Original article (in Croatian) was published on 22/7/2025; Author: Marta Kolarić
Scientific research shows that typical use of wireless devices does not present a threat to human health.
Warnings about the alleged health risks posed by Bluetooth headphones are circulating on social media. These posts claim that official guidelines ignore the long-term effects of exposure to electromagnetic radiation.
“Warning: The Hidden Dangers of Bluetooth Technology
Bluetooth devices are part of everyday life and found in most households. There are guidelines meant to protect users from harm caused by radio waves. However, these guidelines only take into account short-term effects, such as heat development or skin tingling. Back in 2019, 250 scientists from over 40 countries warned about the health risks of wireless technologies. Still, long-term effects continue to be ignored—possibly for economic reasons,” reads a Facebook post published on July 16, 2025, by the page “Živčana Žirafa” (archived here).
The post includes a subtitled video produced by the Swiss platform Klagemauer.tv (kla.tv), which is linked to the controversial religious-political group Organic Christian Generation. The platform is known for spreading conspiracy theories (1, 2, 3, 4). Framed as “forbidden truths” allegedly suppressed by mainstream media, their videos are presented in a professional studio setting, where presenters read scripted news based on misinformation. These videos are machine-translated and published in over 80 languages.
How Do Bluetooth Headphones Work?
“We’re talking about wireless Bluetooth headphones, such as Apple’s popular in-ear AirPods. The Bluetooth standard allows data, music, videos, or images to be transmitted over short distances, functioning similarly to Wi-Fi. It generates a high-frequency electromagnetic field to connect a transmitter and receiver. The range can vary between 10 and 100 meters depending on the device. In-ear headphones are booming, and the technology is widely used. What’s being ignored is the potential impact of radiation deep inside the ear – directly on the brain,” the video claims.
Unlike wired headphones that connect via a cable, these headphones use a short-range wireless communication protocol developed in the 1990s. Bluetooth technology was introduced to desktop computers and mobile phones in the early 2000s, and to laptops shortly after.
To establish a Bluetooth connection (or “pairing”) between a phone and headphones, both devices must contain chips that emit and receive radio waves. During pairing, they exchange security keys to create a private network called a “piconet.” Once connected, data like music is transmitted digitally via radio waves. The headphones also exchange information with each other to ensure synchronized playback without noticeable delays.
Bluetooth operates at radio frequencies around 2.4GHz and is designed for close-range, low-power communication – ideal for personal devices like headphones, mice, or smartwatches.
While Bluetooth, like Wi-Fi, uses electromagnetic waves, its power output is significantly lower. Bluetooth typically operates below 100mW – much less than Wi-Fi routers, smartphones, or microwave ovens.
Are There Health Risks?
“There is growing scientific evidence that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from wireless and electronic devices – including mobile phones, cell towers, Wi-Fi, baby monitors, and Bluetooth headphones – are harmful to people, animals, plants, and microbes. The negative health effects include: increased cancer risk, cellular stress, genetic damage, changes to reproductive systems, learning and memory disorders, neurological conditions, and a decrease in overall wellbeing.
High-frequency radio standards are part of our daily lives, yet it is alarming that no international guidelines address chronic health damage or cancer – none at all. Existing standards focus only on thermal effects or immediate symptoms like tingling skin or twitching. No standard has yet been able to determine long-term health damage. This implies that industry and science – funded by industry – have no intention of protecting the public from long-term harm.”
Currently, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that electromagnetic radiation from wireless devices is dangerous to human health. Numerous national and international studies, including those overseen by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), consistently show that Bluetooth devices emit radiation well below safety limits.
Understanding Radiation Types
It’s essential to distinguish between ionizing and non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation. Exposure to electric, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields (EMF) is categorized based on intensity and radiation type.
Ionizing radiation, such as X-rays and radioactive materials, can damage cells and DNA and potentially cause cancer if exposure is high enough. In contrast, Bluetooth headphones emit non-ionizing radiation, which lacks the energy to cause direct cellular damage. Other common sources of non-ionizing radiation include Wi-Fi routers, mobile phones, and microwave ovens.
