The modeling of the interaction of pulsed 5G/6G signals and the fine structure of human skin

Abstract

Category: Electromagnetic Safety Research Tags: 5G, 6G, electromagnetic fields, skin absorption, SAR, health risk, millimeter waves DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-13777-8 URL: nature.com Overview Current regulations regarding human exposure to electromagnetic radiation from wireless technologies rely on the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) standard, allowing tissue absorption up to 2 W/kg for 6 minutes in a 10 g cube of homogenized tissue. The SAR standard primarily addresses thermal effects and has been widely criticized, especially as 5G and 6G deployments use frequencies above 4 GHz where SAR measurements are increasingly inadequate. This inadequacy becomes stark as carrier wavelengths become comparable to the dimensions of biological structures within tissues. Study Approach - Advanced electromagnetic simulations of human skin were performed. - The model accounted for skin's multi-layered structure, sweat ducts, capillaric and arterial blood vessels. - Realistic pulsed 5G/6G signals (3.5, 27, 77, and 300 GHz) were used to better mimic real-world exposure scenarios. Findings - Observed inhomogeneous absorption patterns aligned with the presence of vessels and sweat glands. - Skin structures, including millions of innervated sweat glands, present additional complexity and vulnerability. - Standard SAR assessment methods fail to capture these risks, potentially underestimating electromagnetic absorption, particularly affecting nerve excitation. - Sweat glands, especially their coiled sections, and peripheral areas showed higher electromagnetic energy absorption. - These regions may function as electromagnetic filters, increasing the penetration of certain frequencies (notably in 5G and 6G) into the bloodstream. Conclusion Wireless and remote EM devices, such as cellular phones, laptops, autonomous vehicles, and smart cities infrastructure, operating in 5G and future 6G bands, are not adequately evaluated for their electromagnetic effects on humans. The skin’s complex structure results in specific vulnerabilities, with particularly high exposure at the sweat glands and blood vessels, raising health risk concerns through possible nerve excitation or energy dissipation events. Therefore, human skin should not be treated as a homogeneous component in regulatory frameworks for millimeter wave and sub-THz exposure. The study strongly suggests that current exposure standards could significantly underestimate health risks, highlighting the need for revised safety guidelines that consider non-thermal effects and the complex architecture of the skin.

AI evidence extraction

Main findings

Electromagnetic simulations using pulsed 5G/6G signals (3.5, 27, 77, 300 GHz) in a detailed skin model found inhomogeneous absorption patterns associated with vessels and sweat glands, with higher absorption in sweat gland coils and peripheral areas. The paper states that standard SAR assessment methods may fail to capture these localized absorption patterns and could underestimate absorption, with potential implications for nerve excitation and energy dissipation events.

Outcomes measured

• skin absorption patterns
• SAR assessment adequacy
• localized energy absorption in skin structures (sweat glands, blood vessels)
• potential nerve excitation (modeled/implicated)

Limitations

• Simulation/modeling study (no direct human/clinical outcomes reported in the abstract)
• Quantitative exposure metrics (e.g., incident power density, detailed SAR distributions) not provided in the abstract
• Health effects are discussed as potential/possible rather than measured

Suggested hubs

• 5g-policy (0.78)
  Discusses adequacy of current exposure standards for 5G/6G bands and suggests need for revised guidelines.
• who-icnirp (0.55)
  Critiques SAR-based regulatory approach and discusses exposure assessment limitations relevant to guideline-setting.

{
    "study_type": "engineering",
    "exposure": {
        "band": "mmWave/sub-THz",
        "source": "wireless technologies (5G/6G)",
        "frequency_mhz": null,
        "sar_wkg": 2,
        "duration": "6 minutes (regulatory SAR averaging time referenced)"
    },
    "population": "human skin (modeled)",
    "sample_size": null,
    "outcomes": [
        "skin absorption patterns",
        "SAR assessment adequacy",
        "localized energy absorption in skin structures (sweat glands, blood vessels)",
        "potential nerve excitation (modeled/implicated)"
    ],
    "main_findings": "Electromagnetic simulations using pulsed 5G/6G signals (3.5, 27, 77, 300 GHz) in a detailed skin model found inhomogeneous absorption patterns associated with vessels and sweat glands, with higher absorption in sweat gland coils and peripheral areas. The paper states that standard SAR assessment methods may fail to capture these localized absorption patterns and could underestimate absorption, with potential implications for nerve excitation and energy dissipation events.",
    "effect_direction": "harm",
    "limitations": [
        "Simulation/modeling study (no direct human/clinical outcomes reported in the abstract)",
        "Quantitative exposure metrics (e.g., incident power density, detailed SAR distributions) not provided in the abstract",
        "Health effects are discussed as potential/possible rather than measured"
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "insufficient",
    "confidence": 0.7399999999999999911182158029987476766109466552734375,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
        "5G",
        "6G",
        "millimeter waves",
        "sub-THz",
        "pulsed signals",
        "skin",
        "sweat ducts",
        "sweat glands",
        "blood vessels",
        "SAR",
        "absorption",
        "nerve excitation",
        "exposure standards"
    ],
    "suggested_hubs": [
        {
            "slug": "5g-policy",
            "weight": 0.7800000000000000266453525910037569701671600341796875,
            "reason": "Discusses adequacy of current exposure standards for 5G/6G bands and suggests need for revised guidelines."
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        }
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}

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