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Wi-Fi, similar signals don’t cause cancer

And now for a bit of good news: Apparently Wi-Fi and similar signals don’t cause cancer.

Per an article over on HowStuffWorks, everyday devices such as Wi-Fi routers, smartphones, tablets, and computers are unable to cause cancer, and would be unable to do so without rewriting the basic laws of physics and biology.

The piece, which cites credible sources like the American Cancer Society, there have been two types of studies that look at RF radiation: Ones that observe human cancer rates and others involving lab animals. The human studies haven’t found a link between increased cancer rates and people exposed to a significant amount of RF radiation.


In the animal lab studies, no link between cancer and RF radiation has been found. However, some studies have observed “trace biological changes” that could be hypothetically linked to cancer. In short, this means that a scientist found an interesting data point but it isn’t serious enough to say anything other than “hypothetically.”

RF radiation such as Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth radiation, is classified as low-frequency, non-ionizing radiation. As such, they aren’t powerful enough to charge molecules, or damage your body at the cellular level.

Wi-Fi radiation operates in the 2GHz to 5GHz range, thereby fitting into the classification of “microwaves”. Microwaves have lower energy than visible light, which is in itself not responsible for cancers.

While humans do have to worry about ultraviolet radiation, the visible part of it isn’t the cancer-causing part.

As such, only a small segment of the electromagnetic spectrum can actually cause cancer, such as ultraviolet rays, X-rays, and gamma rays.
Sources of UV radiation include stars, mercury-vapor lamps, tanning lamps, and black lights. Sources of X-rays include lightning bolts, x-ray tubes, certain stars, black holes, and the moon. Sources of gamma rays include nuclear explosions and nuclear reactors, solar flares, cosmic rays, and a bunch of other non-terrestrial sources.

Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth radiation do not fit into this classification, so odds are you’ll be safe in 2019 and beyond.

Via The Mac Observer and HowStuffWorks