‘The radiation emitted by the world’s next generation of wireless communications could potentially harm male reproductive organs in levels lower than maximum exposure allowed in some countries, including the United States, according to a study by Chinese military scientists.

“Overall, the threshold for terahertz radiation to cause damage to testicular tissue likely falls between 115 and 318 microwatts per sq cm (0.1550 square inches),” researchers with the Army Medical University’s department of military preventive medicine said in a peer-reviewed paper published last month in an academic journal run by the university.

But other countries have varying tolerances for electromagnetic radiation. For instance, Japan allows up to 600 microwatts per sq cm, while the US and some European countries only permit 450 microwatts per sq cm.

Previous studies have suggested that terahertz radiation can negatively affect cells in vitro, raising concerns about the potential impact on human health. But research involving live animals is scarce because of technical challenges.

To determine the effect of different intensities of terahertz radiation, Professor Chen Chunhai and his team exposed the reproductive organs of male mice to different intensities of terahertz waves. After five minutes of exposure, they observed acute inflammatory reactions on the skin, but no visible damage to the testes.

The result suggested that most of the radiation energy was absorbed at the surface, they said.

Autopsy analyses revealed an increase in white matter associated with inflammation in the testes, the team said. It was possible that the radiation had opened a previously unknown pathway, allowing inflammatory factors from blood vessels to enter the internal reproductive organs, according to the researchers.

However, the inflammatory and genetic changes appeared to be temporary. The bodies of the mice had a remarkable ability to repair damage caused by short-term, single exposures to radiation.

“All returned to normal levels after 24 hours,” Chen’s team added.

The study was conducted using a high-powered, continuously adjustable terahertz source developed by the China Academy of Engineering Physics. Chen’s team praised the quality of the experimental platform, noting that it was among the few in the world capable of such research.

The academy, based in the Sichuan basin in southwest China, develops nuclear weapons.

Chen’s team said they next planned to investigate the long-term health effects of repeated terahertz radiation exposure.

A Beijing-based researcher on radiation hazards said the result of animal experiments should be treated with caution.

“Mice can be more sensitive [to 6G exposure] than humans,” said the scientist, who requested not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.’