Citizen science-based mapping of radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure in Europe : A proof-of-concept validation study.

Citizen science smartphone data can produce validated, high-resolution RF-EMF exposure maps across Europe, with strong correlations to reference measurements (up to r_s = 0.88).

• Why it matters: Accurate, detailed population-level RF-EMF exposure characterization has been limited by the high cost and scale of traditional measurement methods, hindering understanding of exposure trends.
• What they did: The ETAIN 5G Scientist app collected over 19 million measurements globally, and validation in two European cities involved comparing app-derived estimates with reference exposimeter data at the grid-cell level, analyzing 4G LTE and combined 4G LTE/5G NR exposure estimates.
• The result: The study found strong correlations between app estimates and reference measurements, with reliability stabilizing at five or more observations per grid cell, demonstrating the app's potential for large-scale, validated RF-EMF exposure mapping.