Modeling, Characterizing and Controlling
Exposure to Electromagnetic Waves
5G uses new frequencies and will lead to new uses. Electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by 5G, cell towers and equipment need to comply with European directives (Posted Workers’ Directive, Radio Equipment Directive) and the limits recommended by the European Commission. These are regularly assessed to guarantee the validity of protection thresholds. In 2020, the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection adopted new recommendations that take into account advances in research.
Uses and technology change, and being able to properly characterize levels of exposure to electromagnetic radiofrequency (RF) is important. It offers fresh information on potential neuropsychological and biological effects and helps understand risk assessment and perception, using a multidisciplinary pan-European approach.
Télécom Paris and the C2M chair contribute to the work of GOLIAT, in response to the European “Health and Exposure to EMF” call for projects, which the European Union funds with a 7 euro million grant.
GOLIAT is led by ISGlobal (Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain). Its director is Monica Guxens, professor and medical doctor specialized in public health and preventive medicine. GOLIAT has 21 other partners throughout Europe:
The contribution of Télécom Paris researchers, who are already involved in the SEAWave project consists mostly in the work relating to exposure data collection and modeling. To that end, we study the contribution of artificial intelligence to assess exposure. We collect experimental data (via sensor networks, drive tests and mobile phones), open data on network architecture (location and frequency plan for example) and examine the space-time reconstruction of exposure maps.
The objective is to assess and understand RF wave exposure properly, as well as understanding how they change – depending on technical changes such as 5G and directional beam antennas – and the use of millimeter-wave frequencies. GOLIAT characterizes and monitors models of EMF exposure in young people and in workers, against the background of new generation radiocommunication networks being deployed.
Research focuses on workers and the general population, with particular attention to children.
GOLIAT analyzes both RF wave exposure and the potential neuropsychological impact on cognitive functions, mental health and sleep in young people and workers. The project identifies the potential biological and neuropsychological effects of exposure to 5G electromagnetic waves on brain function, thermal regulation and the stress induced in the body. It does so by way of in vitro and in vivo experiments in humans and also in silico experiments (numerical simulation), using an integrative approach.
The idea is not so much to develop solutions to prevent the risks inherent to EMF exposure being too high as to help everyone understand exposure and reduce it if they so wish, given that exposure levels fall far below the thresholds. GOLIAT’s research focuses on effective ways to reduce exposure. Which is important, not so much in terms of dose reduction and the associated potential risk on health but also because it represents a step towards broader acceptance of technologies able to offer a range of societal benefits.
