Assessing radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure in multiple microenvironments across ten European countries with a focus on 5G
To evaluate the implementation of 5G in Europe, we have systematically measured environmental, auto-induced downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure in more than 800 microenvironments in ten European countries.Outdoor, indoor, and public transport microenv...
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2025-06-01
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412025002910 |
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| author | Adriana Fernandes Veludo Bram Stroobandt Han Van Bladel Nekane Sandoval-Diez Kenneth Deprez Sam Aerts Wassim Ben Chikha Joe Wiart Zsuzsanna Vecsei Péter Pál Necz György Thuróczy Martina Benini Marta Bonato Silvia Gallucci Gabriella Tognola Marta Parazzini Lea Beláčková Nina Vaupotič Pawel Mamrot Magda Marianska Piotr Politanski Kinga Polanska Matthew Stamets Patricia de Llobet Gemma Castaño-Vinyals Mònica Guxens Paige M. Hulls Frank de Vocht Wout Joseph Martin Röösli |
| author_facet | Adriana Fernandes Veludo Bram Stroobandt Han Van Bladel Nekane Sandoval-Diez Kenneth Deprez Sam Aerts Wassim Ben Chikha Joe Wiart Zsuzsanna Vecsei Péter Pál Necz György Thuróczy Martina Benini Marta Bonato Silvia Gallucci Gabriella Tognola Marta Parazzini Lea Beláčková Nina Vaupotič Pawel Mamrot Magda Marianska Piotr Politanski Kinga Polanska Matthew Stamets Patricia de Llobet Gemma Castaño-Vinyals Mònica Guxens Paige M. Hulls Frank de Vocht Wout Joseph Martin Röösli |
| author_sort | Adriana Fernandes Veludo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | To evaluate the implementation of 5G in Europe, we have systematically measured environmental, auto-induced downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure in more than 800 microenvironments in ten European countries.Outdoor, indoor, and public transport microenvironments were measured in two cities and three villages in each country. Exposure was measured during three mobile-phone user scenarios: flight mode (non-user), inducing maximum DL traffic (max DL) or maximum UL traffic (max UL). The mobile phone was carried in a backpack, placed 30 cm from an ExpoM-RF 4 that continuously measured 35 frequency bands (87.5 MHz–6 GHz). For each user scenario, mean exposure levels were calculated.In the non-user scenario, mean exposure levels ranged from 0.33 to 1.72 mW/m2 per country and were lower in Switzerland, Belgium and Italy. RF-EMF levels were, on average, 80 % lower in villages compared to cities, with DL bands contributing the most in this scenario. During max DL, exposure increased mainly due to the 5G band at 3.5 GHz (mean exposure per country 2.61–11.12 mW/m2). However, the time-division nature of this band prevents distinguishing between DL and UL signals with the ExpoM-RF 4. Exposure levels were the highest during max UL, particularly in the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium, with 50 % of the mean levels per country above 16 mW/m2. Exposure was, on average, 35 % higher in villages compared to cities.Environmental exposure levels were below international guideline values. Countries with precautionary limits had lower environmental exposure levels but higher auto-induced uplink exposure during data upload. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4a08e613d0e940bc80e974b169ba471a |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0160-4120 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Environment International |
| spelling | doaj-art-4a08e613d0e940bc80e974b169ba471a2025-08-20T03:07:51ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202025-06-0120010954010.1016/j.envint.2025.109540Assessing radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure in multiple microenvironments across ten European countries with a focus on 5GAdriana Fernandes Veludo0Bram Stroobandt1Han Van Bladel2Nekane Sandoval-Diez3Kenneth Deprez4Sam Aerts5Wassim Ben Chikha6Joe Wiart7Zsuzsanna Vecsei8Péter Pál Necz9György Thuróczy10Martina Benini11Marta Bonato12Silvia Gallucci13Gabriella Tognola14Marta Parazzini15Lea Beláčková16Nina Vaupotič17Pawel Mamrot18Magda Marianska19Piotr Politanski20Kinga Polanska21Matthew Stamets22Patricia de Llobet23Gemma Castaño-Vinyals24Mònica Guxens25Paige M. Hulls26Frank de Vocht27Wout Joseph28Martin Röösli29Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), Allschwil 4123, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel 4001, SwitzerlandDepartment of Information Technology, Ghent University/imec, Ghent 9052 BelgiumDepartment of Information Technology, Ghent University/imec, Ghent 9052 BelgiumSwiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), Allschwil 4123, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel 4001, SwitzerlandDepartment of Information Technology, Ghent University/imec, Ghent 9052 BelgiumThe Hague University of Applied Sciences, 2628 AL Delft, NetherlandsTélécom Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Palaiseau, FranceTélécom Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Palaiseau, FranceNational Center for Public Health and Pharmacy, Budapest, HungaryNational Center for Public Health and Pharmacy, Budapest, HungaryNational Center for Public Health and Pharmacy, Budapest, HungaryCnr- Istituto di Elettronica e di Ingegneria