To fulfill Objective 1 (Design, develop and validate an open-access RF-EMF exposure app and portal), the ETAIN 5G Scientist app has been co-designed with citizens, tested, and released in March 2025. It collects data on environmental and personal exposure, with calibration functions, mapping tools, and a dose calculator now operational and continuously updated.
To fulfill Objective 2 (Develop and validate an Integrated Dose Model), extensive numerical simulations have been performed, providing the backbone for the dose calculator. Results highlight new insights on 5G-NR exposure, including the role of device position and frequency dependence (3.5 and 24–28 GHz). Work is extending toward higher frequency bands, with several peer-reviewed publications and a PhD thesis expected in fall 2025.
To fulfill Objective 3 (Develop and validate novel exposure reduction techniques), channel sounding with adaptive beamforming has been advanced, new algorithms have been designed, and the GRAND base station planning tool has been expanded to multiple European cities with improved user-distribution data. An AI-based version of the tool is under development.
To fulfill Objective 4 (Determine the effects of RF-EMF exposure on biodiversity, development & fitness of insects), high-resolution digital insect models have been created and shared, and simulations of RF-EMF absorption have been performed. Laboratory and field experiments with bees, flies, and wild insects are ongoing in Greece and Cyprus, with biodiversity sampling campaigns underway. All WP4 milestones have been completed and results disseminated.
To fulfill Objective 5 (Determine the long-term effects of RF-EMF exposure on human health), reverberation chambers have been set up, and experiments on 3D models of skin, eye, and Drosophila are ongoing at 3.5 and 26 GHz. New biosensors have been developed for ROS and DNA damage detection, and multi-generational fly experiments are near completion. Data analysis is ongoing and publications are in preparation.
To fulfill Objective 6 (Describe the planetary health impact of 5G and subsequent recommendations for regulatory frameworks), the first version of the Planetary Health Impact Assessment (PHIA) framework has been developed in the form of a knowledge graph. AI tools have been tested for literature analysis, and systematic reviews on exposure and effects are underway.
To fulfill Objective 7 (Engage with stakeholders to integrate their inputs into the project activities), engagement and communication have been scaled up with continuous citizen involvement, expanded dissemination efforts, and stakeholder outreach targeting potential users of the 5G Scientist app.
Recent updates can be found at
https://www.etainproject.eu/(öffnet in neuem Fenster).
