5G technology has generated significant public concern about health effects. The topic has also attracted misinformation, making it difficult for people to understand what scientific research actually shows about 5G safety.
5G operates across different frequency bands—some similar to existing 4G networks, others using higher frequencies (millimeter waves) that are relatively new for widespread consumer exposure. This page focuses on what peer-reviewed research says about radiofrequency radiation at 5G frequencies.
We present the scientific evidence objectively, including both studies that raise concerns and those that find no effects, so you can make informed judgments based on actual research.
Zhao R, Zhang S, Xu Z, Ju L, Lu D, Yao G. · 2007
Researchers exposed rat brain cells to cell phone radiation (1800 MHz) for 24 hours and found 34 genes changed their activity levels, affecting cell structure and function. This shows mobile phone radiation can alter how genes work in brain cells.
Zhao R, Zhang S, Xu Z, Ju L, Lu D, Yao G. · 2007
Chinese researchers exposed rat brain neurons to cell phone-frequency radiation (1800 MHz) for 24 hours at power levels similar to heavy phone use. They found that 34 genes changed their activity levels, affecting how neurons function in areas like cell structure, communication, and metabolism. This demonstrates that radiofrequency radiation can alter the fundamental genetic programming of brain cells.
Buttiglione M et al. · 2007
Researchers exposed human brain cells to 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation (the same frequency used by GSM cell phones) at power levels similar to what your phone emits. They found that this radiation activated stress response genes, disrupted normal cell division, and triggered cell death pathways. The effects occurred at radiation levels considered 'safe' by current standards, suggesting that RF exposure may interfere with fundamental cellular processes in brain tissue.
Whitehead TD, Moros EG, Brownstein BH, Roti Roti JL. · 2006
Researchers exposed mouse cells to cell phone radiation at 5 watts per kilogram for 24 hours to see if it changed gene activity. They found no meaningful changes in gene expression - the few changes they detected were no more than would occur by random chance. This suggests cell phone radiation at this level doesn't trigger cellular responses that could lead to biological effects.
Whitehead TD, Moros EG, Brownstein BH, Roti Roti JL · 2006
Researchers exposed mouse cells to cell phone radiation (CDMA and FDMA signals) for 24 hours at high power levels to see if it would change gene activity. They found no significant changes in gene expression from either type of cell phone radiation, even though X-ray radiation used as a control clearly altered gene activity. This suggests that these particular radiofrequency exposures did not trigger cellular stress responses at the genetic level.
Wang LL, Chen GD, Lu DQ, Chiang H, Xu ZP. · 2006
Researchers exposed breast cancer cells (MCF-7) to cell phone radiation at 1800 MHz for 24 hours to see if it would change gene activity. They found essentially no meaningful changes in gene expression, even when using exposure levels higher than typical cell phone use. The study suggests that this type of radiation may not significantly alter how genes function in these particular cells.
Vijayalaxmi · 2006
Researchers exposed human blood cells to radiofrequency radiation at 2.45 GHz and 8.2 GHz (frequencies used in WiFi and microwave ovens) for 2 hours to see if it caused genetic damage. They found no significant increase in chromosomal damage or DNA breaks compared to unexposed cells. This suggests that short-term RF exposure at these power levels may not directly damage genetic material in blood cells.
Tuschl H, Novak W, Molla-Djafari H. · 2006
Researchers exposed human immune cells to cell phone radiation at 1950 MHz for 8 hours to see if it affected immune function. They tested multiple immune system markers including cytokine production (chemical messengers that coordinate immune responses) and gene activity. The study found no statistically significant effects on any immune parameters tested.
Sukhotina I, Streckert JR, Bitz AK, Hansen VW, Lerchl A · 2006
Researchers exposed isolated hamster pineal glands (which produce melatonin, the sleep hormone) to cell phone radiation at 1800 MHz for 7 hours at various power levels. Surprisingly, they found that moderate exposure levels actually increased melatonin production, while only the highest level (which caused tissue heating) suppressed it. This challenges the widely-discussed theory that cell phone radiation disrupts sleep by reducing melatonin.
Stronati L et al. · 2006
Italian and British researchers exposed human immune cells (lymphocytes) to 935 MHz cell phone radiation for 24 hours at levels similar to what tissues experience during phone use. Using multiple DNA damage tests, they found no genetic damage from the radiation alone, and the radiation didn't make X-ray damage worse. This suggests that 24-hour exposure to this type of cell phone radiation doesn't directly break DNA or interfere with DNA repair.
Simko M et al. · 2006
German researchers exposed human immune cells (monocytes) to radiofrequency radiation at 2 W/kg SAR - similar to cell phone levels - while also testing exposure to ultrafine air pollution particles. They measured two key stress indicators: free radical production and heat shock proteins. While the air pollution particles triggered significant stress responses, the RF radiation produced no measurable effects on either stress marker, even when combined with the particles.
Scarfi MR et al. · 2006
Researchers exposed human blood cells to 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation (the same frequency used by GSM cell phones) for 24 hours at various power levels to see if it caused DNA damage or affected cell growth. The study found no evidence of genetic damage or harmful effects on the cells, even at exposure levels up to 10 watts per kilogram. Two independent laboratories confirmed these results using cells from 10 different healthy volunteers.
Sanchez S et al. · 2006
French researchers exposed hairless rats to cell phone radiation (GSM-900 and GSM-1800 signals) for 2 hours daily over 12 weeks to study effects on skin health. They found no significant changes in skin thickness, cell growth patterns, or key structural proteins compared to unexposed rats. This suggests that chronic exposure to these specific cell phone frequencies at the tested levels did not cause detectable skin damage in this animal model.
