The 2nd CLUE-H meeting convened in Heraklion, Crete, Greece, hosted at the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH) premises. The event had a primary objective of providing a comprehensive overview of CLUE-H’s progress to date. Key topics and presentations during the meeting included:

EC DG SANTE & DG RTD Representatives:

• EU framework programs for research and innovation in Environment & Health presented by Rita Araujo.
• A brief update on the policy regarding electromagnetic fields and Council Recommendation, presented by Alexander Gabilondo.
• SHEER Opinion discussed by Theodoros Samaras.

CLUE-H Cluster Highlights:

• An overview was presented by SEAWave’s Theodoros Samaras.

CLUE-H Project Highlights:

• NextGEM presented by Nikolaos Petroulakis.
• GOLIAT discussed by Mònica Guxens.
• ETAIN overviewed by Anke Huss.
• SEAWave highlighted by Theodoros Samaras.

Working Group Sessions:

1. WG1 – Science translation for policy and practice, led by SEAWave.
2. WG2 – Data management and exchange, led by NextGEM.
3. WG3 – Communication and Dissemination, led by ETAIN.
4. WG4 – Experimental studies, led by NextGEM.
5. WG5 – Exposure assessment, jointly led by GOLIAT and SEAWave.

Following these key sessions, several research scientists presented their findings:

• Gemma Castaño from GOLIAT shared insights on the use of communication devices among young people from a multicountry survey.
• Brahim Selmaoui, also from GOLIAT, discussed the impact of 3.5 GHz 5G signals on electrical brain activity in healthy volunteers, presenting a controlled randomized study within environmental levels.
• Mariateresa Allocca from NextGEM characterized a reverberation chamber-based 5G in vitro exposure system from a biological perspective.
• Erdal Korkmaz, also from NextGEM, presented instruments and emulating environments for 5G RF-EMF.
• Pieterjan De Boose from ETAIN focused on the numerical quantification of RF-EMF exposure of insects.
• Nekane Sandoval Diez, also from ETAIN, discussed the development of an open-access smartphone application for RF-EMF exposure assessment, providing an app description and pilot results.
• Serge Bories and Taghrid Mazloum from SEAWave introduced the DEVIN device.
• Christoph Böhmert, also from SEAWave, presented studies on 5G perception.

The meeting served as a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration among experts and researchers in the field of electromagnetic fields and human health, contributing to the ongoing progress of the CLUE-H initiative.

The CLUE-H brochure is part of the communication and dissemination activities undertaken for this cluster. It has been developed as a simple and flexible tool to distribute online for reaching interested stakeholders and present the cluster’s aim and members.

Please click anywhere between the images to view and download the brochure.

BioEM2023 (Oxford, UK, https://www.bioem2023.org/) has been completed. SEAWave has participated with several oral and poster presentations.

The stage opened with the work “Traceable Absorbed Power Density Assessment System in the 28 GHz Band” (authors: Ninad Chitnis, Fariba Karimi, Arya Fallahi, Sven Kühn, and Niels Kuster) presented by Ninad Chitnis, from the WP4 of SEAWave.

Dr Myles Capstick from IT’IS Fountation (CH) presented the design of the animal exposure setup, which will be installed at ENEA (Rome, IT) in the near future (“5G mm-wave mouse exposure system based on reverberation chambers”, Myles Capstick, Beyhan Kochali, Isaac Alonso Marin, Niels Kuster).

A flash but very interesting presentation of the first results within WP10 (Risk Communication) of SEAWave was given by Sarah Link from IU Internationale Hochschule (Erfurt, DE). Sarah presented her poster entitled “How much am I exposed? Exploring public perceptions of EMF exposure from mobile Communication technology and 5G” (authors: Sarah Link, Marie Eggeling, Ferdinand Abacioglu, Christoph Böhmert). This poster was awarded the 1st Student Poster Award in Sarah Link. Well done Sarah!

During the poster session Dr Serge Bories from CEA (Grenoble, FR) presented the “Performance Evaluation of DEVIN at a Low Sampling Frequency” (authors: Taghrid Mazloum, Serge Bories, David Dassonville).

A joint publication from IT’IS, SPEAG, ZMT and ETH was presented by Dr. Myles Capstick titled “A 5G FR2 Human Skin Exposure System Implementing Subject Self Control Paradigms” (authors: Dr Myles Capstick, Dr Cosimo Fortunato, Dr Erdem Ofli, Mr Beyhan Kochali3, Mr Isaac Alonso Marin, Prof Niels Kuster) which detailed the development of a 5G millimeter wave exposure system at 27.5 GHz for human provocation experiments.

