Absorption of 5G sub-6 GHz electromagnetic radiation from base station to male reproduction system

International journal of radiation biology · 2024 · No effect · Low evidence

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No effectLow evidencePaper 182

Study snapshot

PublicationInternational journal of radiation biology · 2024

Study typeexposure_assessment

Reported directionNo effect

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Absorption of 5G sub-6 GHz electromagnetic radiation from base station to male reproduction system Lin J, Li J, Ding G. Absorption of 5G sub-6 GHz electromagnetic radiation from base station to male reproduction system. Int J Radiat Biol. 2024 May 6:1-8. doi: 10.1080/09553002.2024.2347354. Abstract Background: The impact of electromagnetic radiation from communication on the male reproductive system has emerged as a significant concern in public health. A notable distinction of the 5G sub-6 GHz band, compared to traditional 2G, 3G, and 4G frequency bands, is the inclusion of higher frequency bands. This has raised public concerns regarding the potential effects of these higher frequencies on organisms, particularly their reproductive systems. While it is imperative to investigate the biological effects and potential risks associated with these new frequency bands in laboratory settings, comparing and evaluating differences between various frequency bands remain challenging due to the absence of standardized parameters such as exposure conditions and duration. In contrast, dose assessment offers a simpler and more reliable approach. Materials and methods: The dose assessment method was employed in this study to investigate the risks associated with sub-6 GHz electromagnetic radiation from 5G base stations on the male reproductive system. A classical human body model (Duke) was utilized, and an electromagnetic simulation environment was established based on the actual polarization direction of the exposed base stations and various body postures. This research explored the effects of field direction, posture, public population, and frequency on the specific absorption rate of the reproductive system. Results and conclusions: While maintaining the same level of exposure, a higher frequency results in a reduced dosage on reproductive system. Further analysis reveals that, considering the public exposure threshold, the employment of higher frequency bands in 5G sub-6 GHz does not present a greater dosage on reproductive system compared to lower frequency bands. Consequently, with regard to dosage, there is no need for excessive concern among the general public regarding the impact of electromagnetic radiation emitted by 5G base stations operating below 6 GHz on male reproductive health. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Excerpts The normalized evaluation revealed a strong negative correlation between the RSSAR results and frequency (figures 6 and 8), indicating the reproductive system’s response to varying frequencies of electromagnetic waves. It also indicates that high-frequency skin effects are particularly prominent in the reproductive system. In the exposure limit assessment, there was an evident inflection point at 2.2 GHz where the trend of RSSAR values with frequency changes reached its maximum peak (figure 10). Therefore, when considering the exposure threshold, the higher frequency bands in 5G did not show higher dose values on RSSAR, but on the contrary, higher dose values were obtained in the 4G bands (such as 2.2 GHz in this study). These findings suggest that the potential risk of higher frequency electromagnetic waves in 5G sub-6 GHz is lower, as indicated by both normalized and exposure limit assessments. Restriction and future focus This research also has certain limitations. The exposure environment has not been considered in the context of the actual 5G exposure environment. With the introduction of 5G base stations, the grid of base stations may become denser and the energy of a single beam of electromagnetic radiation may be higher (Sofri et al. Citation2022). Although reference (Celaya-Echarri et al. Citation2020) simulated and compared the exposure values caused by base stations in the 2G–5G frequency band, the electric field conditions in real communities should also be measured and compared in detail. In future work, exposure measurements and dose assessing could be combined with epidemiological investigations to further explore the effects of new frequency bands on reproductive and other systems. Conclusions The absorbed dose level of electromagnetic radiation emitted by communication base stations on the male reproductive system was analyzed, with a specific focus on the primary frequency points within the sub-6 GHz frequency band. The study revealed that higher frequencies resulted in reduced dose values while maintaining equivalent exposure levels. Further analysis demonstrated that, considering the exposure threshold, the utilization of higher frequencies in 5G sub-6 GHz did not present a greater risk compared to lower frequencies. Therefore, from a dosage assessment perspective, concerns regarding the impact of sub-6 GHz electromagnetic radiation emitted by 5G base stations on male reproductive health are unwarranted.

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AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typeexposure_assessment

Effect directionno_effect

PopulationGeneral public (modeled human body)

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureRF

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Using electromagnetic simulations with a human body model (Duke), the study found a negative correlation between frequency and reproductive-system SAR under the same exposure level, with higher frequencies producing lower dose. Considering public exposure thresholds, higher-frequency bands within 5G sub-6 GHz did not produce greater reproductive-system dose than lower-frequency bands; higher dose values were reported around a 4G band example (2.2 GHz).

Outcomes measured

Specific absorption rate (SAR) in male reproductive system (RSSAR)
Dose assessment vs frequency (sub-6 GHz)
Effect of field direction, posture, and population on SAR

Limitations

Exposure environment was not modeled as an actual real-world 5G exposure environment (e.g., denser base-station grids, potentially higher single-beam energy).
Authors note that real-community electric field conditions should be measured and compared in detail.
Authors suggest combining exposure measurements and dose assessment with epidemiological investigations in future work.

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "exposure_assessment",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "base station",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "General public (modeled human body)",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Specific absorption rate (SAR) in male reproductive system (RSSAR)",
    "Dose assessment vs frequency (sub-6 GHz)",
    "Effect of field direction, posture, and population on SAR"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Using electromagnetic simulations with a human body model (Duke), the study found a negative correlation between frequency and reproductive-system SAR under the same exposure level, with higher frequencies producing lower dose. Considering public exposure thresholds, higher-frequency bands within 5G sub-6 GHz did not produce greater reproductive-system dose than lower-frequency bands; higher dose values were reported around a 4G band example (2.2 GHz).",
  "effect_direction": "no_effect",
  "limitations": [
    "Exposure environment was not modeled as an actual real-world 5G exposure environment (e.g., denser base-station grids, potentially higher single-beam energy).",
    "Authors note that real-community electric field conditions should be measured and compared in detail.",
    "Authors suggest combining exposure measurements and dose assessment with epidemiological investigations in future work."
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "5G",
    "sub-6 GHz",
    "base station",
    "male reproductive system",
    "dose assessment",
    "specific absorption rate",
    "electromagnetic simulation",
    "Duke human body model",
    "public exposure threshold",
    "frequency dependence"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "5g-policy",
      "weight": 0.62,
      "reason": "Assesses dose/SAR from 5G sub-6 GHz base stations and discusses public concern and exposure thresholds."
    }
  ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2024.2347354
PubMed: 38709715

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