BBC Panorama: Is WiFI really bad for our health?

It's not the first time we've asked this question, but now there actually seems to be some evidence to deal with. The BBC Panorama team have stopped shouting at Scientologists long enough to gather some potentially worrying statistics. With 70% secondary schools and half of primaries fitting wireless networks, it's fairly disturbing to hear that the resultant signal radiation from a WiFi network can be three times that produced by a mobile phone mast.

In a preview press release, the BBC disclose hints of some of the findings that are prompting the Health Protection Agency to request a thorough investigation. As yet, there are no government-led plans to do research into WiFi, although the official statement is that reports from the HPA direct much government research (indicating, perhaps, we can expect a study to be commissioned soon).

WiFi in schools is considered a particularly big problem because adults have more developed skulls and therefore their brains absorb less radiation than those of children. Phone masts cannot be installed near schools without parent-teacher consultations, and the vast majority of schools have been told there are no health risks associated with WiFi.

The fact is, however, that we're not at all sure of that. Now, I happily use WiFi regularly and work in an office with a WiFi network. I am not particularly concerned that this is going to give me cancer before the bus and car fumes, secondary smoke and my sedentary lifestyle do. But as an adult I can make that choice; I could move away to a cleaner, country home, work from my living room, minimise the contact with these technologies that I have. I don't actually believe that WiFi is particularly harmful to adults. Respected scientists are debunking some of the evidence we do have, and the BBC report itself, in today's Guardian. But we do have to raise some questions when children's fragile health may be at stake, and surely a focussed investigation could establish some solid facts in a relatively short amount of time (even it can do little more than forecast long-term risks).

What do you think? Do you think, in the words of HPA Chairman Sir William Stewart that "there is a need for a review of the wi-fi and other areas... I think it's timely for it to be done now."? Or do you think it's simply the health scare of the week and we're living in a painful nanny state that's going to tell us when the next time we should visit the toilet is?

BBC Panorama: A Warning Signal will be shown tonight at 8:30 on BBC1.