Another SEAWave contribution to the BioEM2023 conference came from the leader of WP1, Prof Joe Wiart (Telecom Paris – IP Paris, FR), who presented the results of the first interlaboratory measurement campaign that took place in Thessaloniki (GR) in December 2022 in the poster “Comparison of Measurement Systems on Conducting RF-EMF Drive Test Campaign in Greek Urban and Suburban environments” (authors: S. Wang, W. Ben Chikha, Y. Zhang, J. Liu, M. Christopoulou, E. Karabetsos, A. Manassas, S. Iakovidis, C. Apostolidis, D. Babas, T. Samaras, J. Wiart).

The final SEAWave contribution to BioEM2023 came from a joint team effort by AUTH and ENEA presented by Prof. Theodoros Samaras with the title “Electromagnetic macro-dosimetry of murine skin at millimeter waves”, (authors: Serafeim Iakovidis, Dr. Emiliano Fratini, Dr. Simona Leonardi, Dr. Caterina Merla, Dr. Rosanna Pinto, Dr. Simonetta Pazzaglia, Dr. Mariateresa Mancuso, Prof Theodoros Samaras).

In a striking display of commitment to advancing the field of bioelectromagnetics, Project NextGEM made waves at BioEM2023, the world’s premier conference in this domain. Held from June 19th to June 23rd in the historic city of Oxford, UK, this year’s event witnessed Project NextGEM’s active participation and impactful contributions.

European Commission Funding and EMF Research

The conference began on a high note with Rita Araujo from the DG Research & Innovation of the European Commission taking the stage. She presented the EC-funded research on electromagnetic fields (EMF) and health, a critical area where NextGEM plays a pivotal role as part of the Research Cluster on EMF CLUE-H. This presentation set the stage for highlighting the importance and relevance of our project on the global stage.

Leadership in Key Sessions

Two key members of the NextGEM team, Mats-Olof Mattsson and Myrtill Simkó, assumed the role of session chairs, underlining their expertise in the “in-vivo” session. Their involvement showcased NextGEM’s leadership within the bioelectromagnetics community.

Genotoxicity Research Insights

Maria Rosaria Scarfi delivered a thought-provoking presentation during the conference, sharing a systematic review of the evidence regarding the genotoxicity of radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields from in vitro studies on mammalian cells. Chaired by Olga Zeni, this presentation contributed significantly to ongoing discussions on the effects of RF electromagnetic fields on biological systems.

Poster Presentations: A Visual Impact

The NextGEM project team made a strong visual impact with the presentation of four posters. These visually engaging displays served as a platform to communicate their groundbreaking research findings and initiate stimulating discussions among fellow conference attendees.

Shaping the WHO RF EMF Health Risk Assessment

Maria Rosaria Scarfi also assumed the role of session chair for the “Reviewing for the WHO RF EMF Health Risk Assessment” session, with a focus on the requirements for studies to be informative. This underscores NextGEM’s integral role in informing health risk assessments related to RF EMF exposure, particularly in vitro studies.

Numerical Dosimetry Expertise

Nikolaos Petroulakis, showcased his expertise by co-chairing a session on numerical dosimetry. This highlighted NextGEM’s dedication to understanding and modeling electromagnetic field exposure, a vital aspect of bioelectromagnetics research.

Supporting Emerging Talent

Olga Zeni’s participation in the closing ceremony and her involvement in student awards demonstrated NextGEM’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of bioelectromagnetics researchers.

Announcing BioEM2024 in Chania, Crete, Greece

As the coordinator of Project NextGEM and chair of the local organizing committee for the next BioEM conference, Nikolaos Petroulakis, made an exciting announcement. BioEM2024 is scheduled to take place from June 16th to June 21st, 2024, in the picturesque city of Chania, Crete, Greece. This forthcoming event promises to be a significant gathering for the bioelectromagnetics community.

In conclusion, BioEM2023 was a resounding success for Project NextGEM, with its substantial contributions leaving a lasting impact on the field of bioelectromagnetics. The team’s dedication to advancing research and fostering collaboration was palpable throughout the conference, setting the stage for even greater achievements in the future.

How much are we exposed to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields? How is our electromagnetic environment changing with the introduction of new wireless technologies, in particular 5G? Is there any impact on our health and the environment?

These questions will be answered over the next five years by the European Research Cluster on EMF and Health (CLUE-H), which was officially launched on 22th September 2022, with a kick-off meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece.

The CLUE-H network involves more than 70 European research organisations in four research consortia (ETAIN, GOLIAT, NextGEM, SEAWave), with additional contribution from scientists in the USA, Korea and Japan. The total funding will amount to more than €29 million from the Horizon Europe 2021-2027.

The results are expected to fill the knowledge gaps that exist regarding the impact of wireless technologies on health and the environment. They will be essential in ensuring a safe deployment and use of future wireless networks which will benefit citizens and society, for example in health, transport, e-government and smart cities.