This exposure assessment used 146 indoor and outdoor spot measurements in 2023 across Belgium, Switzerland, Hungary, and Poland to characterize 5G (3.6 GHz) and cumulative RF EMF incident power density in public spaces and educational institutions. Reported maximum 5G-specific incident power density was 10.4 mW/m2 (3.2% of the frequency-specific ICNIRP guideline), and all measured levels were stated to be well within ICNIRP limits. Rural areas showed significantly lower incident power density than urban areas, and LOS conditions had higher average incident power density than NLOS. The authors recommend continued reassessment as 5G coverage expands.

This microenvironmental measurement study assessed temporal trends in outdoor RF-EMF exposure between 2016 and 2023 in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, and Spain using harmonized walking-route measurements with exposimeters. The authors report no significant change in mobile base station (downlink) exposure between 2016 and 2023 and no consistent trend across microenvironments or countries. Reported median downlink exposure values ranged from 0.11 mW/m² (Switzerland, 2023) to 0.62 mW/m² (Netherlands, 2018).