Archive
17 postsDefinition and Validation of an Exposure Measurement Method for a Typical Load of a Base Station
This exposure-assessment study proposes and validates a method to measure instantaneous RF exposure under typical base station load by generating defined data rates (low/medium/high) using iPerf and measuring channel power across services. Validation at four base stations suggests the approach is reliable across different times of day and loads, with reproducible results when averaging over 30 sweeps. Comparisons indicate iPerf-provoked constant data rates generally match exposure during real application usage, with few deviations beyond stated uncertainty.
Analysis of Actual Transmitted Power from Hundreds of 5G FR2 Radio Base Stations over One Month in Urban Areas in Japan
This exposure/compliance assessment study collected 5- and 30-minute transmitted power data over one month from more than 400 5G FR2 beamforming base stations in urban Japan to evaluate the IEC 62232:2025 “actual maximum approach.” All measured transmitted powers were below configured maxima, with 30-minute averaged normalized maxima reported as < -8 dB, while 5-minute averaged maxima reached about -3 dB under low UE counts. The authors report that the actual maximum approach can avoid overestimation for longer averaging times, but may underestimate exposure for stations with three or fewer UEs if power is not monitored and controlled.
Temporal change of outdoor RF-EMF levels in four European countries: a microenvironmental measurement study
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).
Machine Learning Approach for Ground-Level Estimation of Electromagnetic Radiation in the Near Field of 5G Base Stations
This paper presents a machine-learning method to estimate ground-level electromagnetic radiation (electric field strength) in the near field of 5G base stations, using multiple technical and environmental input parameters. The authors report experimental performance with a mean absolute percentage error of about 5.89% and suggest the approach can reduce costs compared with on-site measurements. The work is positioned as supporting exposure management and base-station placement, while noting the need for careful EMF management due to potential health-risk links.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Chicken or egg? Attribution hypothesis and nocebo hypothesis to explain somatization associated to perceived RF-EMF exposure
This longitudinal cohort study examined the temporal relationship between somatization and perceived RF-EMF exposure, comparing the attribution hypothesis with the nocebo hypothesis. Using AMIGO questionnaire data from 2011 and 2015, regression analyses suggested the attribution hypothesis more often explained symptom reporting linked to perceived base station RF-EMF exposure and perceived electricity exposure than the nocebo hypothesis. The authors state this contrasts with prior literature and note that a nocebo effect is not fully excluded.
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.
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.
A Decision Support System for Managing Health Symptoms of Living Near Mobile Phone Base Stations
This analytical study evaluated machine learning models (SVM and Random Forest) to predict health symptoms in adults living near mobile phone base stations. The SVM model reportedly achieved high predictive performance for headache, sleep disturbance, dizziness, vertigo, and fatigue, and outperformed Random Forest and prior models. The abstract concludes that proximity to base stations is connected with increased prevalence of several symptoms and emphasizes distance, age, and duration of residence as key predictors.
Microwave frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) produce widespread neuropsychiatric effects including depression
This 2016 narrative review proposes that non-thermal microwave/lower-frequency EMFs act primarily through activation of voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs), with calcium channel blockers reported to block EMF effects. It summarizes animal, occupational, and epidemiological literature and reports that exposures from base stations, heavy mobile phone use, and wireless smart meters are associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms, sometimes with doseresponse patterns. The author concludes that multiple lines of evidence collectively support that non-thermal microwave EMF exposures can produce diverse neuropsychiatric effects including depression.