Worried that 5G cell phone towers are beaming dangerous levels of radiofrequency radiation into your brain? Forget the classic tinfoil hat and try the "quantum pendant" pictured above. It's a much more stylish accessory. The product leans on a tried and true pseudoscientific marketing gimmick: Slap the label "quantum" on something, and the word imparts an aura of magical mystery in the minds of the perpetually gullible.
These kinds of "negative ion" products can be found for sale all over the Internet, claiming to enhance immune function, increase energy, and, yes, protect the wearer from supposedly harmful 5G waves, among other purported benefits. The hysteria over 5G risks has no scientific basis, and even if it did, "negative ions" aren't some kind of magical defense. But if people want to spend their hard-earned cash on nonsense, that's their prerogative. No harm, no foul, right?
Not so fast. It turns out that many of these products emit low levels of ionizing radiation that could be dangerous over prolonged use—so much so that the Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ANVS) in the Netherlands has just issued a consumer warning and banned the sale of ten such products, including that snazzy quantum pendant.
This isn't the first time someone has noticed these types of "negative ion" products are radioactive. The products can contain volcanic ash, titanium, tourmaline, zeolite, germanium, and monazite sand and may also contain naturally occurring radioactive elements, including uranium and thorium. Granted, there are trace amounts in the products, but the emitted gamma radiation is still sufficient to set off radiation monitoring equipment. (Then again, so can a truck full of bananas.)
While the agency has no authority to ban foreign suppliers, it did pledge to report such suppliers to the appropriate authorities in their own countries. (Ionic air purifiers, on the other hand, do not contain radioactive materials and are exempt from the ban.) Per the ANVS:
The consumer products tested contain radioactive materials and therefore continuously emit ionizing radiation, thereby exposing the wearer. Exposure to ionizing radiation can cause adverse health effects. Due to the potential health risk they pose, these consumer products containing radioactive materials are therefore prohibited by law. Ionizing radiation can damage tissue, and DNA and can cause, for example, red skin. Only low levels of radiation have been measured on these specific products. However, someone who wears a product of this kind for a prolonged period (a year, 24 hours a day) could expose themselves to a level of radiation that exceeds the stringent limit for skin exposure that applies in the Netherlands. To avoid any risk, the ANVS calls on owners of such items not to wear them from now on.
As we've previously reported, wireless technology has long sparked fears based on vague accusations that it causes health issues and claims that some people are "electrosensitive." Those fears have been maintained by a handful of ambiguous studies that suggested hints of possible links between cell phone use and cancer, but most of these studies had significant issues. And plenty of other studies saw no connection.
Radiofrequency radiation is relatively low-energy, and it can't break chemical bonds. Like the nearby microwave frequencies, it can heat tissues. But we're not aware of any mechanisms beyond heating by which radiation at these wavelengths can damage human tissue. And there's no evidence at the population level indicating that radiation from these sources poses any sort of risk.
5G is no different. It does transmit on different frequencies in some situations. But these frequencies are generally blocked by things like walls, and they are also low enough energy that they won't cause molecules to break apart. Also, no, 5G does not make you more vulnerable to COVID-19 by weakening your immune system, nor do 5G signals give rise to the virus itself. So stop setting fire to cellphone base towers, m'kay?
By contrast, the adverse effects of ionizing radiation are well-known and well-documented. Ions are just electrically charged atoms. Cations have more protons than electrons and hence have a positive charge, while anions ("negative ions") have a negative charge because there are more electrons than protons. High-energy rays can knock electrons off of atoms, and the resulting free electrons then collide with other atoms to create even more ions. This can cause unnatural chemical reactions in living cells, breaking apart DNA chains so that the cell either dies or mutates to become cancerous.
That's why many scientists who worked with X-rays in the early days after their discovery lost their hair and developed cancerous tumors. Marie Curie was exposed to radioactive elements through her experiments, and she liked to carry around vials of radium because the glowing tubes looked like "fairy lights" at night. She eventually died of aplastic anemia linked to that radiation.
The ionizing radiation emitted by the quantum pendant and similar products is significantly lower, as the ANVS acknowledges, but prolonged continuous wear could nonetheless be harmful. Back in 2016, Amal Graafstra, who founded the biohacking supply company Dangerous Things, tested a "negative ion" silicon wristband by placing it against a Geiger counter. He discovered the band was emitting more than 2 microsieverts (or 0.000002 sieverts) of radiation every hour.
That's well below the 1-sievert threshold needed to cause radiation sickness, but if one wore the band for 24 hours, it's roughly equivalent to getting five dental X-rays in a single day. Wear it 24 hours a day for a year—as someone who fears 5G exposure might do—and you'll be exposed to 21.9 millisieverts, which is half the maximum permitted exposure for radiation workers in the US. Small wonder that the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has warned of the potential dangers associated with wearing such products over a long period of time.
In addition to the quantum pendant, the ANVS has banned the sale of Energy Armor's sleep mask, black and white necklace, and black super bracelet; the Magnetix Fit and Slim silicon bracelet XL; the Magnetix Magnetic necklace "with negative ions of skin-friendly silicons"; the Magnetix Smiley Kids bracelet with negative ions; the Magnetix Sport boost bracelet with negative ions; and the Basic Nero bracelet.
But really, you should avoid any and all products claiming to combat 5G with negative ions whether you live in the Netherlands or not. "Harmful effects from other similar products on the market cannot be ruled out," the AVNS said. "If you own a product that claims to have a ‘negative ion effect,’ store it away safely and contact the ANVS."
The agency recommends storing any such items in their original packaging or in a sealed bag before placing them in a closed cabinet.
