Empirical and Modeling Approach for Environmental Indoor RF-EMF Assessment in Complex High-Node Density Scenarios: Public Shopping Malls Case Study

Abstract

This work provides an intensive and comprehensive in-depth study from an empiricaland modeling approach of the environmental radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) radiationexposure in public shopping malls, as an example of an indoor high-node user density context awareenvironment, where multiple wireless communication systems coexist. For that purpose, current personalmobile communications (2G-5G FR 1) as well as Wi-Fi services (IEEE 802.11n/ac) have been preciselyanalyzed in order to provide clear RF-EMF assessment insight and to verify compliance with establishedregulation limits. In this sense, a complete measurements campaign has been performed in differentcountries, with frequency-selective exposimeters (PEMs), providing real empirical datasets for statisticalanalysis and allowing discussion and comparison regarding current health effects and safety issues betweensome of the most common RF-EMF exposure safety standards: ICNIRP 2020 (Spain), IEEE 2019 (Mexico)and a more restrictive regulation (Poland). In addition, environmental RF-EMF exposure assessmentsimulation results, in terms of spatial E-field characterization and Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF)probabilities, have been provided for challenging incremental high-node user dense scenarios in worst caseconditions, by means of a deterministic in-house 3D Ray-Launching (3D-RL) RF-EMF safety simulationtechnique, showing good agreement with the experimental measurements. Finally, discussion highlightingthe contribution and effects of the coexistence of multiple heterogenous networks and services for theenvironmental RF-EMF radiation exposure assessment has been included, showing that for all measuredresults and simulated cases, the obtained E-Field levels are well below the exposure limits established in theinternationally accepted standards and guidelines. In consequence, the obtained results and the presentedmethodology could become a starting point to stablish the RF-EMF assessment basis of future complexheterogeneous 5G FR 2 developments on the millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency range, where massivehigh-node user density networks are expected.