Wi-Fi for health. The harm of Wi-Fi and how to protect yourself from Wi-Fi radiation

WiFi is harmful! - I hear from one side. “Viruses are transmitted via wifi,” I hear from the other. Are these statements true? Is using wifi really bad for your health? Let's figure it out right now!

Is wifi harmful or not?

To find out, let’s figure out what wifi actually is? We open Wikipedia, where we read that the name comes from the English Wireless Fidelity, which means “high-precision wireless data transmission”, and is nothing more than a family of information transmission via radio channels. RADIO! Has anyone ever harmed their health by listening to the radio?

Scientists have not yet come to a consensus about the dangers of wifi, but no one has been able to prove the harm to human health. In general, all the noise came from the head of the English Ministry of Health, William Stewart, who had information about alleged changes in people’s health from minor radio waves.

Let's look at the facts:

It has been proven that the level of radiation emanating from wifi devices is 600 times lower than acceptable and harmless to humans radiomagnetic radiation standards.
The BBC television company and a number of British scientists initiated a study in schools to determine whether wifi is harmful. The strength of radiation from mobile phones and wifi routers was measured. As a result, it was revealed that the radiation level of the latter was three times higher. And Professor Laurie Chellis has officially stated that there is no harm to health from wifi, “unless you keep your laptop on your lap.” Although the other members of the commission said that the radiation is so negligible that even this is not dangerous.
Wi-Fi devices and microwaves operate at the same wavelength (2.4 GHz), but the radiation from a kitchen appliance is 100 thousand times higher, which was revealed as a result of research conducted by another professor, Malcolm Sperrin. By the way, high-quality (hermetically sealed) microwave ovens also do not leak anything and do not cause any harm.

Now let’s remember what surrounds you and me, besides wifi in the apartment, in everyday life?

Everyone has a cell phone in their pocket. And even if you don’t have it, then your neighbor has it, and the signal from the cellular operator does not choose through whom exactly it should go to the neighbor’s phone - the rays penetrate your house up and down
There is a microwave, if not in every kitchen, then in every second kitchen.
Everyone definitely has a TV.
We all walk in parks and sit in cafes, wait for a train at a station or a flight at the airport, study at a university or work in an office - and most of these public places have wifi. Even some commuter buses already have it!
There is no point in talking about radiation from various types of industrial or military sources - we are all under their “hood”

In the end, what do we have? It is impossible to say exactly how harmful wifi is. But it is reliably known that the signal from WiFi causes much less harm than the vast majority of other household devices that we use every day. But if you are still afraid of its possible impact, then just follow some simple rules to be calm:

Do not keep the device that receives the signal on your lap, but rather far away on the table.
If possible, place the wifi router in the apartment away from the place where you constantly sit or sleep.
Turn off the router if you are not currently using the Internet.
Due to the impossibility of thoroughly studying the degree of harm, it is advisable, if possible, to protect small children from it, so as not to strain the young developing organism with additional, albeit insignificant, radiation.

All of the above does not apply to 3G mobile USB modems, because they receive signals from mobile operators and therefore emit signals just like cell phones. So, compliance with these precautionary rules when working with them should be taken with greater attention than with regular wireless Wi-Fi generated using a router connected to cable Internet.

It is harmful to use WiFi, as viruses penetrate through it

But this is pure speculation, unsubstantiated. And they occur among those who connected to a wireless network from a device unprotected by antivirus, picked up a virus and decided that wifi was to blame. This technology only distributes the Internet wirelessly - the Internet itself remains exactly the same as in your cable. The only danger may be a hacker breaking into the network, but that's another conversation.

So follow the minimum basic safety rules, which can be applied to any modern household appliance and are described in more than a dozen instructions for their operation, and use it to your health!

A router, also known as a router, is a network device that allows you to choose the optimal direction for transmitting data from the provider to computers, laptops and smartphones of users wirelessly.

The absence of wired communication means the transmission of information through electromagnetic radiation. Since routers operate at ultra-high frequencies, the question is completely legitimate: is the radiation from a wifi router harmful? The results of some studies refute these fears, while others confirm them. Let's look at the arguments on both sides.

