Speaker
Description
Large-scale temporary events can cause significant variations in radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure due to increased user density, fluctuating network demand, and the deployment of temporary base stations. The Albacete Fair is an annual event that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to a defined venue in the city centre, where multiple temporary base stations are installed, shaping the exposure pattern. This study evaluates RF-EMF exposure at the Albacete Fair 2023, focusing on the impact of forced 5G data traffic.
Measurements were conducted using an MVG EME Spy Evolution personal exposimeter at multiple locations. Data were collected in four scenarios: (1) fair with forced 5G traffic, (2) fair without forced traffic, (3) post-fair with forced traffic, and (4) post-fair without traffic. A 5G-enabled mobile device streamed 8K video to generate forced traffic, while another set of measurements was taken in airplane mode. The study analyzed multiple frequency bands, including FM, LTE, and 5G (B78TDD: 3300–3800 MHz). Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests.
RF-EMF exposure was higher during the fair, particularly in mid-to-high frequency bands. However, forced 5G traffic did not significantly increase exposure, as B78TDD levels remained stable, suggesting efficient network management. Only B8DL, B3DL, B1B10DL, and B7DL showed slight increases.
All exposure levels were well below ICNIRP limits. The highest 95th percentile (5,878.20 µW/m² in B3DL) was only 0.05878% of the ICNIRP maximum limit (10,000,000 µW/m²). Future studies should lock devices to 5G bands to better assess RF-EMF exposure under controlled conditions.
