Posted: 15th Oct, 2007 By: MarkJ
The UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) has announced its intention to study how wireless (
Wi-Fi) networks are being used and whether there is a risk from being exposed to the technologies low-level radiation.
It's noted that there has been no credible scientific evidence to suggest a problem, although neither has there been any real research. The HPA's chief executive, Professor Pat Troop, expects the outcome to be "
re-assuring":
There is no scientific evidence to date that WiFi and WLANs adversely affect the health of the general population. The signals are very low power, typically 0.1 watt (100 milliwatts) in both the computer and the router (access point) and the results so far show exposures are well within ICNIRP guidelines. Given this, there is no particular reason why schools and others should not continue to use WiFi or other wireless networks.
However there has not been extensive research into what people's exposures actually are to this new technology and that is why we are initiating this new programme of research and analyses. We have good scientific reasons to expect the results to be re-assuring and we will publish our findings.
The results are to be compared with established international exposure guidelines and also with exposures from other commonly used sources of radio signals, including mobile phones. It is not yet known when the study itself will be completed.