While the most accurate way to assess potential health risks would involve exposing humans to EMFs under controlled scientific conditions, such experiments are ethically problematic and rare. However, this does not mean the issue is unstudied.
As previously reported by Faktograf, growing public concern about EMF exposure led WHO to launch a large-scale, multidisciplinary research effort in 1996 called the EMF Project. Over the past 30 years, around 25,000 papers have examined the biological and health effects of non-ionizing radiation.
Though strong EMFs at the source can potentially cause harm, these studies focus on typical exposure levels found in everyday environments. They have examined the impact of power lines, home appliances like microwaves, computer screens, radar, mobile phones, cell towers, and wireless internet.
“Based on a recent in-depth review of the scientific literature, WHO concludes that the current evidence does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure to low-level electromagnetic fields,” states the WHO website.
WHO further notes that while science cannot offer absolute guarantees, the existing research is reassuring. Strong health risks, such as the link between smoking and cancer, are relatively easy to identify. However, small or subtle effects – if they exist – are harder to detect.
“If EMFs at common environmental levels were strong carcinogens, this would have already been proven. Conversely, if weak or subtle effects exist for a small subgroup of people, this is much harder to demonstrate,” WHO explains.
The absence of evidence, they emphasize, either indicates no risk or that it is not measurable with current methodologies.
Additionally, epidemiological and experimental studies have not found a link between Bluetooth device use and increased risk of cancer, headaches, or other serious health issues.
Contrary to claims in the kla.tv video, international guidelines do exist. These confirm that exposure from Bluetooth headphones is well below thresholds considered hazardous to health.
In fact, Bluetooth headphones emit between 10 and 400 times less radiation than smartphones.
The Scientists’ Appeal
“The international appeal further states: ‘Many agencies responsible for setting exposure limits have failed to establish adequate guidelines to protect the general public – particularly children, who are more vulnerable to EMFs,’” kla.tv reports.
The appeal referenced here is the International EMF Scientist Appeal from 2015. It was addressed to the WHO and the United Nations, calling for stricter EMF exposure limits. The letter doesn’t specifically mention AirPods or wireless headphones, but raises general concerns about widespread EMF exposure. Signatories argue that existing exposure limits are not strict enough and that some research shows harmful biological effects even at levels below current safety thresholds. The appeal calls for updated standards, stronger protection for vulnerable groups, safer technologies, more independent research, and better public awareness.
However, the appeal is not a scientific consensus document or peer-reviewed study. It is a public petition invoking the precautionary principle – arguing for preventive action due to slow regulatory updates compared to the pace of technological development.
The most recent global guidelines on radiofrequency EMF exposure – covering Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, mobile networks, and similar technologies – were issued by ICNIRP in March 2020. These updated the previous recommendations from 1998 and 2010 and apply to frequencies from 100 kHz to 300 GHz.
SAR and Device Positioning
Dr. Joel M. Moskowitz, director of the Center for Family and Community Health at the University of California, Berkeley, has emphasized that emission power isn’t the only relevant factor. The Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) – how much radiation the human body absorbs – is also crucial. While Bluetooth headphones emit lower radiation than smartphones, their proximity to the brain raises some concern among health professionals.
Reuters reports that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires manufacturers to demonstrate that their devices comply with SAR limits of 1.6 watts per kilogram. Headphones, including AirPods, fall well below that threshold.
Some experts suggest that even low SAR levels could pose a long-term risk with chronic, high-frequency use. “If someone uses AirPods for several hours daily, the brain’s cumulative exposure to microwave radiation could be significant,” Moskowitz notes on his website. He recommends wired headphones for extended listening sessions.
However, it’s important to point out that the antenna in Apple’s AirPods – which emits and receives radio signals – is located outside the ear canal, potentially reducing actual exposure to the brain.
In conclusion, fears about Bluetooth headphones and radiation are not supported by scientific evidence. Research and regulatory guidelines currently indicate that these devices are safe when used under normal conditions.
