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Description
The implementation of the 5th generation of wireless telecommunication networks is accompanied by an increase in the operational frequency of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs). Studies have shown that the absorption of RF-EMFs by insects leads to dielectric heating, potentially affecting an insect’s behaviour and survival depending on their intensity. It is also known that the planned higher telecommunication carrier frequencies are absorbed more efficiently in insects. Protective thresholds for exposure to RF-EMFs are currently based on anthropocentric measures and the majority of the available publications focus on vertebrate animals. Due to their size, it is unknown if the current exposure levels are safe for insects. This research project aims to investigate the impact of RF-EMFs on mosquitoes by exposing them to various frequencies and intensities of radiation in a controlled laboratory environment, while assessing quantifiable behavioral changes in order to establishing dose-response curves. We mimicked the exposure of an insect approaching a 5G base station antenna by releasing a single mosquito into a tunnel where, at the opposite side, a bait is placed in front of an antenna. As the mosquito flies towards the bait, a video tracking system records its flight path. Numerical modelling of RF-EMF exposure along the flight path of the mosquito enables calculations of the level of radiation absorbed by the insect, thus establishing RF-EMF dose-response curves for behavioral changes, if present. The results could help establish radiation thresholds that are critical to insects.
