RF exposure from ten 5G beamforming cell towers (3.6 GHz band) in Germany

2022 · No effect · Moderate evidence

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No effectModerate evidencePaper 1266

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2022

Study typeexposure_assessment

Reported directionNo effect

Evidence ratingModerate

Abstract

RF exposure from ten 5G beamforming cell towers (3.6 GHz band) in Germany Kopacz T, Bornkessel C, Wuschek M. Consideration of current mobile phone antenna technology when determining HF-EMF exposure - project 3619S82463. Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS). Nov-2022. Report number(s): BfS-RESFOR-208/22. URN(s): urn:nbn:de:0221-2022112435660. (The report is in German with an English-language executive summary.) Abstract (Google translation) This research project deals with the metrological recording and analysis of immissions from 5G base stations with beamforming antennas in the 3.6 GHz band. As a basis, measurement methods for determining current, typical and maximum possible immissions were proposed, which suitably take into account the time-varying radiation behavior of the antennas. The maximum possible immissions can be determined either by extrapolation based on the difference in antenna gain between traffic and broadcast beams at the measuring point or by direct measurement when the maximum immission is provoked using a 5G terminal device. Immission measurements at 100 systematically selected measuring points in the vicinity of ten 5G beamforming base stations in the 3.6 GHz band resulted in maximum immissions between 0.2% (0.15 V/m) and 28.9% (17.6 V/m m) the field strength limit of the 26th BImSchV (median 4.7% or 2.9 V/m). The instantaneous immissions without provoked traffic were between 0.04% (0.03 V/m) and 1.1% (0.67 V/m) of the field strength limit value (median 0.08% or 0.05 V/m) and the emissions during typical use (ARD live stream) are only slightly higher, between 0.04% (0.03 V/m) and 1.3% (0.8 V/m) of the field strength limit value (median 0.2% or 0.12V/m). The visibility conditions between the place of immission and the 5G antenna have a major influence on the size of the immission, since significant attenuation also occurs in the 3.6 GHz band due to vegetation. The dependence on the vertical angle between the point of immission and the antenna observed in GSM, UMTS and LTE base stations has changed in the 5G beamforming base stations examined in such a way that the immissions are no longer highest at small but at larger vertical angles. len. If the beam does not act at the point of immission, but is shifted azimuthally or radially by a few tens of meters in the cell, the measurements carried out here showed an average immission reduction of 7.5 dB compared to a direct alignment of the beam to the point of immission. Long-term measurements showed that users were only active sporadically at the time of the measurements. Even with targeted provoked typical use, the 6-minute mean value of the field strength at most points could only be significantly raised above the detection limit of the measuring device by downloading a large file. Immission peaks were usually very limited in time. Open access paper: doris.bfs.de

Machine Enhanced Logic

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

PopulationNot supplied

Sample size100

ExposureRF · 3600 MHz · instantaneous, 6-minute mean (mentioned); long-term measurements (duration not specified)

Evidence strengthModerateConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: no

Main findings

At 100 measurement points near ten 5G beamforming base stations (3.6 GHz), maximum immissions ranged from 0.2% (0.15 V/m) to 28.9% (17.6 V/m) of the 26th BImSchV field strength limit (median 4.7% or 2.9 V/m). Instantaneous immissions without provoked traffic were 0.04% (0.03 V/m) to 1.1% (0.67 V/m) (median 0.08% or 0.05 V/m), and typical use (ARD live stream) was 0.04% (0.03 V/m) to 1.3% (0.8 V/m) (median 0.2% or 0.12 V/m). Visibility/vegetation affected immissions; the highest immissions occurred at larger vertical angles; shifting the beam by tens of meters reduced immissions by an average of 7.5 dB; peaks were usually brief and users were sporadically active during measurements.

Outcomes measured

Electric field strength (V/m)
Immission levels as % of German field strength limit (26th BImSchV)
Effect of visibility/vegetation attenuation on immission
Effect of vertical angle on immission
Immission change with beam misalignment (dB reduction)
Temporal characteristics of immission peaks
Detectability/raising above measurement device detection limit under provoked use

Limitations

Report is in German with an English-language executive summary; abstract is a Google translation
No health outcomes assessed (exposure/measurement study only)
Long-term measurement duration and protocols not specified in the provided abstract
Details on instrumentation, calibration, and uncertainty not provided in the provided abstract

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "exposure_assessment",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "5G base stations (beamforming cell towers)",
    "frequency_mhz": 3600,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "instantaneous, 6-minute mean (mentioned); long-term measurements (duration not specified)"
  },
  "population": null,
  "sample_size": 100,
  "outcomes": [
    "Electric field strength (V/m)",
    "Immission levels as % of German field strength limit (26th BImSchV)",
    "Effect of visibility/vegetation attenuation on immission",
    "Effect of vertical angle on immission",
    "Immission change with beam misalignment (dB reduction)",
    "Temporal characteristics of immission peaks",
    "Detectability/raising above measurement device detection limit under provoked use"
  ],
  "main_findings": "At 100 measurement points near ten 5G beamforming base stations (3.6 GHz), maximum immissions ranged from 0.2% (0.15 V/m) to 28.9% (17.6 V/m) of the 26th BImSchV field strength limit (median 4.7% or 2.9 V/m). Instantaneous immissions without provoked traffic were 0.04% (0.03 V/m) to 1.1% (0.67 V/m) (median 0.08% or 0.05 V/m), and typical use (ARD live stream) was 0.04% (0.03 V/m) to 1.3% (0.8 V/m) (median 0.2% or 0.12 V/m). Visibility/vegetation affected immissions; the highest immissions occurred at larger vertical angles; shifting the beam by tens of meters reduced immissions by an average of 7.5 dB; peaks were usually brief and users were sporadically active during measurements.",
  "effect_direction": "no_effect",
  "limitations": [
    "Report is in German with an English-language executive summary; abstract is a Google translation",
    "No health outcomes assessed (exposure/measurement study only)",
    "Long-term measurement duration and protocols not specified in the provided abstract",
    "Details on instrumentation, calibration, and uncertainty not provided in the provided abstract"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "moderate",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "no",
  "keywords": [
    "5G",
    "beamforming",
    "base stations",
    "cell towers",
    "3.6 GHz",
    "RF exposure",
    "HF-EMF",
    "immission",
    "field strength",
    "Germany",
    "BfS",
    "26th BImSchV",
    "measurement methods",
    "vegetation attenuation",
    "vertical angle",
    "long-term measurements"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "5g-policy",
      "weight": 0.6,
      "reason": "Focuses on measured RF immissions from 5G beamforming base stations in the 3.6 GHz band and comparison to regulatory limit values."
    }
  ]
}

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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: Not supplied
PubMed: Not supplied

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