Wi-Fi in Schools, Not Worth the Exposure

Posted on October 27, 2011 by hjohnstone

Wi-Fi in Schools, Not Worth the Exposure
By Jackie Christensen, MSHH, HHP, MH, NC

Wi-Fi is inundating public schools around the county. It is so prevalent you can now find it on school buses. While some may attest to the educational benefits of having internet access available anytime anywhere, there are also those who experience health conditions such as headaches, dizziness, increased heart rate and behavioral changes due the radiation deployed from the Wi-Fi frequency.

Critics of Wi-Fi have some compelling evidence to back their view. Former research consultant for Harvard School of Public Health, Susan Clarke has been researching the effects of wireless technology for years. According to Clarke the radiation emitted from Wi-Fi is the same frequency that is used by the microwave oven. It is a frequency that is easily absorbed by living tissue, especially those approximately the size of a child’s head and due to the slender nature of a child’s skull they are at an increased risk for radiation absorption. In addition the human body is composed of approximately 65% water giving it an exceptionally high absorption rate to radiofrequency radiation and as the frequency of radiation increases so does the absorption.

The typical classroom may have 30 laptops, one for each student. Bill P. Curry, Ph.D., Consulting Physicist at EMSciTek has investigated the results of the microwave radiation environment that has been created by the use of computers on a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and according to him “One can conservatively say that any one child will receive a radiation dose commensurate with a radiation density of at least 6-8 microwatts per square centimeter. Presumably, this will continue for the duration the child is in the classroom where the computers are being used, every school day. I think this is likely to be a serious hazard.”

Health experts have increasingly expressed concern over the duration a child will be exposed to Wi-Fi microwave radiation. A six year old entering a school district with Wi-Fi may be facing the next twelve years of their life to radiofrequency/microwaves radiation exposure.

Those who support Wi-Fi in schools, believe that there is not “convincing scientific evidence” that Wi-Fi in schools poses a danger to children. However, there should be no deliberation over whether the convenience of wireless technology, when wired technology can be used is worth the associated health risks and do school children really need Wi-Fi on the bus? I am sure only a minuscule amount of its use is for educational purposes. If students really want to study on the bus they can read a book.

Sources:

“Wi-Fi in Classrooms.” Center for Safer Wireless. Web. <http://www.centerforsaferwireless.org/Wi-Fi-in-classrooms.php>.

http://gifam.org/blog/?p=281