Study of the electromagnetic exposure from mobile phones in a city like environment: The case study of Leuven, Belgium

Measurement studies of personal exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields: A systematic review

The last 25 years have seen an increase in the number of radiofrequency sources with the global adoption of smartphones as primary connectivity devices. The objective of this work was to review and evaluate the measured studies of personal exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields (RF-RMF) and meet the basic quality criteria eligible for inclusion in this Review, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, following the eligibility criteria of the PECO (Population, Exposure, Comparator, and Outcome) methodology, and the instrument for critical reading Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Español (CASPe). We systematically reviewed the works published between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2021, yielding 56 publications. Of the different types of studies in which personal exposure to RF-EMF has been measured with two measurement methodologies can be highlighted: Personal measurements with volunteers and Personal measurements with a trained researcher (touring a specific area, one or several microenvironments, an entire city, walking or in some means of transport). Personal exposimeters were used in 83% of the studies. The lowest mean was measured in Egypt with a value of 0.00100 μW/m² (1.00 nW/m²) in 2007 and the highest mean was measured in Belgium with a value of 285000 μW/m² (0.285 W/m²) in 2019. The results of our study confirm that RF-EMF exposure levels are well below the maximum levels established by the ICNIRP guidelines.

Comparison of personal exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields from Wi-Fi in a Spanish university over three years

In this work we present the personal exposure levels to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields (RF-EMF) from Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) 2.4 GHz and 5.85 GHz bands in a Spanish university, specifically, at the Faculty of Computer Science Engineering at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (Albacete, Spain). We present results from three years, 2017, 2018 and 2019 in the same study place and points; and measurements carried out in 2022 inside a classroom and inside a professor's office, with the aim to compare the measurements and verify compliance with reference levels established by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). The minimum average was 0.0900 μW/m² in the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, in 2019, and the maximum average was 211 μW/m² in the 5.85 GHz Wi-Fi in 2017, around the building. Comparing the measurements carried out inside the classroom with students and without students, we identified that the maximum value was 278 μW/m² (classroom with students, in the 5.85 GHz Wi-Fi band) and the minimum value was 37.9 μW/m² (classroom without students, in the 5.85 GHz Wi-Fi band). Finally, comparing the results of all the measurements (average values) inside the classroom and inside a professor's office, the maximum value was 205 μW/m² (in the 5.85 GHz Wi-Fi band) inside the classroom with students, and the minimum value was 0.217 μW/m² inside a professor's office (in the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band). These values in no case exceed the limits established by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, 10 W/m² for general public exposure.

Radiofrequency Exposure Levels from Mobile Phone Base Stations in Outdoor Environments and an Underground Shopping Mall in Japan

Recent progress in wireless technologies has made human exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) increasingly complex. The situation can increase public concerns related to possible health effects due to EMF exposure. Monitoring EMF exposure levels and characterizing them are indispensable for risk communications of human exposure to EMFs. From this background, a project on the acquisition, accumulation, and applications of EMF exposure monitoring data in Japan was started in 2019. One of the objectives of this project is to obtain a comprehensive picture of EMF exposure in actual daily lives. In 2019 and 2020, we measured the electric field (E-field) strength from mainly mobile phone base stations in the same areas as those in measurements conducted in 2006 and 2007 by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan, and compared the data to investigate the time-course of the EMF environment. The number of measured points was 100 (10 × 10 grids) in an area of 1 km × 1 km in two urban and two suburban areas, and that in an underground shopping mall was 158. This large-scale study is the first in Japan. As a result, we found that the measured E-field strengths tended to be higher in 2019 and 2020 than those in 2006 and 2007, especially in the mall. However, the median ratios to the Japanese radio wave protection guideline values for urban areas and malls are lower than −40 dB.

Comparison of peak electromagnetic exposures from mobile phones operational in either data mode or voice mode

The aim of this study is to compare the typical peak ElectroMagnetic (EM) exposures from smart phones during data transmission and voice calls, respectively, in the typical Western-European city of Leuven, Belgium. Since transmission powers towards the outdoor network in an indoor environment are expected to be higher than in an outdoor environment, measurements were executed indoors. The influence of factors like network generation [2G, 3G, and 4G] and choice of mobile operator was also investigated. The most important conclusion of the study is that there is a huge difference between peak exposures generated by the 3 network generations currently active in Leuven. To the average, in many cases the peak exposure for 3G is more than a factor 20 lower than for 2G, and about a factor 5-10 lower than for 4G. These numbers are much higher than expected. There are also systematic differences between peak exposures for data mode and voice mode.

What is the radiation before 5G? A correlation study between measurements in situ and in real time and epidemiological indicators in Vallecas, Madrid

BACKGROUND

Exposure of the general population to electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobile phone base stations is one of the greater concerns of residents affected by the proximity of these structures due to the possible relationship between radiated levels and health indicators.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to find a possible relationship between some health indicators and electromagnetic radiation measurements.

METHODS

A total of 268 surveys, own design, were completed by residents of a Madrid neighborhood surrounded by nine telephone antennas, and 105 measurements of electromagnetic radiation were taken with a spectrum analyzer and an isotropic antenna, in situ and in real - time, both outside and inside the houses.

RESULTS

It was shown statistically significant p - values in headaches presence (p = 0.010), nightmares (p = 0.001), headache intensity (p < 0.001), dizziness frequency (p = 0.011), instability episodes frequency (p = 0.026), number of hours that one person sleeps per day (p < 0.001) and three of nine parameters studied from tiredness. Concerning cancer, there are 5.6% of cancer cases in the study population, a percentage 10 times higher than that of the total Spanish population.

DISCUSSION

People who are exposed to higher radiation values present more severe headaches, dizziness and nightmares. Moreover, they sleep fewer hours.