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Technology
Bringing technology news from around Berkshire |
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Wi-fi Health Fears
The BBC Programme Panorama broadcast on Monday has sparked off a debate about the safety of wireless working. Programme researchers found radiation levels from a wireless network in one school were almost 3 times that of a mobile phone mast. However, scientists are claiming there is no real evidence to suggest a link between wi-fi usage and health problems.
With wireless working becoming more and more popular, it’s inevitable that concerns will arise regarding the relative safety of wireless devices. After all, if mobile phones emit radiation then so will wireless laptops.
The Panorama team investigated a school in Norwich that has a wi-fi connection in the classroom. Comparing readings with a typical phone mast, they found levels of radiation were 3 times higher at the school. That said, these readings were still way below the government's official safety limit for radiation. Yet 5 years ago, the Health Protection Agency recommended that the beam of greatest intensity from a phone mast should not fall on any part of a school’s grounds.
Nonetheless the debate continues about wi-fi use and many experts claim that despite the perceived risks, there is no hard evidence to link wi-fi to health problems. One physics expert told the BBC "Wi-fi uses very low intensity radio waves. Whilst similar in wavelength to domestic microwave radiation, the intensity of wi-fi radiation is 100,000 times less than that of a domestic microwave oven.”
Although the type of radiation has been shown to be dangerous at high levels, there is no evidence to suggest low levels of exposure will cause damage. Professor Lawrie Challis, of Nottingham University, added : “Wi-fi exposures are usually very small - the transmitters are low power and some distance from the body... my own view is that just as we encourage young children not to use mobile phones we should also encourage them to use their laptops on a table rather than their lap, if they are going online for a long time."
www.businessinberkshire.co.uk/technology
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