Published April 11, 2026 | Article by EMFSA

5G/6G 28 GHz EMF Exposure Levels – Some people worry that newer networks (especially 5G/6G) might affect health. Therefore, the researchers sought a realistic, everyday assessment. The objective of the study was to investigate hotspot effects from MaMIMO base stations on RF-EMF exposure. The authors compared instantaneous exposure metrics with 30-minute ICNIRP limits as a conservative worst-case scenario, referring to these as “exposure limits.”

This work comprehensively studies hotspots in realistic environments at 28 GHz.

Simulated a person walking in cities (like Helsinki and New York).

Used detailed 3D maps (buildings, trees, streets).

Modeled how signals travel and interact with the human body.

Key findings

• Case studies in Helsinki and NYC show the reference and basic exposure metrics along a realistic path, remaining within at most 1% of the ICNIRP guidelines limit for 30-min averaging intervals. 
• Using your phone increases exposure compared to not using it (because signals focus on your device).
• Distributed (cell-free) MaMIMO systems spread signals more evenly, avoiding strong peaks.
• Small “hotspots” of higher signal can occur, but they are tiny and short-lived.

In short, according to the authors: 

In normal real-world situations, even with advanced 5G/6G systems, exposure to radio waves stays far below safety limits and is not unusually high.

As per the authors, the study introduces several novel contributions:

• A first-of-its-kind end-to-end method for assessing mmWave exposure, combining ray-tracing, QuaDRiGa, and FDTD simulations.
• The use of high-accuracy photogrammetry and semantic classification to model realistic exposure along real-world paths.
• A comparison of collocated and cell-free massive MIMO systems under both user and non-user scenarios at 28 GHz.
• A detailed analysis of realistic exposure “hotspots” and their impact on key metrics such as incident (Sinc) and absorbed (Sab) power density.

What are the limitations of the study?

• Very high computational cost
• Incomplete real-world data (materials & antennas)
• Partly statistical (not fully exact)
• Limited validation with real measurements
• Specific scenarios only

Bottom line:

The study is advanced and realistic, but still depends on simulations, assumptions, and limited real-world data.

5G/6G 28 GHz EMF Exposure Levels – Advantages of the study

Realistic global modelling – Can simulate EMF exposure almost anywhere using detailed 3D environments.

End-to-end “digital twin” – Models the full process: from signal transmission (Tx power) to what the human body absorbs.

Practical usefulness

-Helps policy-makers understand real exposure levels.

-Helps network planners design safer, more efficient systems. –

Advanced accuracy – Combines multiple techniques to better reflect real-world signal behavior.

5G/6G 28 GHz EMF Exposure Levels – Future recommendations by the authors

1. Expand testing environments – Apply the method across urban, rural, indoor, and controlled lab settings.
2. Validate with real-world measurements – Use wearable dosimeters and city-scale experiments.
3. Scale to future 6G systems – Investigate exposure in ultra-massive MIMO networks.
4. Improve model realism – Incorporate real device and antenna data.
5. Collaborate with industry – Access proprietary antenna designs and configurations.

Source and licensing

This article is based on: Wydaeghe et al. (2026). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Further reading: Numerical Analysis of Electromagnetic Field Exposure from 5G Mobile Communications at 28 GHZ in Adults and Children Users for Real-World Exposure Scenarios https://www.emfsa.co.za/research-and-studies/numerical-analysis-of-electromagnetic-field-exposure-from-5g-mobile-communications-at-28-ghz-in-adults-and-children-users-for-real-world-exposure-scenarios/

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Abstract

The recent development of millimeter-wave (mmW) technologies, such as the fifth-generation (5G) network, comes with concerns related to user exposure. A quite large number of dosimetry studies above 6 GHz have been conducted, with the main purpose being to establish the correlation between different dosimetric parameters and the skin surface temperature elevation. However, the dosimetric studies from 28 GHz user equipment using different voxel models have not been comprehensively discussed yet. In this study, we used the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method for the estimation of the absorption of radiofrequency (RF) energy from a microstrip patch antenna array (28 GHz) in different human models. Specifically, we analyzed different exposure conditions simulating three real common scenarios (a phone call scenario, message writing scenario, and browsing scenario) regarding the use of smartphones/tablets by four different individuals (adult male and female, child male and female). From the results of Absorbed Power Density (Sab), it is possible to conclude that all the considered exposure scenarios comply with the safety limits, both for adult and children models. However, the high values of the local Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) in the superficial tissues and the slight differences in its distribution between adults and children suggest the need for further and more detailed analysis.

