Almost all Tucson homes have a router bringing the internet to computers, TVs and “smart” devices, amazingly connecting us to a wealth of information, entertainment and services. The convenience and benefits are undeniable. But this technology comes with an invisible risk: Routers use an electromagnetic field (EMF) known as radio-frequency radiation to wirelessly transmit data through the air to our devices. This radiation is a known health hazard, particularly with cumulative exposures over time.

More than 10,000 peer-reviewed studies have documented the serious health effects of RF radiation exposure, including four U.S. government studies. Common symptoms include poor sleep, headaches, skin rashes, anxiety or depression, tinnitus, dizziness and heart palpitations. 

Long-term exposure increases risks of dementia, infertility and cardiovascular harm. Adding to the evidence of breast, thyroid and colon cancer, a new WHO-funded study has confirmed that RF radiation causes brain cancer. Children are more vulnerable due to their developing brains, thinner skulls and longer lifetime exposures. Some people develop Electromagnetic Radiation Syndrome, having particularly acute and immediate reactions.

Routers typically spread unnecessarily high and unsafe amounts of RF radiation throughout homes non-stop, 24/7. But you don’t need such high levels of radiation —or any radiation at all—to access the internet. And you don’t need it all the time.

Here are some easy steps that can be taken to take control of routers:

- Only turn the router on when needed; turn it off when you’re sleeping. Think of the router like a lamp. As we turn off lights when they’re not needed, do the same with the router to protect one’s health (and save electricity). It is especially important to eliminate RF exposure during sleep, when the body heals and repairs. Use a remote outlet shutoff, such as the SaferTech Wi-Fi Kill Switch, to turn the router off with the click of a button or set a timer to do it automatically.

- Shield with a radiation-blocking router guard. Cover the router with a metal-mesh cloth guard that blocks some radiation while still allowing connectivity, such as the Signal Tamer router guard. This can reduce radiation by up to 95 percent.

- Create space: distance is one’s friend. Wireless radiation drops off significantly with distance. Keep the router as far away as possible from places where people spend a lot of time: bedrooms, offices, living rooms and kitchens. Especially keep it away from children’s sleep, study and play areas.

Help from an IT professional or Building Biologist may be needed for these more highly technical solutions:

- Go wired. The safest way to protect yourself from router radiation is to eliminate the radiation completely. Use ethernet cable to connect to the internet and then turn off the Wi-Fi on the router or use a no-Wi-Fi router. Don’t forget to turn off the Wi-Fi on the connected devices too.

- Reduce radiation in router settings. Reduce the emitted radiation to as low as possible while still maintaining connectivity (turn off the 2.45 GHz radio, reduce transmission power or number of SSIDs, or adjust the beacon signal).

While implementing these solutions, it’s helpful to measure the radiation to make sure it has been lowered or eliminated. The Safe and Sound Pro II meter from Safe Living Technologies is accurate and easy to understand.

Last but not least, routers providing home internet through cell towers or wireless rooftop antennas (together known as Fixed Wireless Internet) have negative side effects for entire neighborhoods. In Tucson, Verizon and AT&T are installing 5G “small cell” towers near homes and schools to provide this type of internet—without people’s consent. In addition to spreading RF radiation for blocks, the towers can have negative effects on neighborhood character, privacy and property values.