HOW DOES WI-FI RADIATION AFFECT THE GROWTH OF PLANTS?
Autor: QUAN IVAR VAN DER KNOKKE
Centre: INST.JAUME VICENS VIVES
Document:
tdr_ara_premis_uvic.pdf
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This essay discusses the possibility of radio waves caused by Wi-Fi routers being harmful to living beings, as there are divided opinions on the subject: some people claim it is, while many other claim it is not. This is done by firstly doing theoretical research about electromagnetic waves, and then performing a practical experiment on the growth of spearmint plants and the intensity of the Wi-Fi radiation affecting them.
While many possibly misinformed (or directly partisan) articles have been published, the initial investigation shows that, firstly, radio waves such as Wi-Fi can not harm living tissue in the same way as dangerous high-energy radiation types (gamma waves, x-rays, and ultraviolet light) do – that being, by ionising atoms and molecules. However, there is an unproven possibility that radio waves and, by extent, Wi-Fi, are not completely safe. It has been seen suspected that in experiments on animals, male subjects under the influence of Wi-Fi might be more susceptible to cancer. Because of results like this, organisations such as the WHO classify radio waves as a possible, though unproven, carcinogenic.
The experiment consisted in letting two sets of four spearmint plants grow in similar conditions, while one was near a router and one was not. However, after a month and a half of growth, no differences between them had appeared, although there was an initial difference in amount of sprouts favouring the set of plants near the router. This slims the possibility of Wi-Fi affecting plants in such a way, but it does not rule out anything. This is because there are many other ways (on the long term, on a cellular or molecular level) in which the radiation might affect both plants and animals.
As such, no certain conclusion could be obtained from the result of either the investigation or the experiment, as the first shows that there are divided opinions with no proven results on humans, and because there are a many uncertainties in the latter. However, one important conclusion can be found: there is a chance that Wi-Fi, something unavoidable in today's society, might be harmful, and however small that chance might be, it could be something worth investigating rather sooner than later.
While many possibly misinformed (or directly partisan) articles have been published, the initial investigation shows that, firstly, radio waves such as Wi-Fi can not harm living tissue in the same way as dangerous high-energy radiation types (gamma waves, x-rays, and ultraviolet light) do – that being, by ionising atoms and molecules. However, there is an unproven possibility that radio waves and, by extent, Wi-Fi, are not completely safe. It has been seen suspected that in experiments on animals, male subjects under the influence of Wi-Fi might be more susceptible to cancer. Because of results like this, organisations such as the WHO classify radio waves as a possible, though unproven, carcinogenic.
The experiment consisted in letting two sets of four spearmint plants grow in similar conditions, while one was near a router and one was not. However, after a month and a half of growth, no differences between them had appeared, although there was an initial difference in amount of sprouts favouring the set of plants near the router. This slims the possibility of Wi-Fi affecting plants in such a way, but it does not rule out anything. This is because there are many other ways (on the long term, on a cellular or molecular level) in which the radiation might affect both plants and animals.
As such, no certain conclusion could be obtained from the result of either the investigation or the experiment, as the first shows that there are divided opinions with no proven results on humans, and because there are a many uncertainties in the latter. However, one important conclusion can be found: there is a chance that Wi-Fi, something unavoidable in today's society, might be harmful, and however small that chance might be, it could be something worth investigating rather sooner than later.