Electromagnetic radiation hazards of the new telecommunication and sensing frequency bands to insects

The purpose of the project is to investigate the susceptibility of insects to electromagnetic radiation in the emerging frequency bands utilized by 5G/beyond-5G telecommunication and new sensing applications.

This study is expected to contribute to the risk assessment of the large-scale exploitation of these new frequency bands.

The study will develop fundamental electromagnetic models of insect organisms in these frequency bands, experimentally determine important modelling parameters, investigate electromagnetic absorption phenomena of individual insects and insect swarms, and experimentally assess reproduction-related parameters of insects exposed to radiation at different power levels in the so far non investigated frequency bands from 20 to 750 GHz.

The specific absorption rate is enhanced multifold when the size of the body parts is comparable to the wavelength. Studies have shown that the reproduction of fruit flies is significantly affected by mobile phone signals.

With the progress of telecommunication and remote-sensing applications into new frequency bands in the millimeter-wave spectrum and sub-THz frequency spectrum, insects with body sizes comparable to the wavelengths are becoming increasingly susceptible.

In view of the globally declining but ecologically important and vulnerable insect population it is important to investigate the effect and potential impact of new radiation hazards created by the large-scale exploitation of these new frequency bands.