Why radiation from a wifi router can be dangerous

Descriptive argumentation is not as powerful as the exact technical specifications of the device in question. So let's look at the numbers. The Wifi router operates in the frequency range of 2.4 GHz, and the power of ordinary routers is ~100 μW. When this frequency affects the cells of the human body, the molecules of water, fat and glucose come together and rub together, accompanied by an increase in temperature.

Such frequencies are provided by nature for the exchange of intracellular information between organs and systems of the body. Long-term, external exposure to this range from wireless local networks can cause dysfunction in the process of cell growth and division.

The harm of wifi radiation is aggravated by the radius and speed of data transmission. An excellent illustration of this fact is the enormous speed of transfer of a large amount of information when downloading videos, photographs and other data. The transmitting medium is air, and the carrier frequency is the mid-wave frequency range. And, since our cells are capable of transmitting and receiving energy at different frequencies, the negative impact of the router’s frequency range is quite acceptable.

Residents of apartment buildings may be affected by multiple routers installed in neighboring apartments. Brick walls and metal structures only partially reduce the range of the router, but do not completely delay its radiation. Add to this wireless Internet access points in offices, shopping centers, and cafes. It becomes clear that a person is exposed to radiation from a wifi router almost around the clock.

Moreover, many users do not turn off their wifi router even at night. Summarizing this information, we can conclude that our body is in a constant fight against this aggressive factor. Perhaps this is why even a night's sleep does not bring complete restoration of strength to many, and the immune system does not protect us well from many infections and viruses.

Is a wifi router really that harmful?

Of course, you have to pay for the convenience of wireless Internet use. But health is too high a price. Is radiation from a Wi-Fi router really dangerous?

To assess the effect of this radiation on the human body, a special parameter was introduced, called the absolute optical radiation power. Its unit of measurement is 1 decibel milliwatt (dBm). The average power of a mobile phone is 27 dBm, while the same value for a router is 20 dBm.

Further, the router is never located at such a close distance as a mobile phone. Usually it is 1–2 meters. Do not forget that the radiation power decreases in direct proportion to the increase in the square of the distance to the “culprit” of the radiation.

How to reduce radiation from a wifi router

If anxiety is still simmering somewhere in the subconscious, you can try to reduce the radiation from the router. Each of the devices for this purpose provides signal power adjustment. Few people pay attention to this function, and almost all users’ routers, while maintaining the factory settings, are turned on at full power. By setting the transmitter power to 50, 25% or even 10%, you can significantly reduce the radiation dose and coverage area.

And by following this operation with your neighbors, you can reduce the level of radiation by tens and hundreds of times. Moreover, manufacturers often unreasonably inflate the power of these devices to increase sales.

Is it possible to protect yourself from router radiation? Of course, router radiation has an impact on humans. But there is no clear answer yet to how harmful Wi-Fi radiation is.

But there are these numbers:

the signal intensity of a Wi-Fi router is 100,000 times weaker than that of a microwave oven;
The radiation from two routers and twenty laptops is equivalent to the radiation from one mobile phone.

If these impressive comparisons do not reassure the most inveterate skeptic, the following simple rules will tell you how to protect yourself from wifi radiation:

install routers at a distance of at least 40 cm from your workplace, and certainly not sleep next to a switched-on router;
turn off your access point if you do not intend to use the Internet;
Do not keep the laptop on your lap.

Technologies for protection against electromagnetic smog

The background created by various sources of electromagnetic radiation is called electromagnetic smog. Naturally, attempts are being made to protect ourselves from all these pathological influences at once.

Enterprising manufacturers have launched the production of wallpaper that can shield Wi-Fi radiation emanating from neighboring apartments. You can purchase them through foreign online stores. However, this particular product will interfere with internet transmission to other rooms within the apartment.
A new product has appeared on the health market - a corrector of the functional state of the body (FSC). Among the wide range of products for this purpose, a fabric blanket with carbon thread is offered. The material for creating such bedspreads is a special bipolar fabric that can reflect electromagnetic radiation from computers, wifi routers, phones and other household appliances.

Let's summarize - the above information is based on 4 parameters that allow us to give an objective assessment of whether a Wi-Fi router is harmful to health:

frequency;
power;
distance;
time.

Each of them works in favor of the theory of its negative influence.

And, although today there are no real facts that can confirm that it was wifi networks that caused this or that disease, compliance with safety measures will not be superfluous. In addition, humanity does not yet have data on the impact of microwave radiation on future generations.

