Question
Is radiation from 5G phone masts harmful?
Answer
Mostly no.
Explanation
The scientific literature includes hundreds of studies which find some adverse biological effect from radio waves or summarise the studies which do so. When considering the studies which do not have methodological problems, some studies remain that indeed show an adverse health effect. However, these studies do not match the frequencies and power density matching real life exposure to radio waves from mobile phone masts for 5G and older technologies. In consumer and occupational use, real life exposure is regulated at a minimum factor of 10 below the level at which these adverse health effects would occur.
Whilst currently there are no persuasive test results which should make us more weary of wireless technologies based on radio waves, we are missing a body of quality studies examining human exposure in real life circumstances controlled for all relevant factors.
Sources
Alekseev, S.I., A.A. Radzievsky, et. al., Millimeter wave dosimetry of human skin, (Bioelectromagnetics, 10 October 2007)
Alekseev, S.I., O.V. Gordiienko, M.C. Ziskin, Reflection and penetration depth of millimeter waves in murine skin, (Bioelectromagnetics, 25 January 2008)
Betzalel, N., P. Ben Ishai, Y. Feldmann, The human skin as a sub-THz receiver - Does 5G pose a danger to it or not? (Environmental Research, Volume 163, May 2018)
Blake Levitt, B., H. Lai, Biological effects from exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted by cell tower base stations and other antenna arrays, (Environmental Reviews, Volume 18, Issue 1, February 2010)
Gulati, S., A. Yadav, N., et. al., Effect of GSTM1 and GSTT1 Polymorphisms on Genetic Damage in Humans Populations Exposed to Radiation From Mobile Towers, (Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Volume 70, Issue 3, August 2015)
ICNIRP, Guidelines for limiting exposure to electromagnetic fields (100 kHz to 300 GHz), (Health Physics, May 2020)
Kostoff, R.N., P. Heroux, et. al., Adverse health effects of 5G mobile networking technology under real-life conditions, (Toxicology Letters, Volume 323, May 2020)
Panagopoulos, D.J., Chromosome damage in human cells induced by UMTS mobile telephony radiation, (General Physiology and Biophysics, Volume 38, September 2019)
Russell, C.L. 5 G Wireless telecommunications expansion: public health and environmental implications, (Environmental Research, Volume 165, August 2018)
Vijayalaxmi, T.J. Prihoda, Comprehensive Review of Quality of Publications and Meta-analysis of Genetic Damage in Mammalian Cells Exposed to Non-Ionizing Radiofrequency Fields, (Radiation Research, Volume 191, January 2019)
Wu, T., T.S. Rappaport, C.M. Collins, Safe for Generations to Come: Considerations of Safety for Millimeter Waves in Wireless Communications, (IEEE Microwave Magazine, Volume 16, Issue 2, March 2015)
Zothansiama, M. Zosangzuali, et. al., Impact of radiofrequency radiation on DNA damage and antioxidants in peripheral blood lymphocytes of humans residing in the vicinity of mobile phone base stations, (Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine, Volume 36, Issue 3, August 2017)