nanog mailing list archives

Re: Technology risk without safeguards


From: Tom Beecher <beecher () beecher cc>
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2020 21:32:12 -0500


The hypothesis that RF may cause damage to human DNA is not at all
conspiracy. The
fact that we haven't been able to identify a factual relationship, does
not mean
that there isn't any. For example:


If you are going to cite that American Cancer Society article, you should
cite all the relevant parts. The parts you skipped are bolded.

*RF waves don’t have enough energy to damage DNA directly. Because of this,
it’s not clear how RF radiation might be able to cause cancer. Some studies
have found possible increased rates of certain types of tumors in lab
animals exposed to RF radiation, but overall, the results of these types of
studies have not provided clear answers so far.*

*A few studies have reported evidence of biological effects that could be
linked to cancer, but this is still an area of research.*

In large studies published in 2018 by the US National Toxicology Program
(NTP) and by the Ramazzini Institute in Italy, researchers exposed groups
of lab rats (as well as mice, in the case of the NTP study) to RF waves
over their entire bodies for many hours a day, starting before birth and
continuing for at least most of their natural lives. Both studies found an
increased risk of uncommon heart tumors called malignant schwannomas in
male rats, but not in female rats (nor in male or female mice, in the NTP
study). The NTP study also reported possible increased risks of certain
types of tumors in the brain and in the adrenal glands.

*While both of these studies had strengths, they also had limitations that
make it hard to know how they might apply to humans being exposed to RF
radiation. A 2019 review of these two studies by the International
Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) determined that
the limitations of the studies didn’t allow conclusions to be drawn
regarding the ability of RF energy to cause cancer.*

*Still, the results of these studies do not rule out the possibility that
RF radiation might somehow be able to impact human health.*

The majority of science to date finds no causal relationship between EM
radiation and cancerous mutations. If someone wants to claim otherwise,
scientific proof is required.

On Wed, Nov 4, 2020 at 7:56 PM Sabri Berisha <sabri () cluecentral net> wrote:

Hi,

Not that I'm into conspiracy theories, or believe at this point that RF
emissions
are in any way related to cancer, but Suresh' statement is not very
scientific:

This is an internet conspiracy theory with no basis in reality or
science.

RF emissions are absorbed by the human body. Your kitchen microwave works
at
the same frequency as your 2.4Ghz wifi. We all know it's a bad idea to put
your
head in a microwave oven.

The hypothesis that RF may cause damage to human DNA is not at all
conspiracy. The
fact that we haven't been able to identify a factual relationship, does
not mean
that there isn't any. For example:

In large studies published in 2018 by the US National Toxicology Program
(NTP)
and by the Ramazzini Institute in Italy, researchers exposed groups of
lab rats
(as well as mice, in the case of the NTP study) to RF waves over their
entire
bodies for many hours a day, starting before birth and continuing for at
least
most of their natural lives. Both studies found an increased risk of
uncommon
heart tumors called malignant schwannomas in male rats, but not in
female rats
(nor in male or female mice, in the NTP study). The NTP study also
reported
possible increased risks of certain types of tumors in the brain and in
the adrenal
glands.

Source:
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/radiation-exposure/radiofrequency-radiation.html

If your doctor suspected that you had cancer caused by something related
to
microwave band communications equipment, you need to find a new doctor.

On the contrary. Few people are more exposed to higher-powered RF radiation
than a MW techie. That would make them an excellent subject for scientific
research. Dismissing a medical professional's opinion based in your own
firm beliefs is counterproductive to the advance of scientific knowledge.

Thanks,

Sabri, M.Sc

----- On Nov 4, 2020, at 2:01 PM, Matt Harris matt () netfire net wrote:

My first instinct is to let this be because the level of conspiracy
theory
nuttiness seems to be very high and the level of knowledge of basic
physics
seems to be very low, but since this list is archived in a way that
lay-people
may reference it at some point in the future, I'm going to go ahead and
reply
just this once more and just one point here so that a lack of response
here
won't be used as fodder by conspiracy theorists.

      Matt Harris     |       Infrastructure Lead Engineer
816‑256‑5446  |       Direct
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On Wed, Nov 4, 2020 at 2:48 PM Suresh Kalkunte < [ mailto:
sskalkunte () gmail com |
sskalkunte () gmail com ] > wrote:

At an employer where I developed Wi-Fi based SOHO device, an adjacent
group was
testing Line of Sight transceivers. Nobody warned me of the inclement
health (a
general physician in 2007 suspected cancer looking at a blood test)
from close
quarters exposure to the side lobes emanating from the microwave radio.

There is no scientific evidence that RF emissions in the bands used for
communications have any causal relationship with cancer in humans. This
is an
internet conspiracy theory with no basis in reality or science. If your
doctor
suspected that you had cancer caused by something related to microwave
band
communications equipment, you need to find a new doctor.


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