College limits Wi-Fi over health concerns
February 23rd, 2006Canada’s Lakehead University has limited the usage of wireless Internet on campus because the long-term health concerns of the technology are unproven.
This is something I’ve been concerned about for awhile. Cell phones and wireless Internet are certainly convenient, but is anyone else afraid that our massive exposure to such technology might dramatically increase the risks of cancer later in life?
Hat tip: Drudge
Wifi runs in the 2.4ghz spectrum and is often times conflicted by wireless telepohnes and other radio equipment. Wifi is not any different than cheap toy walkie Talkie’s. Only difference is that the toy radios run at a lower frequency of about 49mhz vs 2.4ghz for wifi. Wifi also uses radio waves to transmit digitally (1’s and 0’s) vs. the walkie talkie is analog (actual voice transmission) Radio’s Have been used for nearly a century and could be a cause of cancer, but I personally doubt it. The isolation of Wifi as a potential cause is ridiculous. Now cell phones work the same as the walkie talkie but are now mostly digital signal like wifi. The cell phone frequency range around 900MHz. The issue with cell phones is the radiant power of the antenna and the close proximity it is with your brain. I don’t know anyone who holds a wifi access point to their heads. The old bag phones never were an issue because the actual radio transmission was not in contact with your body. I’m sure some ham radio people could better explain radio frequencies. This is just my understanding.
Basically radio signals are prevalent everywhere and need to be looked at as a whole. FM/AM radio’s, Bluetooth, Wifi, some forms of Radar, 2 way radio’s, Cell phones, Baby Monitors and many many other devices use radio frequencies. Pretty much everything wireless! What about he huge radio telescopes I wonder how much of that bounces back off the atmousphere?
I think Aluminum Chloride in anti-perspirant deodorant may bet a better source for cancer.
Tim, I’m not too worried about it. I’ve had so much exposure to radiation because of all the CT scans and MRI’s I’ve had. I think that if it was gonna kill me, I’d probably be there already.
Even if radio frequencies are proven to cause cancer, will society ban them? We know that reducing the speed limit reduces fatalities in car crashes, yet we all drive as fast as we can without getting caught and complain about 65 or 70. Its a risk people are willing to take in return for convenience.
Has legitimate, verifiable evidence been put forth to legitimize this concern?
WiFi hasn’t affected me, as far as I can tell. Besides, WiFi hasn’t affected me, as far as I can tell.
Tyler pretty much nails it with: “The issue with cell phones is the radiant power of the antenna and the close proximity it is with your brain.”
Phones (or anything else with an antenna) must have a SAR level less than 2W/kg (~2.25 lbs). This is an FCC mandated test for anything that will come in direct contact with the human body. I forget what SAR actually stands for (and am too lazy to search for it right now) but it has to do with the body’s ability to deal with microwaves - something that it doesn’t do too well.
So far studies have been mixed; for every one that makes a claim, there’s a (legitimate) counter. The only definitve study I recall is one from years ago that proved radar guns to be unsafe - several cops got tumors in their thighs and lower torsos because they would sit the gun in their lap all day every day.
To my knowledge, while there have been lawsuits filed, there has been nothing proving Wifi could cause cancer.
I haven’t really noticed anything unusual since carrying/using a cell phone (nearly 8 years now). But my ears glow in the dark. Don’t everybody’s?