Science question: Is radiation from Wi-Fi routers bad for your health?

I have a friend who always switches off his Wi-Fi router at night because he believes it is bad for his and his family’s health. I had a long debate with him, saying it wasn’t so. But he did not seem convinced.

So I decided to do a bit of research and here is what I found.

1. Wi-Fi uses the wrong kind of radiation — the harmless type

Thanks to nuclear weapons, the first image your mind conjures up upon hearing the word ‘radiation’ is that of deadly, invisible rays that harm mankind.

It’s true that Wi-Fi routers emit radiation. However, it is proven to be well within the radio-frequency (RF) band. It is low-energy and non-ionising, and thus non-harmful. The radiation is far too weak to cause any real danger to you. It is not powerful enough to penetrate your cell and change DNA composition.

Wi-Fi, radars and Bluetooth are all forms of non-ionising radiation.

2. Wi-Fi/Microwave waves are same same, but different!

Wi-Fi signals operate on the same frequency as a microwave (2.4GHz), but the Wi-Fi signal is almost 100,000 times less intense. While microwaves focus all their waves to one single point to heat things, Wi-Fi signals get scattered in every direction. The signal strength also diminishes as it moves away from the source. The farther you are away from the router, the less powerful the signal.

So if you regularly switch off your Wi-Fi router fearing an X-Men style mutation owing to radiation, then rest easy. It is just not going to happen!