Micro-environmental personal radio-frequency electromagnetic field exposures in Melbourne: A longitudinal trend analysis

Overview

Background: There is a lack of longitudinal research on personal radio-frequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposures globally, and questions remain about the influence of technological advancements in telecommunications on RF-EMF exposure levels. This study aims to evaluate long-term trends in micro-environmental personal RF-EMF exposures in Melbourne, Australia.

Methods

• Baseline (2015-16) and follow-up (2022) RF-EMF exposure data were collected across 18 micro-environments.
• Simultaneous quantile regression analysis was used to compare exposure data percentiles, focusing on median (P50), upper extreme value (P99), and general exposure trends.
• Exposures were compared across six source types: mobile downlink, mobile uplink, broadcast, 5G-New Radio, Others, and Total.
• Baseline and follow-up frequency-specific exposures and total exposures across different micro-environment groups were analyzed.

Findings

• Across all micro-environmental data, total median and extreme exposure levels (P99) did not significantly change, but overall exposure trends showed an increase at follow-up.
• Mobile downlink exposure showed the highest contribution and demonstrated increases in both median and overall exposure trends.
• Of seven micro-environment types, five displayed increased total exposure levels and overall exposure trends at follow-up.

Conclusion

The study found inconsistent changes in personal RF-EMF exposures across different environments. While median and upper extreme exposures remained stable, the overall exposure trend increased, especially for mobile downlink sources (with increases in median exposure by 26.7% and up to 34.3% for exposure trend). This persistent or increasing exposure from mobile and 5G sources underscores the importance of continued monitoring of EMF health risks.