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Radiation Analysis in a Gradual 5G Network Deployment Strategy

2020 · Harm · Low evidence

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HarmLow evidencePaper 1687

Simulations for a small area in downtown Austin, Texas comparing LTE-only versus LTE plus a proposed gradual 5G deployment showed a significant increase in radiation (power density) levels with the addition of 5G cell towers. The reported power density levels…

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2020
Study typeengineering
Reported directionHarm
Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Radiation Analysis in a Gradual 5G Network Deployment Strategy El-Hajj AM, Naous T. Radiation Analysis in a Gradual 5G Network Deployment Strategy. 2020 IEEE 3rd 5G World Forum (5GWF), Bangalore, India IEEE, 2020: 448-453, ISBN 9781728173009 Abstract In a world where many overlapping 2G, 3G, and 4G electromagnetic radiation sources already exist, concerns regarding the potential increase in these radiation levels following the roll-out of 5G networks are growing. The deployment of 5G is expected to increase power density levels drastically, given the limitations of mmWave communications that impose a notably higher number of base stations to cover a given area of interest. In this paper, we propose a gradual deployment strategy of a 5G network for a small area in downtown Austin, Texas, using the already existing 4G LTE sites of the area. The radiated power density of the proposed 5G network is then analyzed according to several electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure limits and compared to the radiation levels of the same area where only the LTE network is present. Simulation results for the selected area demonstrate the significant increase in radiation levels resulting from the addition of 5G cell towers. ieeexplore.ieee.org For the frequency range of 2 to 300 GHz, the IEEE C95.1-2019 standard [18] specifies a limit power density value of 10 W/m2 in restricted environment and 50 W/m2 in unrestricted environments. These correspond to an averaging time of 30 minutes. The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) 2020 guidelines for limiting exposure to electromagnetic fields [19] specify the general public exposure limit at 10 W/m2 for frequencies between 2 and 300 GHz with the averaging time being 30 minutes. Similar limits are specified by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in [20] where a restriction of 10 W/m2 for the general public has been set. In contrast, the institute for building biology and sustainability (IBN) in Germany have specified the exposure limit to be less than 0.1 W/m2 in their 2015 Standard of Building Biology Measurement Technique (SBM-2015) [21], which is a million-fold lower than what is specified by the aforementioned guidelines. This suggests that negative health effects can occur at levels much lower than 10 W/m2. Finally, the Chinese ministry of health [22] have set the power density exposure limit to 0.1 W/m2. This paper presented an analysis of the radiation levels in a deployed 5G network in an urban outdoor environment. Under the constraints of exposure limits, several challenges face the design and planning of such radiation aware 5G networks. Cell ranges need to be reduced to comply with the maximum allowed radiated power, requiring the densification of small cells in small areas and making it more costly to deploy these radiation-aware 5G networks. Although in this work we considered the maximum allowed EIRP prior to network deployment, results showed power density levels that do not satisfy all the exposure limits set by several sources. In this regard, a positive impact can be imposed by radiationaware 5G networks on several levels. On a governmental level, the exposure limits for the power density need to be revised using today's data and approaches to bridge the gap between the thresholds specified by the different institutes and commissions. On a technological and scientific level, the radiation exposure constraint can open the door for innovative 5G solutions targeted to limit the health risks and economic barriers associated with this problem. This work can be extended by developing an analytical framework to efficiently rank and rate different cell allocation alternatives to minimize the potential radiations given a carefully chosen list of key performance indicators.

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 typeengineering
Effect directionharm
PopulationNot supplied
Sample sizeNot supplied
ExposuremmWave
Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Simulations for a small area in downtown Austin, Texas comparing LTE-only versus LTE plus a proposed gradual 5G deployment showed a significant increase in radiation (power density) levels with the addition of 5G cell towers. The reported power density levels did not satisfy all exposure limits cited from multiple sources.

Outcomes measured

  • Power density (W/m^2)
  • Compliance with EMF exposure limits (IEEE C95.1-2019, ICNIRP 2020, FCC, SBM-2015, Chinese ministry of health)

Limitations

  • Simulation-based analysis; no direct measurements reported in the abstract
  • Specific 5G frequencies, propagation assumptions, and quantitative power density results are not provided in the abstract
  • Health outcomes were not measured; discussion of health effects is speculative within the abstract
View raw extracted JSON
{
  "study_type": "engineering",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "mmWave",
    "source": "base station",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": null,
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Power density (W/m^2)",
    "Compliance with EMF exposure limits (IEEE C95.1-2019, ICNIRP 2020, FCC, SBM-2015, Chinese ministry of health)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Simulations for a small area in downtown Austin, Texas comparing LTE-only versus LTE plus a proposed gradual 5G deployment showed a significant increase in radiation (power density) levels with the addition of 5G cell towers. The reported power density levels did not satisfy all exposure limits cited from multiple sources.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "Simulation-based analysis; no direct measurements reported in the abstract",
    "Specific 5G frequencies, propagation assumptions, and quantitative power density results are not provided in the abstract",
    "Health outcomes were not measured; discussion of health effects is speculative within the abstract"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "5G",
    "mmWave",
    "base stations",
    "small cells",
    "power density",
    "EIRP",
    "EMF exposure limits",
    "ICNIRP 2020",
    "IEEE C95.1-2019",
    "FCC",
    "urban deployment",
    "network densification",
    "radiation-aware planning"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "5g-policy",
      "weight": 0.78,
      "reason": "Focuses on 5G deployment and compares simulated power density to multiple exposure limits; includes policy-oriented discussion about revising limits."
    },
    {
      "slug": "who-icnirp",
      "weight": 0.62,
      "reason": "Explicitly references ICNIRP 2020 guidelines and evaluates compliance."
    }
  ]
}
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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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