Flora and fauna: how nonhuman species interact with natural and man-made EMF at ecosystem levels and public policy recommendations

Abstract

Category: Environmental Health Tags: electromagnetic fields, radiofrequency, wildlife, ecosystem impacts, public policy, 5G, behavioral disruption DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1693873 URL: frontiersin.org Overview Over the past six decades, ambient exposures from nonionizing electromagnetic fields (EMF) between 0 and 300 GHz, especially in the radiofrequency (RF) range (30 kHz to 3 GHz), have increased significantly. Successive technological advances have layered new sources of EMF exposure with different characteristics into the environment, resulting in continuous, low-intensity, biologically active exposures that now affect both human and nonhuman species. Findings - Next-generation wireless technologies (5G, 6G) employ higher frequencies (>3.5 GHz) and a broader range of simultaneous exposures, creating pervasive, artificial forms of energetic pollution. - Deployment of numerous low earth orbit satellites has made global RF-EMF exposure essentially ubiquitous, erasing the rural-urban divide in exposure intensity. - Nonhuman species are especially sensitive to electromagnetic fields for crucial activities such as orientation, migration, mating, food location, and territorial behaviors. Many species have evolved refined electro/magneto-receptors attuned to natural geomagnetic fields. - Current EMF exposures, even at very low intensities, are capable of disrupting critical biological functions of flora and fauna. All existing exposure standards consider only human health, disregarding the unique sensitivities of other species. Conclusion Policy recommendations for wildlife protection include: - Treating "airspace as habitat" and respecting the natural electromagnetic environment - Enforcing existing environmental protection laws - Implementing mitigation measures such as frequency re-allocation, hardware/network redesign, and creation of EMF-free zones during migration and breeding seasons - Reconsidering competitive economic models that promote unchecked technological deployment This research highlights the pervasive risk that EMF poses to nonhuman species and the urgent need for policy reform to safeguard ecosystem health. As of this writing, there is one pending federal court mandate against the FCC to respond to research on wildlife impacts that could alter this. In 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals, DC Circuit, ruled in Environmental Health Trust et al. v. FCC (86) that the FCC’s refusal to update its 1996 limits was “arbitrary and capricious,” and in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act because the FCC did not show adequate review of the submitted evidence related to numerous issues such as long-term health effects and children’s vulnerability. Further, the Court stated the FCC had “completely failed” to address the “substantive evidence of potential environmental harms” on the record, which included dozens of studies showing serious impacts to birds, bees, trees, and plants, some of which was previously provided by the USFWS’s Migratory Bird Division to the FCC (74). As of this writing, the FCC has not responded to the Court’s mandate, despite the submission to the FCC of numerous research studies published since the ruling.

AI evidence extraction

Main findings

The review highlights that current ambient EMF exposures, including from next-generation wireless technologies and satellite deployments, are pervasive and biologically active, disrupting critical biological functions in nonhuman species. Existing exposure standards do not account for these sensitivities. Policy recommendations emphasize protecting natural electromagnetic environments and mitigating EMF impacts on wildlife.

Outcomes measured

• disruption of biological functions
• behavioral disruption
• impacts on orientation, migration, mating, food location, territorial behaviors

Limitations

• No primary data presented; based on review of existing studies
• Lack of quantitative exposure-response relationships
• Focus on policy and ecological implications rather than controlled experimental data

Suggested hubs

• 5g-policy (0.9)
  Discusses impacts of 5G and next-generation wireless technologies on ecosystems and policy recommendations.

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    "exposure": {
        "band": "radiofrequency",
        "source": "5G, 6G, low earth orbit satellites, general ambient EMF",
        "frequency_mhz": null,
        "sar_wkg": null,
        "duration": "continuous, low-intensity, long-term"
    },
    "population": "nonhuman species including flora and fauna",
    "sample_size": null,
    "outcomes": [
        "disruption of biological functions",
        "behavioral disruption",
        "impacts on orientation, migration, mating, food location, territorial behaviors"
    ],
    "main_findings": "The review highlights that current ambient EMF exposures, including from next-generation wireless technologies and satellite deployments, are pervasive and biologically active, disrupting critical biological functions in nonhuman species. Existing exposure standards do not account for these sensitivities. Policy recommendations emphasize protecting natural electromagnetic environments and mitigating EMF impacts on wildlife.",
    "effect_direction": "harm",
    "limitations": [
        "No primary data presented; based on review of existing studies",
        "Lack of quantitative exposure-response relationships",
        "Focus on policy and ecological implications rather than controlled experimental data"
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "moderate",
    "confidence": 0.6999999999999999555910790149937383830547332763671875,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
        "electromagnetic fields",
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        "behavioral disruption",
        "public policy"
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            "reason": "Discusses impacts of 5G and next-generation wireless technologies on ecosystems and policy recommendations."
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