Uncertainty Estimation for Evaluating Human Exposure Levels to RF Electromagnetic Fields from Cellular Base Stations

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.

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Radio network planning and human exposure to electromagnetic fields

Advances in Radio Science ◽

10.5194/ars-5-379-2007 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 379-384 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

M. A. Baldauf ◽

W. Sörgel ◽

W. Wiesbeck

Keyword(s):

Power Control ◽

Electromagnetic Fields ◽

Human Exposure ◽

Mobile Station ◽

Path Loss ◽

Base Station ◽

Power Reduction ◽

Base Stations ◽

Transmit Power ◽

Transmit Power Control

Abstract. This paper analyzes the effect of a change in cell size and of transmit power control on the human exposure to electromagnetic fields. In a simplified network configuration the well accepted COST-Hata model is considered to assess the path loss. It is shown that increasing the base station density will not generally raise the exposure but can rather help to lower it significantly. The exposure due to base stations is hardly affected by allowing a transmit power reduction at the base station for individual links. In contrast to this, it is demonstrated that transmit power control at the mobile station is a helpful means to lower the exposure efficiently.

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Developing GIS portal to ensure sanitary and epidemiological surveillance of transferring radio engineering objects

Hygiene and Sanitation ◽

10.33029/0016-9900-2020-99-4-344-350 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 99 (4) ◽

pp. 344-350

Author(s):

Evgeny V. Zibarev ◽

A. S. Afanasev ◽

O. V. Slusareva ◽

T. I. Muragimov ◽

V. A. Stepanets ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Electromagnetic Fields ◽

Analytical Data ◽

Base Stations ◽

Epidemiological Surveillance ◽

Graphical Form ◽

Residential Areas ◽

Information Portal ◽

Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields ◽

Online Mode ◽

Automated Processes

In recent years, in the Russian Federation there has been an increase in the levels of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields in residential areas, including due to an increase in the number of base stations (BS). The purpose of sanitary and epidemiological surveillance at the stages of placement and commissioning of base stations (BS) is to prevent their adverse effects on public health. The increase in the number of base stations, together with the advent of new electronic equipment and antennas, provide opportunities for improving the processes of their accounting at the stage of placement and monitoring of the levels of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields at the operation stage. This automation tool can be a geo-information portal for providing sanitary and epidemiological surveillance of cellular base stations. The prototype of the geo-information portal allows both calculating the size of sanitary protection zones (SPZ) and building restriction zones (RZ) from the BS in online mode, displaying the results of calculations in graphical form and issuing sanitary and epidemiological conclusions for the placement and operation of base stations. The geo-information portal has the ability to synchronize with the data of the radio frequency center. Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing will be able to receive up-to-date analytical data. There will be completely automated processes of collecting, processing and storing information on BS.

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