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 There can be no doubt that animal material can be damaged by electromagnetic radiation at radio frequencies - most homes are equipped with a device designed for this purpose (a microwave oven). The amount of damage is dependent on the energy the flesh is subjected to, this in turn depends on the transmitted power, the frequency, the distance from the source and the length of exposure. A microwave oven is an extreme example but how much exposure to r.f. energy can our bodies take without damage? Is there such a thing as a safe level? Recently the UK Health protection agency cautioned against allowing children to use wireless laptops on their laps and the French government have warned against allowing children to use mobile phones.
In this article I look at some of the evidence, and suggest ways of minimising the risk of RF exposure, particularly in the home.
The French government has warned of health risks
when using mobile phones cautioning against excessive use of mobiles by children. In
the same article the World Health Organisation refers to studies that
point to an increased risk of tumors for people who have used analogue
phones for more than 10 years.
The French warning
follows on from the UK Health Protection
agency who warned that children should be discouraged from using mobile
phones (as if that were possible) and should not use wireless laptops
on their laps until research into health risks have been completed. The
problem is, we are using this generation of children as guinea pigs,
we'll wait and see if there are any ill effects in ten, twenty, fifty
years time shall we? - then what?
Recommendations
Avoid using wireless networks in the home. If you can't avoid it
minimise exposure by using a separate wireless access point to your
router. This is more expensive and more complicated to setup than an
all in one wireless routers, but it means the wireless access point can
be situated away from living areas (ours is in the loft). Your
broadband router on the other hand is most likely to be in the centre
of your living areas - where your phone line terminates.
 Don't use wireless networks as a substitute for a cabled infrastructure. The benefit of wireless is that it allows occasional ad hoc connections while on the move. Computers (laptops or desktops) in regular use should have a cabled network connection, particularly if used by children. If you can't run ethernet cable, adaptors are available to interconnect computers via your mains wiring (see left). You'll need one adaptor for each network connection and can get them by clicking here.
Don't let children use wireless laptops on their laps (counter intuitive maybe).
If you do use a wireless access point or wireless router switch it off when not in use (this applies to games consoles with wireless peripherals also). If you are buying an all in one router try and find one where the wireless section can be independently switched off. If you follow this advice and have a separate wireless access point choose one that can be powered over ethernet (gets it's power from the network connection, you'll need a hub or router that provides POE), in this case unplugging the network connection switches off the wireless access point.
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