The investigation also found, though, that the signals could be
hundreds of times stronger and still stay within Government health
guidelines.
The BBC's Panorama programme has investigated the potential
health hazards of Wi-Fi networks in schools. It measured the RF
radiation in one school and found that the radiation from the
school's network was as much as 600 times below the Government's
safety limits for RF radiation.
A Panorama spokesperson confirmed to OUT-LAW that its reference
to the highest levels being three times those of a mobile phone
mast compared Wi-Fi radiation levels in a classroom with mobile
phone mast radiation levels near the school, not the levels at the
mast.
BT has rejected accusations that Wi-Fi is dangerous. "As our
work with local councils in the creation of Wireless Cities
continues, we are very conscious of our responsibility to the
public, employees and customers," said the telco in a
statement.
"BT is absolutely committed to ensuring the technology we
install is safe. Speculation about health issues in relation to
mobile phones, mobile base stations and related wireless products
is still very much in the public eye and we take these concerns
surrounding very seriously, ensuring we monitor the latest research
available."
BT pointed to a report from a year ago by the World Health
Organisation (WHO), which gave mobile phone and wireless networks a
clean bill of health.
"Recent surveys have shown that the RF exposures from base
stations range from 0.002% to 2% of the levels of international
exposure guidelines, depending on a variety of factors such as the
proximity to the antenna and the surrounding environment," said the
WHO report. "This is lower or comparable to RF exposures from radio
or television broadcast transmitters."
"In fact, due to their lower frequency, at similar RF exposure
levels, the body absorbs up to five times more of the signal from
FM radio and television than from base stations," it said.
"From all evidence accumulated so far, no adverse short- or
long-term health effects have been shown to occur from the RF
signals produced by base stations. Since wireless networks produce
generally lower RF signals than base stations, no adverse health
effects are expected from exposure to them," said the report.
Panorama has talked to scientists sceptical about the safety
limits set by governments, and of the research that has shown no
ill-effects of mobile phone technology.
There have been up to 3,000 studies of mobile phone technology
and its possible health effects but few if any on Wi-Fi
networks.