Citation Morelli, M.S.; Gallucci, S.; Siervo, B.; Hartwig, V. Numerical Analysis of Electromagnetic Field Exposure from 5G Mobile Communications at 28 GHZ in Adults and Children Users for Real-World Exposure Scenarios. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1073. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18031073 https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/3/1073

Full text https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7908514/

The post Numerical Analysis of Electromagnetic Field Exposure from 5G Mobile Communications at 28 GHZ in Adults and Children Users for Real-World Exposure Scenarios appeared first on EMFSA.

By Don Scansen  11.10.2020

The 5G era is well underway, though the rollout is still relatively new, and with only a few handsets capable of all the available spectrum, there are still questions that consume column space.

The upper portion of the spectrum offers opportunities to investigate since the mmWave band at 28 GHz currently available is new to the consumer market. Higher frequencies are coming later. Extra high frequency, or EHF, is the moniker for 30 to 300 GHz which may provide a clue as to why there are people who want to understand potential health impacts before they embrace this new technology.

Although the upper reaches of the 5G spectrum offer both higher potential bandwidths and open frequency allocations now given to cellular service, this range of frequencies suffers from very high atmospheric attenuation. That raises the potential for higher power outputs required at antennas in order to reliably connect a user to a base station cell.

But the open air attenuation is just part of the issue. The use of mmWave frequencies is new, but another issue is not. The flesh and blood and bone of the user will also absorb the RF energy. I will not address the potential biological reaction to the mmWave energy. Whether or not the user will experience physical effects, the hand or head (or any body part) will definitely reduce if not outright eliminate RF signal propagation for 5G (at least you hope the output power is in the range that makes this true).

Read more at: https://www.eetimes.com/5g-antennas-stay-out-of-the-way/

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S. Kim and I. Nasim, “Human Electromagnetic Field Exposure in 5G at 28 GHz,” in IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine, vol. 9, no. 6, pp. 41-48, 1 Nov. 2020, doi: 10.1109/MCE.2019.2956223.

Abstract:

The fifth-generation wireless (5G) has already started showing its capability to achieve extremely fast data transfer, which makes itself considered to be a promising mobile technology. However, concerns have been raised on adverse health impacts that human users can experience in a 5G system by being exposed to electromagnetic fields (EMFs). This article investigates the human EMF exposure in a 5G system and compares them with those measured in the previous-generation cellular systems. It suggests a minimum separation distance between a transmitter and a human user for keeping the EMF exposure below the safety regulation level, which provides consumers with a general understanding on the safe use of 5G communications.

Extract from the conclusion:

However, considering the gravity of this issue, we suggest several directions to be achieved in our future research.

• Human EMF exposure mitigation strategy: We are particularly interested in exploiting the technical features in future wireless systems—i.e., a larger number of BSs within a unit area. Such a paradigm change will enable a holistic, network-based approach to mitigate the EMF exposure as an optimization problem with a set of constraints representing the PD, SAR, and skin-temperature elevation.
• Further studies regarding exact human health impacts caused by EMF exposure: The particular focus will be put on 1) skin dielectric effect with respect to frequency and 2) the effect of radiation when the body is covered with clothing or garment materials.”

Comments:

EMFSA: Note that the 5G comparison graph below refers only to 5G transmitted at 28GHz. 5G transmitted in the mid range uses frequencies similar to 3G and 4G and therefore penetration depths are similar. For clarity the graph should state it is 5G at 28GHz.

Electromagnetic Radiation Safety November 10, 2020:

New IEEE paper questions safety of exposure to 5G cell phone radiation

There has been considerable public pressure in many countries including the U.S. to stop deployment of 5G due to potential health risks. Most of the attention has focused on the cell towers or base stations; however, the safety of using 5G cell phones and other 5G personal devices may be an even greater concern due to the proximity of these devices to our bodies.

A new peer-reviewed paper, “Human Electromagnetic Field Exposure in 5G at 28 GHz,” questions the safety of exposure to 5G millimeter waves. The authors found in a simulation study that use of a 5G cell phone at 28 GHz could exceed ICNIRP (i.e. international) radio frequency exposure limits when held at 8 centimeters (i.e., 3 inches) or closer to the head or body. Whereas the ICNIRP exposure limit for the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) is 2.0 watts per kilogram averaged over 10 grams of tissue, the FCC limit is 2-3 times more conservative, namely the SAR limit is 1.6 watts per kilogram averaged over only 1 gram of tissue. This means compliance with the FCC exposure limit would require a greater separation distance from the body than 8 centimeters in the U.S.

Although there have been numerous peer-reviewed papers that have raised serious concerns about the safety of exposure to 5G radiation and/or millimeter waves, this new paper is especially significant because it is published in an industry-sponsored journal, the November/December issue of IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine.

https://www.saferemr.com

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