Scientific-Based Exposure and Risk Assessment of Radiofrequency and mm-Wave Systems from children to elderly (5G and Beyond)

Project Information

SEAWave

Grant agreement ID: 101057622

DOI

10.3030/101057622

Project closed

EC signature date 24 May 2022

Start date 1 June 2022

End date 30 November 2025

Funded under

• Health

Total cost

€ 7 317 782,00

EU contribution

€ 7 317 777,00

Coordinated by

ARISTOTELIO PANEPISTIMIO THESSALONIKIS
Greece

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SEAWave (Scientific-Based Exposure and Risk Assessment of Radiofrequency and mm-Wave Systems from children to elderly (5G and Beyond))

Reporting period: 2023-12-01 to 2025-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The pervasiveness and socioeconomic dependence on wireless technology has steadily increased over the last three decades. Currently, the fifth generation (5G) New Radio (NR) cellular system is being deployed to unlock the potential of new applications that require the connection of many more devices (Internet of Things), higher data rates and low latency (autonomous driving, 'Factory of the Future'). The new cellular system operates in two frequency bands, 5G NR FR1 and 5G NR FR2. The latter frequency band lies in the millimetre wave range. At millimetre waves, the penetration of the electromagnetic radiation is very shallow, making the skin the main organ where it is absorbed. Unfortunately, little is known about the potential health effects of this radiation to the skin. However, short wavelengths are not the only technological innovation of 5G systems. The use of antennas that change dynamically their radiation pattern to serve multiple subscribers faster poses several challenges to the established calculation and measurement techniques used to assess population exposure and electromagnetic environment monitoring.
Project SEAWave (seawave-project.eu) will
(i) quantify the differences in exposure patterns between 2G-4G and 5G for the entire population including children,
(ii) provide new tools and instruments for reliable exposure evaluation of base stations, local networks in factories, and end-user devices,
(iii) provide the means to minimise exposure,
(iv) generate important new scientific data with its complimentary in vitro, animal and human studies for assessing the health risk from exposure to the new frequency bands (FR2), especially with regard to the potential (co-)carcinogenicity of skin exposure, and
(v) assess public perception of 5G and provide the knowledge and tools for effective health risk communication and dissemination to various stakeholders.
To achieve these ambitious objectives, the interdisciplinary consortium of SEAWave consists of highly experienced partners with world leading expertise in medicine, biology, engineering, physics and psychology, ideally complementing each other to achieve maximum impact. European citizens, workers, national public health authorities, European Commission services, regulators, and standardisation bodies will all benefit from the SEAWave results as they will support science-based decisions and policies for the safe deployment and use of 5G and future wireless networks.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Extensive progress has been made in 5G exposure research across multiple domains. Large-scale measurement campaigns have collected data from numerous European countries and South Korea, covering all exposure components across technologies from 2G to 5G and communication modes. Two sensors developed specifically for 5G NR FR1 bands have captured environmental downlink fields and phone-emitted uplink power. Numerical simulations have been performed to support the calculation of global exposure index (EI) for different population groups and scenarios.
Worker exposure scenarios have been expanded to include production, surveillance, logistics, laboratories, and office environments. Validation measurements for standalone 5G private networks have been conducted in warehouses, and factory testbeds. A methodology was set up for the creation of a generic model for assessing exposure in industrial environments. Near-field exposures from augmented reality glasses and body-worn cameras have been quantified.
Generic base station antenna models have been developed for FR1 and FR2, with MaMIMO antennas fully characterized computationally for beam-steering operation, to be used in the validation of MaMIMO base station measurements.
Dosimetric studies have advanced with the DASY8 Module APD, supporting FR1 and FR2 and upcoming FR3 measurements, time-averaged APD, and MIMO-enabled devices.
The murine and human 3D skin models developed show strong agreement between simulations and measurements, revealing localized energy absorption maxima.
Exposure setups have been built and used for multiple in vivo studies, with final data collection nearly finished. The human study SEAWave-Clin trial has analyzed skin samples, confirming expected cell types but showing only weak 5G-related effects. Molecular and cellular studies indicated no DNA damage, oxidative lesions, or cytotoxicity after 5G FR2 exposure.
The work to date has substantially advanced exposure modeling, dosimetric validation, characterization of measurement systems, and understanding of localized energy absorption in skin.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The introduction of an artificial intelligence (AI) model to predict the exposure in urban areas is a novel approach to exploiting extensive drive-test field measurements. Use of AI has also been introduced in the evaluation of exposure in industrial environments.
The commercialized system developed within the project, which can be used to measure absorbed power density of wireless devices in a conservative manner (covering all ages from children to adults) is an accomplishment that will help standardization bodies introduce new procedures for compliance testing and market authorisation of consumer devices.
A new sensor was developed for the measurement of emitted uplink power by any smartphone, which will allow more accurate and less costly characterization of user exposure.
The design, construction and full characterization (in terms of dosimetry) of setups for exposing cells, mice and humans to millimetre wave radiation is a result that goes beyond the start-of-the-art and will set the standard specifications for experimental setups in this frequency range.
The methodology that allows for individualized dosimetry of human skin exposed to millimetre wave radiation using advanced medical imaging (optical coherent tomography) is proposed for the first time in a clinical study and will set a paradigm in dosimetry of human skin. The methodology was validated with appropriate measurements.
The results of heatlh risk assessment studies (in vitro, in vivo, and human) will add new knowledge to the effects of 5G millimeter-wave radiation on skin both for cancerous and non-cancerous diseases.
The wide survey of 10'000 participatns across Europea of 5G systems exposure perception is a significant new result that can lead to the design of risk communication strategies in the future. The development of a serious game as an interactive communication tool for regulatory authorities goes beyond the state-of-the-art in this area of risk communication.

Part of the equipment used in SEAWave for exposure assessement and monitoring

View of the exposure chambers and control system installed at ENEA for animal studies