Does Living Near a Mobile Phone Tower Increase Cancer Risk? Science Weighs In

Living near a telecommunications tower does not, on the evidence currently available, clearly increase a person’s risk of cancer. Concerns about electromagnetic waves remain widespread, but the studies cited by the article have not established a clear connection between tower exposure and cancer.

Telecommunications towers transmit and receive mobile signals using radio-frequency waves. These are forms of non-ionizing radiation, which do not carry enough energy to directly destroy DNA, unlike ionizing radiation such as X-rays. The World Health Organization says the known health effect of radio-frequency exposure at very high levels is tissue heating. Exposure in publicly accessible areas around telecommunications towers is generally very low.

The American Cancer Society says evidence linking residence or work near telecommunications towers to cancer remains limited. Studies in humans have not found a clear association between exposure to radio-frequency waves from phones and towers and cancer risk. The World Health Organization likewise says studies of radio-frequency transmitters have not shown an increased cancer risk from exposure.

The presence of a tower nearby does not, by itself, determine exposure. Levels vary according to the location, height and direction of antennas, as well as transmission power. Antenna emissions generally point toward the horizon, and their energy falls quickly with distance, making ground-level exposure near towers much lower than safety limits. The article notes that people should not enter areas very close to transmitting antennas when exposure levels exceed permitted limits.

The same basic assessment applies to 5G. The World Health Organization says exposure from current 5G infrastructure at the frequencies in use is similar to exposure from existing telecommunications towers. Research into long-term effects continues, but the available evidence does not show a clear cancer risk under ordinary exposure conditions.