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51 postsFilters: category: exposure-assessment Clear
Analysis of Human Exposure to Electric and Magnetic Fields While Charging and Driving an Electric Vehicle
This paper describes planned experimental measurements of electric and magnetic fields generated by electric vehicles during charging and driving. The abstract emphasizes that occupants can experience notable EMF exposure due to proximity to vehicle electrical systems, while stating that specific health risks in the EV context remain uncertain. It also notes that manufacturers implement technological design solutions intended to reduce exposure.
Perspectives on terahertz honeybee sensing
This paper describes measurements and simulations to support terahertz (THz) sensing of European honey bees for environmental monitoring. It reports dielectric characterization of bee body parts across 1–500 GHz, scattering-based validation of 3D-printed bee mockups, and THz imaging demonstrating detailed anatomical visualization. The work includes dosimetric simulations at 300 GHz to evaluate feasibility of non-invasive, continuous monitoring and notes potential relevance to assessing high-frequency EMF impacts on insect health and habitat safety.
Greater prevalence of symptoms associated with higher exposures to mobile phone base stations in a hilly, densely populated city in Mizoram, India
This cross-sectional study compared 183 higher-exposed residents with 126 matched reference residents and assessed symptoms via questionnaire alongside in-home RF-EMF power density measurements from mobile phone base stations. Higher exposure (including proximity within 50 m and power densities of 5–8 mW/m2) was reported to be associated with increased symptom prevalence across mood-energy, cognitive-sensory, inflammatory, and anatomical categories. The authors conclude that current public exposure limits may be inadequate for long-term, non-thermal biological impacts and call for precautionary policy updates.
A novel approach for assessments of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields exposure in buildings near telecommunication infrastructure
This paper proposes a new methodology to better assess indoor RF-EMF exposure in buildings near telecommunication base station antennas by refining measurement-point selection. Implemented in four multi-storey buildings in Natal, Brazil, indoor electric field peaks and averages were reported to be substantially higher than ground-level measurements. Although the highest indoor levels remained below ICNIRP recommended limits, the authors argue current regulatory evaluation methods may underestimate indoor exposure in certain building locations.
Effect of elevation on cumulative radiofrequency exposure from multiple communication towers
This exposure assessment measured RF power density across different floors of a high-rise university building using a spectrum analyser and log-periodic antenna. Power density decreased from the ground to the third floor but peaked on the fourth (top) floor. The 900 MHz band showed the highest reported power density (1.16E-03 W/m2), and the authors suggest higher-floor occupants may experience higher RF exposure from nearby communication towers.
Evaluation of Personal Radiation Exposure from Wireless Signals in Indoor and Outdoor Environments
This exposure assessment measured personal RF electric field strength in multiple indoor and outdoor micro-environments in Malaysia using an ExpoM-RF 4 meter and modeled exposure with machine learning (FCNN, XG Boost) and linear regression. Reported exposures were usually below the stated public limit (61.4 V/m), but maximum values in dense urban areas with many base stations were reported to approach 56.7365 V/m. The authors frame near-threshold maxima in high-density areas as a potential health risk and recommend caution and monitoring.
Auto-Induced Downlink Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field Exposure at 3.5 GHz With Focusing Near the Head
This exposure-assessment study uses FDTD simulations to evaluate auto-induced downlink RF-EMF exposure at 3.5 GHz when downlink energy is focused toward user equipment near the head. Exposure varied substantially by device position (ear, eyes, nose) and by the precoding technique used. The authors report that the choice of normalization strategy can produce cases where ICNIRP basic restrictions are exceeded even when reference levels appear compliant, motivating a precautionary framing for compliance assessment.
In-Situ Measurements of Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields Measurements Around 5G Macro Base Stations in the UK
This exposure assessment performed RF spot measurements in line-of-sight to 56 active 5G macro base stations across 30 publicly accessible UK locations. Power density was measured across 420 MHz–6 GHz under multiple scenarios (background, streaming, downlink speed test, and extrapolated SS-RSRP decoding). Reported total RF and 5G-specific levels were within 1998 ICNIRP public reference levels, with 4G downlink contributing most of the measured exposure.
