Quote:
Originally Posted by jabook
... to give you a specific and personal example (not really a scientific evidence, but to explain concerns etc.) why there are in my opinion some valid concerns about wireless in general: a wlan hot spot was installed in my office approx. 1.5 or 2 meters from my working place some time ago (please note I did not know about its existence at that time). As you might guess because it is an example, there were likely some kind of health consequences: my tinitus was getting worse to the point that I repeatedly heard loud clacking sounds. After finding out about the wlan hotspot and knowing there were no other changes home or at work, I agreed with the employer just to move the hotspot further away so that the intensity decreases number of times (it was needed in that area) and the problem = loud sounds were gone (tinitus very naturally, but sadly not). I cannot of course claim 100% that hearing loud non-existing sounds was caused by the hotspot, but it appeared and disappeared with it and there were no other identifiable causes (which I tried to think hard about before bothering my employer with something so strange-sounding as the wlan-related health problems).
|
Not to belittle any health issues you may have experienced, but I have a hard time believing that the wi-fi hotspot had anything to do with your problems. Wi-Fi runs at either 2.4GHz or 5GHz, both are bands open for pretty much any device to use as long as it passes FCC (or your local country's regulatory body) for use. Chances are, the Wi-Fi hotspot was running on the 2.4Ghz band as 5Ghz devices have only started gaining traction in the last few years. The following items also often use the same frequencies at the same power level or higher.
Cordless Phones, Baby Monitors, Bluetooth, Car Alarms, CCTV, Satellite TV, and Microwave Ovens. Many of these devices are made to emit a higher amount of radiation than any Wi-Fi hotspot or device and, in fact, your laptop or anything around you with a Wi-Fi card in it will be emitting the same amount of radiation closer to you.
Even your microwave oven emits massive amounts of 2.4Ghz radiation, and while it is shielded, you can often see the effects of the radiation being emitted by using a Wi-Fi signal monitor on a nearby computer. The effect is more pronounced on older or cheaper microwaves.
If you aren't seeing the same issues around the multitude of devices that also work on this band, chances are there are other causes. The mind is very powerful at finding causes for problems, often when there is no link at all, and it is also very powerful at curing problems with nothing more than a strong belief. The simple fact is that there is no peer-reviewed research that links the power levels in consumer devices (measured in milliwatts) to any sort of acute or long term issues.