Road User Exposure from ITS-5.9 GHz Vehicular Connectivity

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetics and Health
• Computational Dosimetry
• Human Exposure Assessment

Background:

• Increasing use of vehicular connectivity systems raises concerns about human exposure to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF).
• Previous research has not thoroughly investigated RF-EMF exposure from vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication antennas.
• Understanding potential health impacts requires accurate assessment of RF-EMF absorption in road users.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess RF-EMF exposure levels in road users near a car equipped with V2V communication antennas.
• To calculate the specific absorption rate (SAR) in a human model exposed to V2V antenna emissions.
• To compare calculated SAR values against established international safety guidelines.

Main Methods:

• Utilized computational dosimetry with a 3D numerical model of a car and an adult human model.
• Simulated two V2V antennas operating at 5.9 GHz, each with 1 W power.
• Calculated SAR as the primary metric for RF-EMF absorption in different body parts.

Main Results:

• Highest SAR values were observed in the skin of the head (34.7 mW/kg) and eyes (15 mW/kg).
• SAR levels in the torso, including genitals, and limbs were negligible or significantly lower.
• Whole-body SAR was calculated at 0.19 mW/kg, consistently below ICNIRP exposure limits.

Conclusions:

• RF-EMF exposure from V2V communication antennas remains well below international safety limits for road users.
• The computational dosimetry approach is adaptable for assessing RF-EMF exposure under varied V2V antenna configurations and human models.
• This study provides crucial data for the safety assessment of emerging vehicular communication technologies.