How Europe Can Address Mobile Radiation Risks to Wildlife by Laura Recuero

In her study “The exposure of nonhuman living organisms to mobile communication emissions: A survey to establish European stakeholders’ policy option preferences”, Laura Recuero Virto, Teacher Researcher at EMLV discusses the issue of radiofrequency radiation (RF-EMF) emitted by mobile communication networks and its potential effects on living things, particularly with the introduction of 5G technology.

She analyses how using higher frequencies with 5G might significantly impact the surface tissues of plants and small creatures.

The exposure of living organisms to mobile communications

Living organisms are exposed to unprecedented amounts of mobile communications radio frequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) emissions. Guidelines on exposure thresholds to limit thermal effects from these emissions are restricted to humans.

However, tissue heating can occur in all exposed living organisms. In addition, exposure at millimetric frequencies used by 5G may impact the surface tissues and organs of plants and small-size species. Adding 5G to existing networks is also expected to intensify radio frequency absorption by living organisms.

The proposed policy options on the effects of RF-EMF

A European Parliament report proposed policy options on the effects of RF-EMF exposure of plants, animals, and other living organisms in the context of 5G: funding more research, implementing monitoring networks, accessing more information from operators on antennas and EMF emissions, and developing compliance studies when antennas are installed.

However, there is no evidence on the preferences of relevant stakeholders regarding these policy options.

The findings of a survey of key European stakeholders’ policy

This paper reports the findings of a survey of key European stakeholders’ policy option preferences based on the European Parliament’s report. It reveals a broad consensus on funding more research on the effects of exposure of plants, animals, and other living organisms to EMFs.

It also highlights the need for deliberation concerning the other policy options that could provide solutions for regulatory authorities, central administrations, the private sector, nongovernmental associations and advocates, and academics.

Such deliberation would pave the way for effective solutions, focusing on long-term output from funding research, and enabling short-term socially and economically acceptable actions for all parties concerned.

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