Is 5G radiation harmful and lethal for birds and humans? Know the truth.

A couple of months back India started the first phase of 5G services in limited cities. However, misinformation about the service is being shared on social media. 

It is claimed that 5G radiation is lethal and is the reason behind the death of many birds. 

Fact Crescendo found the claim to be false. 5G radiation is less than the frequency that harms living beings. 

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We also found a similar claim viral on social media in 2018. It was claimed in the video that many birds died in the Netherlands at the same time 5G testing started. Due to the effect of radiation birds died and started falling from the sky and ducks put their heads into the water to save themselves. 

Another claim that went viral on social media is that COVID-19 is not a disease. The pandemic had only come for the second time due to 5G tower testing. As a result, people had trouble breathing and were dying. 

Fact Check- 

In our research, we debunked each claim individually. 

Claim 1: 5G radiation is killing birds. Did the Netherlands witness the death of birds due to 5G radiation?

The Dutch company that conducted the 5G test explained that no 5G towers were installed in the area where the dead birds were found. Also from October-November 2018, 5-G was not tested near the place of the incident. 

The municipal administration and experts investigated the case of death of birds and said that those birds did not die due to ‘5G’. After the investigation, it was mentioned that the death of those birds may have been due to poisoning.

The frequencies used in ‘5G’ technology are within the safety limits set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). 5G will have the same exposure level as ‘3G’ and ‘4G’ technologies. So there is no reason to worry, said ICNIRP Chairman Dr. Eric Rongen.

Joe Kirschwink, a biophysicist at the California Institute of Technology, reported that radio waves above 10 MHz are not harmful to birds. 

Website: Audubon

Claim 2: Is 5G spreading COVID-19?

The World Health Organization (WHO) had clarified that this claimis false. Corona virus do not spread due to ‘5G’. No virus can spread through radio waves. Even in many non-5G countries, Covid-19 has spread. So there is no connection between ‘5G’ and COVID.

Claim 3: 5G is causing serious health issues in Humans.

International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) in one of its publication stated, “It is important to note that the ICNIRP (1998) specifications will also provide protection for 5G technology based on the measured 5G levels. Since it is difficult to predict how new technologies will evolve, ICNIRP (2020) has made several changes that 5G technology cannot harm us. 

Fact Crescendo contacted Digit magazine editor Mithun Mohandas. According to him, “5G radiation does not harm humans, birds or any other creatures. If that would have been the case, then the installation and testing of 5G tower would not have been approved. It has been many years since 5G has been installed in many countries but there are no reports of loss of any lives. People in relatively close quarters may face some problems due to heat. The research on this case is still going on.”

WHO stated that “After much research to date, WHO has concluded that wireless technology does not cause any adverse health effects. As the frequency increases, the radiation penetrates less into the body; provided that overall exposure remains below international guidelines.”

Conclusion: 

Fact Crescendo found that 5G radiation is not harmful or lethal to birds or humans. The claim in the post is false. Experts have assured that the radiation level in 5G is below the warning level.