The chairman of the UK Health Protection Agency, Sir William Stewart, is calling for an investigation into the health affects of WiFi networks in schools, amid fears that WiFi may cause cancer and early senility.

In a story titled Wi-Fi: Children at risk from ‘electronic smog’ the Independent reports that Sir William wants students to be monitored for any possible health affects as a result of being exposed to Wi-Fi networks in schools. Sir William is the former chief scientific adviser to the UK Government. He has chaired two inquiries into the dangers of mobile phones.

According to the Independent, the Professional Association of Teachers, is also demanding an official investigation. The newspaper says that “Recent research has linked radiation from mobiles to cancer and to brain damage. And many studies have found disturbing symptoms in people near masts.”

The article quoted Professor Johansson, of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, who said there were thousands of articles showing that there were adverse health effects attributed to Wi-Fi.

“Do we not know enough already to say, ‘Stop!’?” said Johansson.

The prospect of WiFi causing a health problems is a terrifying, and not only just for those of us who have children. Most of us are exposed to wireless networks for at least eight or nine hours per day, even if we don’t realize it. In my condo, for instance, my notebook picks up another five networks in addition to my own potential lethal set up.

Before anyone panics, you should be aware that while there may be some studies that have shown that WiFi and other radio-emitting devices may be hazardous, most research shows that there isn’t a significant danger. The editor of Wired News Gadget Lab, Rob Beschizza, has mounted an intelligent defense of WiFi.

“That WiFi signals are just radio waves, little different to those produced by cordless telephones and baby monitors, is never mentioned (by the Independent),” wrote Beschizza. ”Nor is the fact that sufferers would therefore be potentially sensitive to all similar radio transmissions.”

Beshchizza makes the point that the world is “awash” in low-powered radio waves and “either they are all dangerous, or WiFi’s distinctive characteristic — the pulsed data packets contained within its transmissions — are the demons at hand.”

“In other words, to claim ill-effects of WiFi specifically appears to be a claim that the data on the line, rather than the line itself, is dangerous to humans. This appears, on its face, to be physically impossible,” contends Beshchizza.

He concludes by saying that “the idea that there is a vague, all-encompassing “Electronic Smog,” however, with indefinite, random symptoms, is classic junk science”.

If by some small chance, wireless networks and other radio emitting devices, do pose a health hazard, you should be able to find some solace in that fact that we’re all pretty much doomed. It’s very hard to avoid that “electronic smog” in the modern world.

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Entry was posted on Monday, April 23rd, 2007 at 12:42 pm under Science and technology, Technology.

Read more entries by John Pospisil.
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