dell’Informazione e delle Telecomunicazioni, Milan, ItalyCnr- Istituto di Elettronica e di Ingegneria dell’Informazione e delle Telecomunicazioni, Milan, ItalyCnr- Istituto di Elettronica e di Ingegneria dell’Informazione e delle Telecomunicazioni, Milan, ItalyCnr- Istituto di Elettronica e di Ingegneria dell’Informazione e delle Telecomunicazioni, Milan, ItalyCnr- Istituto di Elettronica e di Ingegneria dell’Informazione e delle Telecomunicazioni, Milan, ItalyIRAS, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, Utrecht 3584, NetherlandsVienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria; Environmental Psychology Group, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, AustriaNofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, PolandNofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, PolandNofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, PolandNofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, PolandISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, SpainISGlobal, Barcelona, SpainISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, SpainISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; ICREA, Barcelona, SpainPopulation Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UKPopulation Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; NIHR Applied Health Research Collaboration West (ARC West), Bristol, UKDepartment of Information Technology, Ghent University/imec, Ghent 9052 BelgiumSwiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), Allschwil 4123, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel 4001, Switzerland; Corresponding author.To evaluate the implementation of 5G in Europe, we have systematically measured environmental, auto-induced downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure in more than 800 microenvironments in ten European countries.Outdoor, indoor, and public transport microenvironments were measured in two cities and three villages in each country. Exposure was measured during three mobile-phone user scenarios: flight mode (non-user), inducing maximum DL traffic (max DL) or maximum UL traffic (max UL). The mobile phone was carried in a backpack, placed 30 cm from an ExpoM-RF 4 that continuously measured 35 frequency bands (87.5 MHz–6 GHz). For each user scenario, mean exposure levels were calculated.In the non-user scenario, mean exposure levels ranged from 0.33 to 1.72 mW/m2 per country and were lower in Switzerland, Belgium and Italy. RF-EMF levels were, on average, 80 % lower in villages compared to cities, with DL bands contributing the most in this scenario. During max DL, exposure increased mainly due to the 5G band at 3.5 GHz (mean exposure per country 2.61–11.12 mW/m2). However, the time-division nature of this band prevents distinguishing between DL and UL signals with the ExpoM-RF 4. Exposure levels were the highest during max UL, particularly in the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium, with 50 % of the mean levels per country above 16 mW/m2. Exposure was, on average, 35 % higher in villages compared to cities.Environmental exposure levels were below international guideline values. Countries with precautionary limits had lower environmental exposure levels but higher auto-induced uplink exposure during data upload.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412025002910Europe5G New RadioTechnologyTelecommunicationRadiofrequencyExposure assessment |
| spellingShingle | Adriana Fernandes Veludo Bram Stroobandt Han Van Bladel Nekane Sandoval-Diez Kenneth Deprez Sam Aerts Wassim Ben Chikha Joe Wiart Zsuzsanna Vecsei Péter Pál Necz György Thuróczy Martina Benini Marta Bonato Silvia Gallucci Gabriella Tognola Marta Parazzini Lea Beláčková Nina Vaupotič Pawel Mamrot Magda Marianska Piotr Politanski Kinga Polanska Matthew Stamets Patricia de Llobet Gemma Castaño-Vinyals Mònica Guxens Paige M. Hulls Frank de Vocht Wout Joseph Martin Röösli Assessing radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure in multiple microenvironments across ten European countries with a focus on 5G Environment International Europe 5G New Radio Technology Telecommunication Radiofrequency Exposure assessment |
| title | Assessing radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure in multiple microenvironments across ten European countries with a focus on 5G |
| title_full | Assessing radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure in multiple microenvironments across ten European countries with a focus on 5G |
| title_fullStr | Assessing radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure in multiple microenvironments across ten European countries with a focus on 5G |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure in multiple microenvironments across ten European countries with a focus on 5G |
| title_short | Assessing radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure in multiple microenvironments across ten European countries with a focus on 5G |
| title_sort | assessing radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure in multiple microenvironments across ten european countries with a focus on 5g |
| topic | Europe 5G New Radio Technology Telecommunication Radiofrequency Exposure assessment |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412025002910 |
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