5G radio frequencies do not pose health risks – experts

KUALA LUMPUR: Claims by certain parties that the use of fifth-generation (5G) technology, to be introduced in Malaysia this year, could be detrimental to health are baseless, experts say.

University Teknologi Malaysia Faculty of Engineering Senior Lecturer Prof Dr Tharek Abdul Rahman said the technology uses radio frequencies which do not produce harmful radiation such as x-ray radiation.

“People need to understand that there are two types of radiation - ionising and nonionising, of which it is the ionising type, such as x-rays and radioactive, that that can cause cancer.

“5G non-ionising radiation will only cause heating that is insufficient to cause long-term impacts on body tissues,” he told Bernama.

Explaining further, Tharek said the radiation generated by 5G technology also encompasses energy that is 1,000 times lesser in strength compared to solar energy.

The energy from the sun is in the safe category because it encompasses non-ionising radiation and 5G is 1,000 times lower indicating that it is safe radiation.

“According to a WHO (World Health Organization) report, over 25,000 research articles published over the past 30 years have proved that exposure to low-frequency radio or non-ionising rays had no negative impact on human health,” he said.

Sharing the same viewpoint is Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Technology and Information Science, Universiti Malaysia Malaysia, Prof Dr Abdullah Mohd Zin who said that claims that 5G radiation would cause detrimental health impacts is a misunderstanding that needs to be corrected.