Is Wi-Fi Making Your Child Ill?
Lately, there have been claims that radiation from Wi-Fi technology can lead to certain types of cancer and other diseases, especially in children under 5 years of age.
France recently banned Wi-Fi in day care centers to protect the children from exposure to electromagnetic wave radiation and reduce their risk of incurring cancer or other diseases.
Though there is no concrete scientific proof that relates diseases to the use of Wi-Fi technology, a British radiofrequency and electromagnetic fields expert, Dr. Erica Mallery-Blythe, is advocating for relinquishing wireless gadgets.
In 2009, Dr.Mallery-Blythe noticed the increase of certain ailments among people exposed to wireless technology. Some of these issues include insomnia, fatigue, headaches, palpitation, and even neurological disorders, like Alzheimer’s and autism.
One of her strongest cases was a nine-year-old girl who experienced headaches and other neurological symptoms in 2011. Dr. Mallery-Blythe determined the culprit was the wireless technology close to the young student’s classroom seat.
According to the school, the Wi-Fi exposure in their building adheres to internationally accepted standards set by the government. Dr Simon Mann of the Department of Health said that they stand by Public Health England (PHE), that there is no evident reason Wi-Fi shouldn’t be used in schools and other places.
Claims of Harmful Effects
There has been a lot of literature about the harmful effects of wireless technology on the biological system. The powerful Council of Europe committee, which is composed of 47 member states, claimed back in 2011 that devices with wireless capabilities have “potentially harmful” effects on people and should be banned from schools. The Council had been calling for the ban since 2011, even before France did.
Germany has taken steps to persuade people to avoid using wireless technology whenever possible, so has Los Angeles in the USA. In 2007, a BBC Panorama programme found that the readings next to a classroom laptop showed radiation at double the level only 100 metres from a mobile phone mast.
According to studies, children who are five years old and below absorb up to 60 percent more radiation than adults because they have thinner skulls and their brains still have a high water content. In some Western countries, brain tumours have become a more prevalent health condition among children than leukaemia. Glioma, a brain cancer related to mobile phone usage, has increased fivefold among people age 20 and below since 2008.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer and some parts of the World Health Organization claim that electromagnetic fields can be carcinogenic. The Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure further claims that EMF is even more harmful to children and foetuses.
Disputes Against EMF’s Harmful Effects to Humans
There may be a lot of claims from the growing anti-wireless technology groups about how EMF can harm humans, but there are also a lot of disputes over these claims and there are studies that conclude these fears of adverse effects are actually myths.
The Australian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Agency, the Australian government’s agency that looks into radiation, claims that there is no scientific evidence that “low” RF-EMF from WiFi technology has any adverse effects on children and human beings. According to the agency, WiFi radiation in schools is low powered.
EMF expert Dr. Vitas Anderson from Two Fields Consulting reassured people that there is no need to relinquish their wireless gadgets. He claims that France’s ban on Wi-Fi in schools is “over the top.” Anderson said there were two views when it comes to EMF: the government’s view of WHO claiming that EMF exposure below the international limits is safe and the minority view that asserts Wi-Fi is dangerous. And just like climate change, even if there is a consensus of 98 percent that it actually exists, sceptics will still find studies to prove otherwise.
Suggestions
Dr. Mallery-Blythe recommends keeping your mobile device switched off unless it is really needed and to avoid carrying it close to your body. She suggests using Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi and disabling the Wi-Fi if possible. The Australian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Agency suggests the same protocol if you are skeptic about Wi-Fi safety.
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