In recent years, the number of wireless devices has increased significantly. I use a Wi-Fi connection on smartphones, laptops, TVs, set-top boxes and various household appliances. The convenience of this connection method is obvious - there is no need to pull wires, damaging the interior. It is enough to place a router in the apartment, and all the listed devices will be combined into a common network over the air. However, Wi-Fi is radiation, and any type of radiation has an effect on the human body. In this article we will tell you whether wireless networks are harmful and how dangerous it is to stay near a switched-on router for a long time.

Is it harmful to be near a router?

So, how can a regular router be dangerous and is it really dangerous to be near it all the time?

In order to answer this question, let's first understand what Wi-Fi is.

Wi-Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity, that is, “wireless data transmission.” Radio waves with a frequency of 2.4 - 5 GHz are used to transmit information. Therefore, Wi-Fi is a type of radio wave of a certain range. Strictly speaking, a router is a device of the same profile as a mobile phone, TV and FM radio. All of these devices emit radio waves of varying frequencies and intensities. And these waves affect our body constantly, indoors and outdoors, because we are almost always in the range of one or more radiation sources.

Why are radio waves dangerous to health?

Scientists are unanimous: radio radiation can definitely harm the human body. The extent of the harm directly depends on the power of the radiation source, its duration and the proximity of the person to it.

The main directions of the negative impact of router radio waves on human health are as follows::

Long-term exposure to radio waves reduces the level of antioxidant defense of the body, which leads to disruptions in the functioning of internal organs, primarily the brain and liver.
Radio waves negatively affect male reproduction. Radio radiation reduces sperm motility and damages testicular DNA. Long-term exposure to intense radio waves can lead to infertility.
Radio radiation negatively affects the development of the fetus and can provoke termination of pregnancy. Constant use of mobile phones and Wi-Fi devices increases the likelihood of miscarriage by 50%.
Radio waves cause sleep disturbances. In particular, they disrupt the change of sleep phases, as a result of which a person does not get enough sleep. Radio radiation can also cause insomnia.
Radio radiation causes cancer. Back in the 1970s, scientists found that most people who died of cancer lived in homes with strong electromagnetic fields.

How dangerous is router radiation?

Let's consider whether the radiation from a router located in an apartment is harmful to health. Devices emitting radio waves are constantly around us. At the same time, a regular microwave emits radiation 100 thousand times more than a router. Yes, and the mobile phone “phonics” is much stronger. To surpass the radiation intensity of one mobile phone, you will need two routers and two dozen laptops.

Therefore, many experts argue that of all household devices that use radio frequencies, a router is the safest.

On the one hand, this statement is true in principle. The radiation from a Wi-Fi router is negligible compared to the radiation from many household devices. However, in most apartments the router is constantly on, while we use other devices for a short time. For example, we turn on the microwave to warm up food. This takes a few minutes. And the peak power of mobile phone radiation is achieved only during a conversation. In standby mode it is negligible. Thus, the low radiation power of the router is compensated by its round-the-clock operation. This means that its harmful effect on the body cannot be underestimated in any case.

Scientists conducted such an experiment. Two sperm samples were placed under different conditions. One was just in the room where the computer was located. And the other was next to a computer that was actively interacting with the network via Wi-Fi. In the first case, 14% of sperm died, and in the second - 25%.

Router in the bedroom

Let's ask ourselves how harmful and dangerous it is to place a router in the bedroom.

Most often, a router in an apartment is installed in the bedroom. Because people like to lie around with a tablet or watch a movie online before going to bed. But you shouldn’t be near a switched-on router, and here’s why.

Scientists conducted such an experiment. They observed two groups of people. One group slept under normal conditions. People from the other group had a device with Wi-Fi turned on next to their bed overnight, and then, the next morning, their condition was compared with the experimental ones from the first group. It was found that the majority of participants in the second group experienced cerebral vascular spasms, fatigue, and decreased attention. People who spent the night without Wi-Fi were much less likely to experience these symptoms.

It is believed that Wi-Fi radiation has a much greater impact on the brain of children, since the children's skull is thinner than that of an adult and is less protected from radio waves. Therefore, if a child is sleeping in the room, all devices using Wi-Fi must be removed or turned off at night.

