What Happened When Scientists Exposed Human Cells To 5G? Absolutely Nothing
The results are in, and we finally know what happens to human cells exposed to 5G signals. In a sealed experiment at Constructor University in Germany, scientists bombarded human skin cells with electromagnetic waves that were ten times stronger than the recommended exposure limit, way above those produced by 5G towers, for up to 48 hours. The results were damning: nothing happened.
The experiment was the most rigorous to date and directly challenges the common myth that 5G wireless signals cause harm.
The 5G standard in mobile communication technology was introduced because of the sheer amount of data being transmitted across mobile networks. Basically, we are using internet technology more than ever, and as this use increases, the more demand there is for faster speeds, lower latency, and increased capacity. However, for some people, this basic reason belies a more sinister set of motives.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, rumors began to circulate connecting 5G towers with the virus. The extent of these conspiracy claims varied from people being worried about the health implications of invisible radiation coming from the towers to those who believed they were installed as part of a broader effort to turn us all into zombies. Side note: there is an entertaining irony in the fact that the technology these conspiracy theorists villainized actually allowed them to circulate their ideas to wider audiences at a nice, faster pace with fewer lags.
But regardless, the spread of these beliefs was mostly predicated on a misunderstanding about the technology and the effects that electromagnetic fields have on our health.
From the moment these conspiracy theories started to spread online, scientists attempted to correct the narrative by emphasizing that low-energy radio waves used in phone technologies do not produce ionizing radiation, which causes cancer or other illnesses (mobile phones emit what’s called radiofrequency radiation, which is non-ionizing).
But despite these assertions, research into the effects of higher frequency waves such as those used in 5G has received less attention. Those that had undertaken an assessment of this frequency range had been criticized for methodological shortcomings, including a lack of blind conditions, temperature controls, and transparent statistical methods.
The new study attempted to change this and represents the most rigorous study that has ever been conducted on this subject.
The team took two types of human skin cells – known as keratinocytes (outer skin cells) and fibroblasts (cells that form connective tissues) – and exposed them to electromagnetic waves of different frequencies (27 GHz and 40.5 GHz). These frequencies are significantly higher than those produced by most 5G towers, but the team also experimented with their intensity. They used power fluctuations that varied from relatively low exposure to one that was 10 times higher than the permissible exposure limits.
The cells were monitored over two exposure windows: 2 hours of exposure and 48 hours of exposure.
The researchers conducted whole-genome RNA sequencing to measure any changes in the cells’ genetic activity, as well as DNA methylation arrays, which can offer insights into the regulation of gene expression.
Ultimately, after they concluded their analysis, the team had found nothing to raise concern at all.
“Our results show with great clarity that in human skin cells, even under worst-case conditions, no significant changes in gene expression or methylation patterns are observed after exposure,” the team explains in their paper.
“Due to the heterogeneities in previous studies, we devised a comprehensive experimental setup and design that includes variations in cell type, power flux density, frequency, and time of exposure to 5G EMF under compensation of temperature increase.”
The tests took place in an exposure facility that allowed for blinded exposure and temperature monitoring. In addition, they included two control groups – cells exposed to ultraviolet light and cells that received a sham-exposure (they were handled exactly like the test cells but not actually exposed to the 5G electromagnetic fields). The results showed that the only cells that experienced any changes were those exposed to UV light, and those changes were predictable.
But could chance have played a role in these results? Well, to avoid this, the team also used a technique that shuffled the labels of the sham-exposed and properly exposed cells hundreds of times. This allowed them to check whether the signal of any gene disruption was noticeable when compared to random assignment. This too was negative.
“Overall, the data show no indication that the gene expression and methylation of human skin cells were altered by the exposure conditions selected here,” the team concludes.
This work is a thorough rebuttal to the myths, misconceptions, and conspiracies surrounding 5G networks.
“In spite of assessments from the WHO in 2010 and the National Toxicology Program (NTP), this topic is still prevalent in the media, in public opinion and in the political sphere. This is in part due to a few isolated scientific studies providing opposing evidence,” the authors explain.
“Due to our strong emphasis on highly controlled experimental conditions and our combinatorial analysis, we hope to close this debate and in particular cast fundamental doubt on the existence of possible nonthermal biological effects of exposure.”
The study is published in PNAS Nexus.
