Radio waves – perceived or real health threat?

​​​​​​Is wireless communication between humans, between things, between everything so important that potential health hazards are ignored? Many worries about getting cancer and some experience headaches or other health complaints when being exposed to radio waves. What does science say about such health effects, and can we trust science? How may believe about effects cause worries and health hazards? Some even believed that 5G antennas spread Corona virus and they set mobile masts on fire. We need to understand how radio waves may affect people’s health, and how to communicate the knowledge in ways that create trust and stimulate rational measures.

While working on a project within the village theme as further suggested below, this village also promotes critical thinking needed to differentiate between facts and fake information and to evaluate own methods.

Relevant competency

The village is open for master students from all faculties, and topics for team projects are suitable for different disciplines. To illustrate the broad range of disciplines that are relevant, below are examples of expertise that are involved in this research area:

• Technology, physics and mathematics: radio wave technology development, how to measure and model exposure, exposure reduction
• Medicine and other health subjects: health effects of radio waves and of worries
• Psychology: risk perception and the influence of communication on risk perception
• Communication: how to communicate health risk, the use of media in communications
• Biophysics: interaction between electromagnetic fields and cells/molecules
• Biology: biological effects of exposure to radio waves
• Statistics: statistical methods and analyses in studies

Most research projects contain challenges related to various disciplines. Therefore, successful research requires co-workers with different background.

About the village

External partner and relevance of the village theme
​​​​​​​Project suggestions are developed in cooperation with Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authorities to fit their interests, including the need for effective communication. Their experts will contribute to the supervision of relevant projects.

Projects in this village are also useful for the research of the village supervisor and particularly for her involvement as a member of an international commission (ICNIRP) that develops guidelines for exposure limits. She is also contributing to the review of scientific studies on radio waves and adverse health effects for the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Project topics

Each team can choose the topic within the theme of the village, based on their background and interests. Here are some examples of possible topics and relevant questions:

Reduction of exposure limits and possible consequences

Some claims that exposure limits should be much lower than those currently accepted by Norway and very many other countries.

• What are exposure levels from existing technologies compared to exposure limits?
• What technological consequences would it have and what technological solutions could be relevant for wireless communication if the exposure levels must be reduced to 1 or 10% of the current exposure limits?
• Which, if any, consequences would such lower limits have for health effects?

How communication influences perceived risk for health hazards – risk communication plan

We are influenced by what we see and hear, and research indicates that media articles influence people’s perception of being “electromagnetic hypersensitive”.

• What characterizes the communication by interest groups, people being electromagnetic hypersensitive and authorities regarding health hazards due to radio waves?
• What do people know or assume about the health risk due to radio wave exposure compared to research-based knowledge, and what are their sources of information?
• Develop a risk communication plan for the Norwegian radiation and Nuclear Safety Authorities or suggest what is important to consider when making such a plan.

Conflicting “scientific trues” about health effects of radio waves

Some scientists clearly state that research gives evidence for adverse health effects by low level radio waves, while others state that there is not (yet) such evidence. 

• What characterizes review reports concluding about no effects and those concluding about effects?
• What may be the reasons for the conflicting views among scientists?
• How do people perceive the different types of communication and what appears to be most trustworthy?

Using lawsuits to decide about health effects related to radio waves

In many countries, including Norway, “skeptics” use lawsuits in attempts to make the court decide that radio waves or other types of electromagnetic fields are harmful to health.

• What characterizes such lawsuits?
• What are pro and cons regarding this way of assessing EMF and health risk?
• How may results from the lawsuits affect people’s perception of risk related to radio waves or more generally electromagnetic fields?

Conspiration theories and radio waves

Some believe that 5G antennas spreading Corona virus, some resists covid vaccine because of assumed microchips injected as a tracking technology, and some believe that they are targets of people aiming to control their mind by focusing radio waves to their head. 

• May there be any elements of these or other radio-wave related conspirations theories that are realistic or true?
• What may be the driving forces behind such theories?
• What makes people believe in these theories or in some specific radio-wave related conspiration theory?
• How to help people seeing the lies of such theories?

How to explain huge exposure limit differences between countries

Some countries apply much lower exposure limits for radio waves than others. The focus on and perceived health risk by radio-wave exposure also varies.

• What are the exposure limits in some selected countries?
• What are the rationales behind these different limits?
• Is there a relation between exposure limits and health worries due to the exposure, and in case how may the relation be explained?

Methods to be applied

It is useful to start gaining knowledge about the selected topic by searching the scientific literature. The village supervisor may advise about relevant literature. You may also contact other experts. Depending on the project topic, various web sites or other media may provide information or be used as examples. To gain information about opinions, knowledge etc. of people, you may do a net-based questionnaire survey, perhaps in different countries, but also interviews may be relevant. Some of the topics may require that you compare and analyse content on websites or responses from different groups of people. For some topics, also creative solutions may be useful.

Teaching method

Hybrid: In this village there will be a mix of classroom and online teaching. Students must have a computer with camera and microphone.
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