Geospatial mapping and 7-year temporal trends of electromagnetic field bands in Cyprus

Abstract This study presents the first integrated geospatial and temporal assessment of radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure in Cyprus, using 7 years (2017–2023) of periodic in-situ measurements conducted at fixed locations around all operational mobile telephony base stations as part of the national RF-EMF monitoring program. Electric field strengths were evaluated across eleven frequency bands spanning 30 MHz–3.6 GHz, including broadcast services and cellular communication bands relevant to 4 G and 5 G networks. Spatial exposure distributions were characterized through geostatistical interpolation, while long-term variability was quantified using non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis and Mann–Kendall tests. Results show that exposure levels in all bands remain well below international reference limits. Broadcast bands exhibit consistently low and stable values (< 1 in µV/m), whereas significant increasing monotonic trends were detected in several mobile communication bands, particularly 800 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, and 2600 MHz, reflecting network densification and growing data demand. The newly introduced 700 MHz and 3600 MHz 5 G bands did not yet display statistically significant trends due to the shorter observation period. The combined spatiotemporal evidence highlights localized hotspots in high-traffic areas and underscores the need for sustained, transparent monitoring to ensure safe and adaptive EMF exposure governance in the evolving wireless landscape.