Abstract

Overview

Human exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from mobile communication devices, specifically mobile phones, is increasingly prevalent. This study extensively examines the emitted radiation levels when mobile phones operate on different network standards—4G and 5G—while running various applications.

Findings

• Methodology: This research utilized statistics, nonlinear data analysis including recurrence quantification, and time-frequency analysis to assess the emission levels of mobile terminals.
• Data Collection: Time series of radiated electric field strengths were recorded and processed for five mobile applications over both 4G-LTE and 5G-NR FR1 communication standards.
• Variability: Notable differences between 4G and 5G emission patterns were documented, emphasizing application-specific temporal imprints.
• Significant Observations:
  • Video calls and uploads exhibited the most distinct differences in field-level distributions between 4G and 5G.
  • 5G emissions tended to be concentrated at lower levels with small inter-application differences, unlike 4G emissions.
  • The correlation and variability analyses detailed specific behavioral differences in emission patterns between the two standards.
• Temporal and Frequency Analysis: The study highlights clear differences in the time-frequency domain between 4G and 5G emissions, specifically in behaviors such as uploads and video calls.

Conclusion

The investigation presents preliminary findings showing random and chaotic behavior in emission patterns and suggests stark reminders of potential health risks due to varying exposure levels across technologies. Future research is projected to include longer time-series data to uncover more significant correlations and features.