In addition, the router's display and constantly flashing lights, especially in the dark, can have an irritating effect on the psyche and make it difficult to fall asleep.

In this regard, it is strictly not recommended to place the router in the bedroom, much less next to the bed..

How to reduce harm from a router

Of course, the best way to minimize the harm from Wi-Fi is not to use a router at all. After all, after all, a computer or laptop can be connected to the network via wires. But Internet users are unlikely to be ready for such a radical solution. And if you follow this method in everything, you will have to give up television, radio, and mobile communications.

Therefore, let's look at how you can continue to use a wireless network at home and at the same time reduce the harmful effects of router radiation on the body.

Household routers are usually not very powerful. They operate at frequencies up to 5 GHz and their radiation power does not exceed 100 mW. However, there are more powerful devices used to transmit data over long distances when organizing large networks. There is no need for such powerful routers in an apartment. Therefore, use a regular router. Its effect on your body will be minimal.

Place the router away from your work area. And even more so from the bed you sleep on. In general, if possible, install it in a room where you are least likely to be present. For example, in the hallway, in the attic of a private house or in any non-residential room. At a distance, radio waves are much less dangerous. Of course, the further away the router, the weaker the signal, but for a city apartment in most cases this is not important. If the signal quality is not satisfactory, you will have to look for a reasonable compromise.

The fewer devices, the better. It is better to use one powerful router, if necessary, than two or three weaker devices. If in your case you cannot do without, try to ensure that their number is minimal.

In normal operation, the router emits radio waves constantly. If its continuous operation is not necessary, it makes sense to reduce the time of its active operation. Most routers can be configured so that the Internet will only connect if there are active client devices. The rest of the time the router will be in passive mode and the intensity of its radiation will be significantly lower.

If the router is not currently in use, you can turn it off altogether. And, of course, the router should be unplugged at night.

You can read about why you should turn off your router at night on our website.

Conclusion

The following conclusions can be drawn.

In the modern world, it is not possible to completely get rid of the effects of Wi-Fi radiation. Because routers are used in homes, offices and even on the street. Large cities are completely covered by wireless networks.

The power of Wi-Fi radiation from a conventional router is several times less than that of other household appliances. Therefore, the harm that it can cause to the human body is minimal.

In order to protect yourself from the possible negative consequences of constant contact with a Wi-Fi router, it is enough to follow a number of simple recommendations.

Many modern residents are interested in the question of whether a router is harmful to human health. Of course, Wi-Fi is convenient, but many doubt the security of this modern device.

It was first used back in one thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven; since then, many studies have been carried out on whether a Wi-Fi router is harmful to human health. The results are obvious and shocking - Wi-fi can negatively affect overall health, and especially brain functionality. The main negative impact is on children.

Perhaps the most shocking thing is that this information is quite outdated and almost no one has been able to challenge it. Over the years, scientists have written many works and conducted a number of studies regarding this problem. For example, in 2008, articles appeared in the free press explaining the dangers of Wi-Fi and what effect radiation has on the human brain.

Based on this information, it becomes clear that the harm from Wi-Fi is very obvious, so you need to use this device with care.

To avoid major harm, it is important to install routers in the correct location initially and ensure that children are not around for too long.

What are the dangers when using Wi-Fi devices?

To understand whether Wi-Fi is harmful, it is enough to familiarize yourself with its mechanism of action.

Based on research results, it has been established that Wi-Fi has a harmful effect on humans.

Scientists have established several types of negative effects on the body from radiation from Wi-Fi devices.

The main negative reactions that appear in a person are:

Insomnia.
Disturbances in fetal development.
Disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system.

Manifestations of insomnia. Reports of these phenomena are quite frequent, and even prompted a study in two thousand and seven. It assessed low-frequency modulation of devices and its effect on sleep. The group of experimental participants exposed to radiation reported poor sleep and changes in brain activity.

Problems related to fetal development. Exposure to non-thermal radio waves emanating from the device may disrupt the normal development of body cells, especially in the fetus. An animal study has shown that a router in an apartment may be associated with the fact that the unborn child will have kidney problems. In fact, the disruption of protein synthesis is so severe that expectant mothers should seriously consider removing the router from the home.

