Protocol for personal RF-EMF exposure measurement studies in 5th generation telecommunication networks

Environmental health : a global access science source · 2021 · Unclear · Insufficient evidence

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UnclearInsufficient evidencePaper 1182

Study snapshot

PublicationEnvironmental health : a global access science source · 2021

Study typeother

Reported directionUnclear

Evidence ratingInsufficient

Abstract

Protocol for personal RF-EMF exposure measurement studies in 5th generation telecommunication networks Maarten Velghe, Sam Aerts, Luc Martens, Wout Joseph, Arno Thielens. Protocol for personal RF-EMF exposure measurement studies in 5th generation telecommunication networks. Environ Health. 2021 Apr 1;20(1):36. doi: 10.1186/s12940-021-00719-w. Abstract Background: The general population is exposed to Radio-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields (RF-EMFs) used by telecommunication networks. Previous studies developed methods to assess this exposure. These methods will be inadequate to accurately assess exposure in 5G technologies or other wireless technologies using adaptive antennas. This is due to the fact that 5G NR (new radio) base stations will focus actively on connected users, resulting in a high spatio-temporal variations in the RF-EMFs. This increases the measurement uncertainty in personal measurements of RF-EMF exposure. Furthermore, a user's exposure from base stations will be dependent on the amount of data usage, adding a new component to the auto-induced exposure, which is often omitted in current studies. Goals: The objective of this paper is to develop a general study protocol for future personal RF-EMF exposure research adapted to 5G technologies. This protocol will include the assessment of auto-induced exposure of both a user's own devices and the networks' base stations. Method: This study draws from lessons learned from previous RF-EMF exposure research and current knowledge on 5G technologies, including studies simulating 5G NR base stations and measurements around 5G NR test sites. Results: To account for auto-induced exposure, an activity-based approach is introduced. In survey studies, an RF-EMF sensor is fixed on the participants' mobile device(s). Based on the measured power density, GPS data and movement and proximity sensors, different activities can be clustered and the exposure during each activity is evaluated. In microenvironmental measurements, a trained researcher performs measurements in predefined microenvironments with a mobile device equipped with the RF-EMF sensor. The mobile device is programmed to repeat a sequence of data transmission scenarios (different amounts of uplink and downlink data transmissions). Based on simulations, the amount of exposure induced in the body when the user device is at a certain location relative to the body, can be evaluated. Conclusion: Our protocol addresses the main challenges to personal exposure measurement introduced by 5G NR. A systematic method to evaluate a user's auto-induced exposure is introduced. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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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 typeother

Effect directionunclear

Populationgeneral population (context); participants in survey studies (protocol)

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureRF

Evidence strengthInsufficientConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

The paper proposes a general protocol for personal RF-EMF exposure research adapted to 5G NR, emphasizing that adaptive antennas and user-focused beams increase spatio-temporal variability and measurement uncertainty. It introduces an activity-based approach to quantify auto-induced exposure by fixing an RF-EMF sensor on participants’ mobile device(s) and combining power density with contextual sensor data; it also outlines microenvironmental measurements using predefined environments and repeated uplink/downlink transmission scenarios.

Outcomes measured

personal RF-EMF exposure measurement methodology for 5G NR
measurement uncertainty due to spatio-temporal variation
assessment of auto-induced exposure (own devices and base stations)
activity-based exposure clustering using power density, GPS, movement/proximity sensors
microenvironmental measurement approach with programmed data transmission scenarios

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "other",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "5G NR base stations and personal mobile device(s)",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "general population (context); participants in survey studies (protocol)",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "personal RF-EMF exposure measurement methodology for 5G NR",
    "measurement uncertainty due to spatio-temporal variation",
    "assessment of auto-induced exposure (own devices and base stations)",
    "activity-based exposure clustering using power density, GPS, movement/proximity sensors",
    "microenvironmental measurement approach with programmed data transmission scenarios"
  ],
  "main_findings": "The paper proposes a general protocol for personal RF-EMF exposure research adapted to 5G NR, emphasizing that adaptive antennas and user-focused beams increase spatio-temporal variability and measurement uncertainty. It introduces an activity-based approach to quantify auto-induced exposure by fixing an RF-EMF sensor on participants’ mobile device(s) and combining power density with contextual sensor data; it also outlines microenvironmental measurements using predefined environments and repeated uplink/downlink transmission scenarios.",
  "effect_direction": "unclear",
  "limitations": [],
  "evidence_strength": "insufficient",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "RF-EMF",
    "5G",
    "5G NR",
    "personal exposure measurement",
    "adaptive antennas",
    "auto-induced exposure",
    "power density",
    "GPS",
    "microenvironments",
    "uplink",
    "downlink"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "5g-policy",
      "weight": 0.62,
      "reason": "Focuses on exposure measurement protocol specifically for 5G NR networks."
    }
  ]
}

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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: 10.1186/s12940-021-00719-w
PubMed: 33794922

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