PriMera Scientific Engineering (ISSN: 2834-2550)

Research Article

Volume 9 Issue 5

Assessment of Radio Frequency Power Density Emissions from Mobile Phones at 4G/5G Operating Frequencies in a Tertiary Institution in Delta State, Nigeria

Blessing Okeoghene Ijabor, Augustine Onyema Nwabuoku* and Samuel Emuvokeraye Omoyibo

October 30, 2026

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Abstract

The rapid increase of mobile communication devices has raised significant public health concerns regarding human exposure to radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields. This study presents an experimental assessment of RF power density emissions from seven commercially available mobile phone brands (Redmi, Tecno, Infinix, Samsung, Honour, Itel, and OPPO) operating on fourth and fifth generation (4G/5G) mobile networks. Measurements were conducted at two distances (10.16 cm and 20.32 cm) using a calibrated RF meter, with three replicate readings recorded per device. A total of 246 measurements were obtained and analyzed. The results show that the mean power density at 10.16 cm ranged from 2.63 mW/cm² (OPPO) to 6.41 mW/cm² (Tecno), with a mean value of 5.46 ± 6.91 mW/cm². At 20.32 cm, the mean power density decreased significantly, ranging from 0.28 mW/cm² (OPPO) to 2.34 mW/cm² (Honour), with a mean value of 1.34 ± 2.01 mW/cm². All brands displayed some degree of attenuation with increasing distance, with an average distance attenuation ratio of 4.66. At 10.16 cm, 99.2% of all measurements exceeded the 1.0 mW/cm² general public exposure reference level, but at 20.32 cm, only 49.2% exceeded this threshold. These findings demonstrate that RF power density from mobile phones decreases with distance following the inverse-square law, yet close exposure levels may demand precautionary measures. The study recommends the use of hands-free accessories and maintaining adequate separation distance between the device and the body to minimize RF exposure.

Keywords: Radio frequency radiation; Phone; Electromagnetic field exposure; 4G networks; Specific absorption rate; Public health

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