Negatively affects the functioning of the nervous system. When many children found it difficult to concentrate after sleep, scientists conducted an experiment to test the effect of a Wi-Fi router on children's sleep. True, the experiments were carried out on plants, the result was a little shocking; the greenery located near the device grew much slower than plants located far from the Wi-Fi router.

Disorders in the body caused by Wi-Fi devices

In addition to what is indicated above, the harm from Wi-Fi to health may manifest itself in other ways. For example, it is known that if you install the device in the room where a child sleeps, then, most likely, the baby will encounter problems related to memory concentration. Using MRI equipment, it was possible to establish how harmful Wi-Fi is for the baby’s body. The child’s brain suffers the most; its activity decreases.

But in addition to children, female representatives are also at risk. For them, the router is just as harmful to health as for younger users.

Of course, it is difficult to say that people should completely stop using these installations. Modern technologies are developing and it is simply impossible to completely limit yourself from their negative impact. But in any case, certain measures should be taken to protect against such influence.

It has already been said above how harmful routers are for women and children. Short waves have a negative impact on the well-being of men. Their reproductive function suffers the most. Under the influence of radio radiation, sperm activity is greatly reduced, and accordingly, there is a risk of encountering infertility problems. Short-wave radiation causes DNA fragmentation.

But that’s not all, it turns out that the waves directly affect human fertility. Studies have shown that literally after two hours of exposure throughout the day, the level of abnormal pregnancy increases significantly.

Having studied the information presented above, it is not difficult to draw a conclusion about whether there is harm to the human body.

Of course, routers have a negative effect on the human body, which raises concerns regarding their regular use.

Doctors' opinions on the use of devices with wi-fi communication

Regarding whether it is harmful to use Wi-Fi or mobile phones, all doctors have long given the same affirmative answer. Of course, these devices have a negative effect on the human body.

Especially if you are constantly near them. Regular contact leads to very bad consequences for human health. Moreover, everyone without exception falls under the negative influence. Of course, children and women who are pregnant suffer the most. In this position, you should try not to be near such devices and avoid constant contact with mobile devices.

It is especially dangerous to keep your phone under your pillow while sleeping and sleep in a room where the short-wave emitter device is located. This has a very negative impact on a person’s well-being.

Anyone who has kept a phone under their pillow all night, or who has objects emitting short waves in their room near their bed, complains that in the morning they feel broken and exhausted, as if they haven’t slept a wink all night.

To avoid this, it is better to install routers in housing where it is possible to allocate a separate room for the device, or at least it will not be located in the room where people sleep.

What is important to remember when using wi-fi devices?

We must not forget that you should not keep any wireless devices near your sleeping place or the room where you spend most of your time. Otherwise, constant presence of this item nearby can lead to the development of serious health problems.

Some studies conducted in this area have shown that if you stay near the device for a long time and regularly, the process of developing cancerous tumors may begin. Therefore, it is better to find a more suitable place for your router.

One such case involved a young 21-year-old woman who developed breast cancer. What makes this case unique is that there was no family history of breast cancer. Moreover, the tumor formed right on the spot where she carried her mobile phone in her bra. It should be noted that the harm from wifi is the same as from mobile phones.

Accordingly, answering the question of whether a router is harmful to health, it should be noted that it has a very strong negative effect on the human body. It is clear that it is impossible to completely abandon the use of similar items, but you should try to keep laptops, wireless computers, mobile phones and routers near you as little as possible. A safe distance must be maintained.

It is necessary to undergo regular examinations that can identify in the early stages of development possible disorders in the body caused by close and frequent contact with devices emitting short-wave radiation.

The answer to the question of whether wi fi is harmful to human health is affirmative, so it is recommended to protect yourself as much as possible from the negative effects of radiation. Particular care should be taken for children and women who are pregnant. For them, precautions should be observed much more strictly and then the harm to health will be minimal or can be avoided altogether. By the way, not as strong as the damage from the radiation generated by the router.

Hello, dear readers! Today, wireless Internet will not surprise anyone. WiFi is available in hotels, shopping centers, cafes, in our houses and apartments - and almost everywhere. The absence of a wireless access point is considered an attribute of the Stone Age - we are so accustomed to it. And just think: we got used to it in just a few years.

Is Wi-Fi convenient? Without a doubt. Thanks to it, we can connect to the Internet from almost any device within the influence of the Wi-Fi router: from a laptop, smartphone or tablet computer. There are no wires, and the Internet works quite quickly (although in public places it can slow down noticeably due to the large number of users).