Sanchez S et al. · 2006
Researchers exposed human skin cells to cell phone radiation at the legal safety limit (2 W/kg SAR) for 48 hours to see if it triggered cellular stress responses. They found minimal changes - no cell death or tissue damage, with only slight increases in one stress protein in some cell types. The results suggest that skin cells can adapt to this level of radiofrequency exposure without harmful effects.
Merola P et al. · 2006
Italian researchers exposed neuroblastoma cells (a type of nerve cell) to 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation at levels higher than occupational safety limits for up to 72 hours. They found no significant changes in cell growth, death, or differentiation processes. This suggests that even at elevated exposure levels, this type of cell phone radiation may not directly damage these particular nerve cells in laboratory conditions.
Masuda H et al. · 2006
French researchers exposed hairless rats to cell phone radiation (GSM-900 and GSM-1800 signals) for 2 hours at high intensity levels (5 W/kg SAR) and examined their skin tissue for damage. They found no changes in skin thickness, cell death, cell growth patterns, or key skin proteins compared to unexposed animals. This suggests that acute exposure to these cell phone frequencies at high levels does not cause immediate visible damage to skin tissue.
Maes A, Van Gorp U, Verschaeve L · 2006
Belgian researchers tested whether radiofrequency radiation from mobile phone infrastructure causes genetic damage in workers with higher-than-average occupational exposure. Using three different laboratory tests to examine DNA damage in blood cells, they found no evidence that RF radiation caused genetic changes or made cells more vulnerable to chemical damage. This suggests that even workers with elevated RF exposure levels don't show detectable genetic effects in their blood cells.
Lee JS, Huang TQ, Kim TH, Kim JY, Kim HJ, Pack JK, Seo JS. · 2006
Researchers exposed human immune cells and rat brain cells to cell phone-level radiofrequency radiation (1763 MHz) at power levels of 2 and 20 W/kg for up to one hour while carefully controlling temperature. They found no activation of cellular stress responses, including heat shock proteins and stress-signaling pathways that typically activate when cells are damaged. This suggests that RF radiation at these levels does not trigger the cellular alarm systems that respond to harmful stressors.
Lantow M, Viergutz T, Weiss DG, Simko M. · 2006
German researchers exposed human immune cells (Mono Mac 6 cells) to cell phone radiation at 1,800 MHz for 12 hours to see if it would cause cell death or disrupt normal cell division cycles. They found no statistically significant effects on cell death, cell division, or DNA synthesis compared to unexposed control cells. This suggests that at the tested exposure level, cell phone-type radiation did not harm these particular immune cells in laboratory conditions.
Lantow M, Schuderer J, Hartwig C, Simko M. · 2006
Researchers exposed human immune cells to cell phone radiation at 1800 MHz (the frequency used by GSM networks) to see if it would trigger the production of harmful free radicals or stress proteins. Even at high exposure levels up to 2.0 W/kg, the radiation did not cause any significant increase in free radical production or stress protein expression in the cells. This suggests that cell phone radiation at these levels may not trigger the type of cellular damage that free radicals can cause.
Hirose H et al. · 2006
Researchers exposed human brain and lung cells to radiofrequency radiation at 2.14 GHz (similar to cell tower frequencies) for up to 48 hours to see if it would trigger cell death or DNA damage responses. They tested exposure levels from 0.08 to 0.8 watts per kilogram - with the lowest level matching international safety limits for public exposure. The study found no evidence that this RF radiation caused cells to die, damaged DNA, or activated stress response pathways even at levels 10 times higher than safety guidelines.
Chauhan V et al. · 2006
Researchers exposed human immune cells to 1.9 GHz radiofrequency radiation (similar to cell phone signals) at power levels of 1 and 10 watts per kilogram for 6 hours to see if it would trigger stress responses or activate genes linked to cancer development. They found no changes in stress proteins or cancer-related genes at either power level, while heat treatment (as a positive control) did trigger the expected cellular stress responses.
Chauhan V et al. · 2006
Researchers exposed human immune cells to 1.9 GHz radiofrequency radiation at levels similar to cell phone use (1-10 W/kg SAR) to see if it triggered cellular stress responses. They measured key stress markers including heat shock proteins and proto-oncogenes that typically activate when cells are damaged. The study found no significant changes in these stress indicators, suggesting the RF exposure did not cause detectable cellular stress under these laboratory conditions.
Sakuma N et al. · 2006
Researchers exposed human brain and lung cells to 2.1425 GHz radiofrequency radiation at levels up to 10 times higher than public safety limits for up to 24 hours. They found no DNA damage in either cell type, even at the highest exposure levels tested. This suggests that cell phone tower radiation at these frequencies doesn't break DNA strands under laboratory conditions.
Maes A, Van Gorp U, Verschaeve L. · 2006
Researchers examined white blood cells from people professionally exposed to mobile phone radiofrequency radiation to see if this exposure caused genetic damage. Using three different tests that look for DNA breaks and chromosome abnormalities, they found no evidence that RF exposure harmed the genetic material in these workers' cells. The study also tested whether RF exposure might make cells more vulnerable to a known cancer-causing chemical, but found no such interaction.
For a comprehensive exploration of EMF health effects and practical protection strategies, explore these books by R Blank and Dr. Martin Blank.
