Smart Grid

Smart Grid Health Concerns

The use of radio frequencies (RF) in consumer products such as cellular phones, baby monitors and wireless routers has increased considerably over the last decade and remains on the rise. Although advanced meters also utilize this technology to transmit data, they present significantly lower RF exposure for consumers than many other products that are used daily without concern (See Chart).

In fact, advanced meters comply with and far exceed Federal Communications Commission requirements. In addition, advanced meters do not transmit data constantly - they use RF signals less than 1 percent of the time, and the signals are strongest at the meter but diminish quickly with distance.

There is no evidence that the meters cause adverse health effects in humans or animals despite thousands of studies. Yet it’s fairly easy to find information on the Internet that portrays the meters as a health risk. We've found that the most objective information is available at the World Health Organization's website. The WHO has been studying the effects of exposure to RF and electromagnetic fields (EMF) since 1996, through The EMF Project. Even with all of the conflicting data, the WHO notes that most scientists and researchers worldwide concur that any health effects of low level RF and EMF, if they exist at all, are likely to be very small compared to other health risks that people routinely face.

The results of one of the most recent studies, published on the WHO website in late December, found no evidence that "exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields in everyday life is associated with the development of non-specific health symptoms." That's just one of thousands of studies to explore the effects of RF on brain activity, cognitive function, sleep, heart rate and blood pressure, and none of the research suggests any consistent evidence of adverse health effects from RF at levels used in advanced meters or even cell phones, which emit RF signals 1,000 to 10,000 times stronger than advanced meters. In addition, research has been unable to support a causal relationship between exposure to RF signals and symptoms of electromagnetic hypersensitivity, which include nausea, headaches and lethargy.

No link has been found between RF and cancer either, despite extensive study. According to the WHO, if RF signals were a strong carcinogen, there would be ample evidence by now. All of this doesn't necessarily mean RF has no effect on the human body, though; it could mean the effect is undetectable via the methods of study undertaken. This is what opens the door for misinformation - science cannot guarantee that RF signals are safe even though the research is reassuring overall.

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