Do you use a Wi-Fi router at home? Most of you, I'm sure, will answer in the affirmative. Have you asked yourself questions such as:

How powerful is the radiation from the router?
How does it affect the people around you?
Is WiFi harmful to human health?

If you think that this is some kind of paranoia that has struck one person, then know that similar questions appear with some frequency on the Internet and in other media. In this article I will try to find answers to them and form a clear opinion about the harmfulness of routers.

Technical information

Before drawing any conclusions, it is necessary to talk about some technical parameters of Wi-Fi.

The frequency of electromagnetic (EM) radiation is 2.4 GHz. For reference, the frequency of microwaves in microwave ovens is 2.45 GHz. This is why microwaves can sometimes interfere with WiFi routers.
EM radiation power – up to 18 dBm (63.1 mW). If we consider a microwave oven, then the wave power there is on average 700-800 W! And if we consider a more harmless device - a mobile phone - then it emits with a power of approximately 1 W.
Unlike a mobile phone, which emits only at certain intervals, electromagnetic waves from a Wi-Fi router act constantly.
The router emits within a radius of approximately up to 100 meters(indoor conditions).

Based on this data, we will draw conclusions about the impact Wi-Fi can have on humans.

How to measure harm?

To assess the possible harm that WiFi can cause to human health, you need to decide how it will be expressed. In other words, what exactly can Wi-Fi be harmful for - for the skin, lungs, bones, heart, kidneys and or something else?...

It has long been known that an excess of electromagnetic radiation has a detrimental effect on brain cells and the central nervous system (CNS). This is expressed by increased fatigue, insomnia, headaches and other symptoms that are often attributed to ordinary fatigue.

Since Wi-Fi is electromagnetic radiation, it can have this effect. However, is this influence so strong that we should worry about it?

Many believe that since the frequency of radiation of a router is comparable to a microwave oven, then it is as dangerous a device as a stove. However, we must not forget that the power of the waves in a microwave oven is thousands of times higher than the power of the waves from the router. Therefore, these two devices affect a person completely differently. It is the power that determines how strongly the waves affect people nearby.

When assessing the harm caused by electromagnetic waves, it is also necessary to take into account the distance to the source of the waves.

According to the inverse square law, the power of EM radiation is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source. In relation to a Wi-Fi router, this means that the further you are from it, the less influence it has on you.

You also need to take into account the time during which electromagnetic radiation affects you. It is logical that longer exposure has a much stronger effect on the body. For example, sitting at a computer for 4 hours is much more tiring than a 30-second conversation on a cell phone.

conclusions

So, in order to accurately say whether Wi Fi is harmful or not, you should take into account all the initial data: frequency of radiation, its power, distance to the source and exposure time. If you evaluate the impact by only one parameter, then you can easily mislead other people by telling them that the Wi-Fi router “phons” at the same frequency as the microwave oven and, therefore, is just as dangerous.

I will not mislead you, and will present the conclusions that I came to through a detailed consideration of the problem.

A Wi-Fi router is a source of electromagnetic radiation.
The number of sources of EM radiation around us is large: computers, microwave ovens, smartphones, and so on (I already wrote on this topic in THIS article).
If you start to worry about the dangers of Wi-Fi, then first of all you need to protect yourself from other sources of radiation, since they are much more powerful (for example, a TV or telephone).
It is 100% impossible to protect yourself from exposure to electromagnetic waves. We live in a world where these waves are constantly present.
We can only minimize their impact on our body.
Try to turn off your Wi-Fi router when you are not using the Internet.
Try not to be located in close proximity to the router. And you definitely shouldn’t sleep next to a device that’s turned on (especially for those who have a child in the house).
Compliance with points 6 and 7 is quite enough to minimize the impact of radiation from a Wi-Fi router.

Dear readers, I made all these conclusions a long time ago. And I try to adhere to the rules listed above in my life constantly. These rules are elementary and do not require excessive mental and physical stress. So there is no smell of paranoia here. This is a common concern for your health...

By the way, have you heard about shungite stickers on your phone, which supposedly minimize the impact of electromagnetic waves? Read about whether they really help.

With wishes of good health, Sergey Chesnokov