5G EMF Exposure: Overview of Recent Research and Safety Standard Updates

In the last few years, there has been a lot of controversy about the possible adverse health effects of the 5G communication systems, especially at millimeter-wave frequencies. Together with the widespread deployment of the new technology, it has triggered significant public concern. The scope of conducted research studies in this area is still not high, and there are many open questions concerning their results. In this paper, an overview of the scientific literature related to the effects of exposure to 5G electromagnetic fields (EMF) is given. Taking into account the existing research results, EMF safety standards have been adapted to a certain extent to adequately account for new technological developments. The latest changes of ICNIRP and IEEE C95.1 standards are summarized in the paper.