Characterization of the Core Temperature Response of Free-Moving Rats to 1.95 GHz Electromagnetic Fields
This animal study measured core body temperature in free-moving male and female Sprague Dawley rats during and after 3-hour exposure to 1.95 GHz RF-EMF at multiple whole-body average SAR levels. A measurable thermal response was reported at 4 W/kg, while lower SAR conditions showed smaller or no significant temperature increases. The authors note that temperature dropped quickly after exposure ended, implying post-exposure measurements may underestimate peak heating.
Impact of magnetic fields from tablets, laptops, smartphones, and household/leisure magnets on cardiac implantable electronic devices
This study tested magnetic fields from tablets, laptops, smartphones, and household/leisure magnets against 13 cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) models to assess magnet mode activation. It reports that these consumer devices can trigger magnet mode when in close proximity, with median activation distances of 5–6.5 mm for phones/tablets/laptops and mainly contact-level activation for household/leisure magnets. None of the tested devices activated magnet mode at distances of 20 mm or more, and the authors emphasize patient awareness of proximity-related risk.
Bus-exposure matrix, a tool to assess bus drivers' exposure to physicochemical hazards
This paper describes the development of a Bus-Exposure Matrix (BEM) to retrospectively estimate Swiss bus drivers’ exposures to 10 physicochemical hazards, including electric and magnetic fields. Measurements in representative buses were combined with technical inventories and INLA modeling to estimate annual exposures from 1985–2022. Reported trends include increasing peak noise and electric-field exposures over time, alongside decreases in several air pollution, vibration, and noise metrics.
Epidemiological criteria for causation applied to human health harms from RF-EMF exposure: Bradford Hill revisited
This paper is a commentary reviewing how Bradford Hill’s epidemiological criteria can be applied to multidisciplinary evidence on RF-EMF exposure and adverse health effects. It reports that systematic reviews and meta-analyses in this area often reach substantially different conclusions, and argues that key weaknesses in primary studies—especially exposure measurement error and insufficient time for long-latency tumors—help explain the divergence. The author suggests these limitations may cause underestimation of potential causation if the associations are truly causal, and calls for independent guidelines to improve future epidemiological research quality.
Assessing RF EMF exposure in multiple microenvironments across ten European countries with a focus on 5G
This exposure assessment measured environmental and auto-induced RF-EMF across more than 800 microenvironments in ten European countries, with a focus on 5G-related bands. Non-user environmental exposure was reported to be below international guideline values and similar to prior European research, while induced traffic substantially increased measured exposure, especially in uplink scenarios. The study also reports systematic differences by setting (cities vs villages) and by national precautionary limit policies.
Deduction of Extrapolation Factors in Realistic Scenarios for In-Situ Assessment of 5G Base Stations
This conference paper examines extrapolation factors used for in-situ EMF exposure assessment of 5G base stations in realistic indoor and outdoor scenarios. Using both frequency-selective and code-selective measurement approaches under varying traffic conditions, it reports substantial variability in extrapolated exposure estimates driven largely by antenna radiation patterns. Outdoor environments showed more stable extrapolation than indoor environments, highlighting challenges for reliable exposure assessment when antenna patterns and network configurations are not well characterized.
An approach for annual analysis of EMF exposure in highly sensitive areas of kindergartens and schools
This paper proposes a time-averaging approach for analyzing long-term EMF exposure using time-series data from three sensors in a regulatory monitoring network. Sensors were installed at two kindergartens and one elementary school, and analyses reported daily/weekly patterns, differences between weekdays and weekends, and site-specific annual increases/decreases. The work emphasizes the value of continuous monitoring in sensitive areas, while not directly assessing health outcomes.
Assessment of RF EMF Exposure to Car Driver from Monopole Array Antennas in V2V Communications Considering Thermal Characteristics
This modeling study assessed RF-EMF exposure from a 5.9 GHz V2V monopole array antenna integrated into a car roof shark-fin antenna. Using COMSOL simulations with an adult male body model inside a vehicle, the authors estimated localized and whole-body SAR and associated core temperature rise over a 30 min averaging period. Reported SAR and temperature rise values were below ICNIRP occupational thermal-based restrictions, leading the authors to conclude the exposure does not pose a threat under the studied conditions.
Assessing EMF Exposure in Greek Urban and Suburban Areas During 5G Deployment: A Focus on 5G EMF Levels and Distance Correlation
This exposure assessment reports 400 ground-level electric field measurements in Greek urban and suburban areas during 5G deployment. It finds that 4G contributes most to overall measured EMF exposure, while 5G currently contributes less. The study reports an inverse relationship between 3.5 GHz EMF levels and distance from 5G base stations, with urban areas showing higher levels than suburban areas.
