with the changing cell phone industry.
One author of the study is Subham Dasgupta, a postdoctoral fellow working in the lab of Robyn Tanguay at Oregon State.
The study is published in PLOS ONE.
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