Radio waves have been helpful to mankind due to their contribution in communication, GPS, daily gadgets, research, etc.
Wi-Fi too is a kind of radio wave. It’s growing fastly to nearly replace Ethernet and create a wireless world. But, in the recent times, we’ve also seen a staggering rise in the number of media reports claiming that Wi-Fi is harmful to your health.
Couple these claims with the health of little children, and you’ve got some material for a juicy clickbait. Being overprotective towards their children, parents often get confused by these articles that use the term ‘radiation’ to scare people. But, do you know that light, which is one the biggest reason why Earth is a green planet, is also a kind of EM radiation?
Before going into the details, I would like to tell you that Wi-Fi is harmless. Now, before discussing the different arguments to support this conclusion, let me tell you about two types of radiation — Ionizing and Non-ionizing.
Wi-Fi is non-ionizing radiation, it’s safe
Ionizing radiation is the type of radiation that carries enough energy to free electrons and ionizes them. This type of radiation is dangerous and it includes bad boys like x-rays, gamma, a part of ultra-violet spectrum, etc. If you are exposed to ionizing radiation for a longer period, it can cause harm to your health. The hazardous level of ionizing radiation is signified using the trefoil sign on a yellow background.
On the other hand, non-ionizing radiation doesn’t carry enough energy to ionize atoms. This radiation includes visible light, radio waves, and infrared radiation. Also, the non-ionizing wavelengths longer than light are not dangerous. As Wi-Fi networks operate using non-ionizing radiation, it’s harmless. Unlike ionizing radiation, Wi-Fi can not break chemical bonds and harm your body.
Wi-Fi intensity and range
Very often people compare Wi-Fi to their microwave radiation as they belong to the same range. They support their arguments by saying that Microwaves are hot and they could burn you. Well, one must also think about the intensity of the radiation. A normal household microwave produces more than 600W energy. Compared to that, a very powerful Wi-Fi router produces less than 1W power, which is nothing.
Apart from the intensity, you should also know about the inverse-square law followed by the linear wave radiation. The law states that the intensity of the radiation is directly inversely proportional to the distance between source and observer. So, if you’re not very close to your Wi-Fi router, the radiation intensity will decrease even further. Just is case, you’re very close to the router, the dangers are still non-existent.
Even WHO found no evidence
Just in case you need a little more convincing, you can read WHO’s detail report. Talking about the flood of scientific research and articles, WHO concluded that “current evidence does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure to low-level electromagnetic fields.”
There are other risks that are worth your time and energy–roads, mosquitoes, polluted water and air, smoking–I can go on and on.