FCC, ACS on RF waves: No evidence of harm

American Cancer Society says more research needed to understand impact

OCEAN CITY – On the FCC website (fcc.gov) under the heading, “RF Safety FAQ,” there are a few dozen topics. One answers the question, “Are cellular and other radio towers located near homes or schools safe for residents and students?”

The FCC answer is that “… radio frequency emissions from antennas used for cellular and PCS transmissions result in exposure levels on the ground that are typically thousands of times below safety limits. These safety limits were adopted by the FCC based on the recommendations of expert organizations and endorsed by agencies of the federal government responsible for health and safety. Therefore, there is no reason to believe that such towers could constitute a potential health hazard to nearby residents or students.”

Another FCC section regards the 5G network, saying that type of service requires many more, smaller base stations because of the way the waves travel shorter distances and don’t pass through objects. It notes those stations can be in closer proximity to people if mounted on buildings, utility poles and other structures. 

Even though the higher wavelengths from 5G could expose people to more RF waves overall it notes, “At the same time, these higher frequency RF waves are less able to penetrate the body than lower frequency waves, so in theory they might be less likely to have any potential health effects. But so far this issue has not been well studied.”

The American Cancer Society has not taken an official position on the possible connection between RF waves and cancer.

Its website includes a section on cell phone towers, explaining how the towers receive and transmit cell phone signals using RF waves.

It says there isn’t strong evidence for negative health effects, but neither have they been proved to be safe.

“Cell phone towers are still relatively new, and many people are understandably concerned about whether the RF waves they give off might possibly have health effects,” the Risks, Prevention & Screening section of the site reads.

“At this time, there’s no strong evidence that exposure to RF waves from cell phone towers causes any noticeable health effects. However, this does not mean that the RF waves from cell phone towers have been proven to be absolutely safe. Most expert organizations agree that more research is needed to help clarify this, especially for any possible long-term effects.”

The site notes that the towers are usually from 50 to 200 feet high, different than the units proposed in Ocean City on a commercial property near the corner of 34th Street and West Avenue. The midpoint of the antennae proposed there are at 19 feet high, prompting concerns from neighbors who say their homes are as close at 43 feet and the antennae would be directly across from their second-floor living spaces.

The American Cancer Society explains that the RF waves are a form of energy on the electromagnetic spectrum between FM radio waves and microwaves and are forms of non-ionizing radiation. 

“This means they do not directly damage the DNA inside cells, which is how stronger (ionizing) types of radiation such as x-rays, gamma rays and ultraviolet rays are thought to be able to cause cancer,” according to the site.

The ACS also cited the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) technical report based on studies published between 2008 and 2018 as well as national cancer rates. 

It said the report concludes, “Based on the studies that are described in detail in this report, there is insufficient evidence to support a causal association between radiofrequency radiation (RFR) exposure and [tumor formation].”

By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff