Original article (in Albanian) was published on 16/4/2024; Author: Ilda Hoxha
Claim: 5G antennas are harmful to human health and should therefore be destroyed.
Assessment: False
The images of a tower fire circulating on social media in Albania are not related to the burning of a 5G network antenna. Moreover, both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have confirmed the safety of the 5G network.
Social media users have been sharing images of a burning tower, incorrectly claiming it is a 5G antenna and suggesting that 5G technology is harmful to human health.
One social media user shared a video of a tower, equipped with telephony antennas, engulfed in flames, writing: “Many reputable scientists in the field have stated that the 5G system is harmful to human health; the world is fine with 4G… Do you, my friends, agree with setting antennas on fire?”
Dritan Kanapari
Many reputable scientists in the field have stated that the 5G system is harmful to human health; the world is fine with 4G. Filthy skeptics have contradicted this. They are claiming that 5G does not harm health, but they have not provided any evidence to prove otherwise. As a result, they deserve to see their antennas, which they prioritize over everything else, set alight. Do you, my friends, agree with setting antennas on fire?
Our investigation into these images revealed that the video originates from January 7, 2018, and was broadcast by the Indian channel Hindxpress TV. It shows a fire at a telephone tower in Ambala, India. Fact-checkers in India have confirmed that the first 5G tests in the country took place in February 2018. Moreover, they have verified that 5G antennas have not yet been installed in that region of India. Thus, it is impossible for the video to depict a 5G antenna burning, contrary to the claims circulating on social networks.
5G, or the fifth generation of cellular technology, was first widely implemented in 2019. This technology is expected to significantly improve performance and enable a broad array of new applications, including advancements in e-Health such as telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, and tele-surgery.
According to the World Health Organization, extensive research has found no negative health effects linked to exposure to wireless technologies. Health conclusions are drawn from studies conducted across the radio spectrum, although only a few studies have specifically addressed the frequencies used by 5G.
The primary interaction between radiofrequency fields and the human body is tissue heating. However, exposure to radiofrequency from current technologies results in a negligible increase in body temperature.
As frequency increases, there is less penetration into body tissues, with energy absorption becoming more confined to the body’s surface, such as the skin and eyes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as long as overall exposure remains within international guidelines, no adverse effects on public health are anticipated.
‘All wireless communications use non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation to transmit energy and information through space without the need for wires. Electromagnetic waves at higher frequencies can carry more information. They also have shorter wavelengths and do not penetrate the body as deeply as lower-frequency energy,’ experts explained to Forbes‘.
Both the WHO and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have declared 5G technology safe. Experts explained to Forbes, “all wireless communications use nonionizing electromagnetic radiation to transmit energy and information through space without the need for wires (…) (As for 5G), the electromagnetic waves have a higher frequency, which allows it to carry more information. It also has a smaller wavelength and does not penetrate the body as far as lower-frequency energy.”
