Fifth generation wireless technology or 5G frequencies, which have been used worldwide since 2019, offer faster connectivity. This also allows for more bandwidth, which means correspondingly higher download speeds. Since the5G technologyis so new, little is known about the possible health effects of radiofrequency radiation. This is higher than the current industry standard 4G. In a new study, researchers looked at this topic to suggest the possible risks.
Are 5G frequencies harmful?
Based on the study results, scientists do not believe that 5G radiation is that harmful. The examination of the data showed predominantly benign results. They conducted the research using embryonic zebrafish. This is a model organism that researchers often use to discover interactions between environmental stressors and biological systems. Zebrafish and humans have similar developmental processes and are similar at the genomic level. This means that science can easily apply such experiments to humans. In the study, researchers exposed embryonic zebrafish to 3.5 GHz radio frequency radiation, which 5G cell phones typically use, for two days. They found no significant effects on mortality, embryo formation, or embryos' behavioral response to light. However, it showed a modest impact on a test that measures the embryos' response to a sudden sound, which the researchers will study further.
The general aim of the study was to determine the modulation of gene expression by environmental factors, with a particular focus on bone formation. For this reason, the specific treatment period was chosen between 5 and 6 days after fertilization, when bone formation and calcification take place. Embryos were placed in a large diameter centrifuge at 5 dpf and placed at 3G or 5G gravity for 24 hours. This treatment was shown to cause a significant increase in bone formation, as illustrated by staining of the cranial skeleton of the bone matrix by Alizarin Red through morphometric analysis of the resulting images and by gene expression of selected genes. Therefore, a whole-genome microarray experiment was performed to identify genes that might be involved in the observed effect on bone formation.
Future perspectives
Future research will examine the effects of 5G frequencies on the same zebrafish used in the study at the gene level. The researchers will also examine how the fish develop from embryos to adults. However, they also want to research the effects of higher 5G frequencies on higher exposure to zebrafish. This would be a step to help people be more informed when changing cell phone industries.
In future research, the scientists will use the same standardized experimental setup that they used in this study. It is a box made of copper. The researchers use the zebrafish embryos on special surfaces located in this box. The radiation then enters the box through an antenna and the copper holds it inside.