Determining the relationship between mobile phone network signal strength and RF-EMF exposure: protocol and pilot study to derive conversion functions
This protocol and pilot study evaluated whether smartphone signal strength indicators can be converted into RF-EMF exposure estimates using derived formulas and regression models. The study reports a positive log-linear association between LTE RSSI and far-field (base station) exposure aggregated by location, while handset-related exposure at the ear and chest during data transmission showed negative log-linear trends with improving signal quality. The authors conclude the ETAIN 5G-Scientist app may support large-scale RF-EMF exposure assessment, but emphasize the need for more data to improve accuracy and address uncertainties in individual measurements.
Efficient design of electromagnetic field exposure maps with multi-method evolutionary ensembles
This engineering/methods study proposes an evolutionary computation approach (PCRO-SL) to optimize the selection of measurement points for constructing RF-EMF exposure maps. Tested on real measurements in Meco (Madrid, Spain), it reports good agreement with a reference exposure map while reducing required sampling density. The authors provide practical point-selection rules (e.g., line-of-sight within 250 m and directional sampling within 500 m) intended to maintain representativeness and avoid interpolation artifacts.
High Radiofrequency Radiation in the Surroundings of 10 Schools in Örebro, Sweden
This exposure assessment measured outdoor RF radiation from 4G/5G base stations near 10 schools in Örebro, Sweden (October 2024). The authors report maximum levels of 10,716–68,452 μW/m² and state these are far above EUROPAEM EMF guideline ranges; two locations also showed higher peak readings with a second meter. The paper frames these findings as indicating a significant health risk, particularly for children and sensitive groups, though no health outcomes were measured in this study.
RF-EMF exposure assessment with add-on uplink exposure sensor in different microenvironments in seven European countries
This exposure assessment study introduces a cost-efficient add-on sensor attached to a smartphone to quantify auto-induced uplink RF-EMF transmission across 100–6000 MHz in multiple microenvironments. Activity-based surveys were conducted in seven European countries under non-user, maximum downlink, and maximum uplink scenarios. Reported power levels were lowest for non-user scenarios and higher during active use, with variation by country, urbanization, and setting. The authors frame the work as supporting future epidemiological research and planned validation against other tools.
The Effect of Proximity Sensor & Grip Sensor Use on Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) in Smartphones
This engineering study examined how smartphone proximity and grip sensors affect SAR during LTE and 5G NR operation in a 3D measurement environment. The abstract reports that enabling these sensors reduces SAR relative to being turned off, with reductions varying by sensor and frequency. The authors attribute the reduction to sensor-driven power management and transmission power adjustment.
The use of different exposure metrics in the research about the health impacts of electromagnetic fields
This policy brief focuses on how RF-EMF exposure should be quantified in health research, emphasizing the role of near-field sources and proposing cumulative dose (J/kg/day) as a health-relevant metric. It reports mean cumulative dose estimates of 0.29 J/kg/day for the whole body and 0.81 J/kg/day for the brain. The brief notes established RF-EMF effects (heating, microwave hearing under highly pulsed radiation, and stimulation) and discusses indications of biological effects below thermal thresholds, while stating that improved metrics do not by themselves confirm harm.
Temporal Change of Outdoor Rf-Emf Levels Four in European Countries: A Microenvironmental Measurement Study
This microenvironmental measurement study assessed temporal trends in outdoor RF-EMF exposure from 2016 to 2023 in four European countries using repeated walking-route measurements with exposimeters. The abstract reports that data did not suggest significant changes in mobile base station (downlink) exposure over time and that trends were not consistent across individual microenvironments. Reported median downlink exposure values varied by country and year but did not indicate an overall increase despite higher mobile data traffic.
RF Shielded Hat for Protecting Cameraman from EMF Exposure
The paper describes the development of RF-shielded hats using a microwave absorbing sheet intended to reduce EMF exposure to a cameraman’s head. Three hat designs are described, and measurements are planned/performed in an anechoic chamber using a wireless video camera operating around 1.9–2.7 GHz, including a 2.45 GHz signal condition and a sham condition. The abstract does not report quantitative results on whether exposure was reduced.