# Phone mast safety

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-mast-safety/329378>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 4, 2005, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-mast-safety/329378 "2005-11-04T00:20:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![George\_Kaplin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@George\_Kaplin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/George_Kaplin)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-mast-safety/329378/1 "2005-11-04T00:20:30Z")

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Hi all.

After a brief discussion with my mother vis a vis the safety of mobile phone masts, I was just wondering if any hard evidence had been found which indicated that they were dangerous for nearby residents? Everything I’ve read on the topic has been somewhat inconclusive.

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**Author:** ![George\_Kaplin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@George\_Kaplin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/George_Kaplin)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-mast-safety/329378/2 "2005-11-04T00:24:27Z")

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Just in case it’s not clear what I mean by ‘Phone Mast’, I’m talking about [these things](http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/275729/2/Mobile_Phone_Mast.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.istockphoto.com/imageindex/275/7/275729/&h=203&w=270&sz=10&tbnid=z8v7HeU6AS4J:&tbnh=81&tbnw=108&hl=en&start=2&prev=/images%3Fq%3DPhone%2BMast%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D)

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**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-mast-safety/329378/3 "2005-11-04T01:10:33Z")

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Are you specifically asking about RF emissions or falling damage?

Just a guess, but falling damage is probably a much bigger danger in this case. I’ll try to find some cites when I get home.

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**Author:** ![George\_Kaplin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@George\_Kaplin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/George_Kaplin)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-mast-safety/329378/4 "2005-11-04T01:40:41Z")

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RF emissions, specifically. Thanks.

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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2005, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-mast-safety/329378/5 "2005-11-04T01:46:15Z")

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Good luck trying to find unbaised info.

I’ve been following this topic since the 80’s. It’s difficult even for someone who understands the technical issues to wade through some of the arguments that are constantly slung back and forth. However, to date, there is no hard evidence that RF from microwave towers is harmful in any way to nearby residents.