A review of protocols and guidelines addressing the exposure of occupants to electromagnetic field radiation (EMFR) in buildings

2021 · Harm · Insufficient evidence

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HarmInsufficient evidencePaper 1117

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2021

Study typereview

Reported directionHarm

Evidence ratingInsufficient

Abstract

A review of protocols and guidelines addressing the exposure of occupants to electromagnetic field radiation (EMFR) in buildings Shabnam Monadizadeh, Charles J. Kibert, Jiaxuan Li, Junghoon Woo, Ashish Asutosh, Samira Roostaie, Maryam Kouhirostami. A review of protocols and guidelines addressing the exposure of occupants to electromagnetic field radiation (EMFR) in buildings. Journal of Green Building. (2021) 16 (2): 55–81. doi: 10.3992/jgb.16.2.55. Highlights • A comprehensive review of increasing electromagnetic field radiation (EMFR) impacts on building occupant health • Scientific evidence identifying adverse effects of EMFR • Governments and public health agencies are creating regulations to reduce EMFR exposure • National and international regulations with respect to the thresholds they set to protect human health • Provides a robust foundation for researchers to use in additional studies of EMFR impacts in various built environment scenarios Abstract A significant share of the technology that has emerged over the past several decades produces electromagnetic field (EMFR) radiation. Communications devices, household appliances, industrial equipment, and medical equipment and devices all produce EMFR with a variety of frequencies, strengths, and ranges. Some EMFR, such as Extremely Low Frequency (ELF), Radio Frequency (RF), and Ionizing Range (IR) radiation have been shown to have harmful effects on human health. Depending on the frequency and strength of the radiation, EMFR can have health effects at the cellular level as well as at brain, nervous, and cardiovascular levels. Health authorities have enacted regulations locally and globally to set critical values to limit the adverse effects of EMFR. By introducing a more comprehensive field of EMFR study and practice, architects and designers can design for a safer electromagnetic (EM) indoor environment, and, as building and construction specialists, will be able to monitor and reduce EM radiation. This paper identifies the nature of EMFR in the built environment, the various EMFR sources, and its human health effects. It addresses European and US regulations for EMFR in buildings and provides a preliminary action plan. The challenges of developing measurement protocols for the various EMFR frequency ranges and determining the effects of EMFR on building occupants are discussed. This paper argues that a mature method for measuring EMFR in building environments and linking these measurements to human health impacts will foster occupant health and lead to the adequate development of safeguards for occupants of buildings in future research. doi.org Dissertation (open access): ufdc.ufl.edu

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typereview

Effect directionharm

PopulationBuilding occupants

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureELF, RF, IR (ionizing range)

Evidence strengthInsufficientConfidence: 66% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

The review describes EMFR sources in buildings and summarizes reported human health effects, noting that some EMFR (e.g., ELF, RF, and ionizing-range radiation) have been shown to have harmful effects. It summarizes European and US regulations that set critical values to limit adverse effects and discusses challenges in developing measurement protocols and linking measurements to health impacts.

Outcomes measured

Human health effects (cellular level; brain, nervous, and cardiovascular levels)
Exposure limits/thresholds in regulations
Measurement protocols for EMFR in buildings

Limitations

No specific study designs, populations, or quantitative effect estimates are provided in the abstract.
Frequency, strength, and exposure metrics (e.g., SAR) are not specified.
The abstract frames an argument for improved measurement and linkage to health impacts, indicating ongoing challenges in evidence integration.

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "review",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "ELF, RF, IR (ionizing range)",
    "source": "built environment sources including communications devices, household appliances, industrial equipment, and medical equipment/devices",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "Building occupants",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Human health effects (cellular level; brain, nervous, and cardiovascular levels)",
    "Exposure limits/thresholds in regulations",
    "Measurement protocols for EMFR in buildings"
  ],
  "main_findings": "The review describes EMFR sources in buildings and summarizes reported human health effects, noting that some EMFR (e.g., ELF, RF, and ionizing-range radiation) have been shown to have harmful effects. It summarizes European and US regulations that set critical values to limit adverse effects and discusses challenges in developing measurement protocols and linking measurements to health impacts.",
  "effect_direction": "harm",
  "limitations": [
    "No specific study designs, populations, or quantitative effect estimates are provided in the abstract.",
    "Frequency, strength, and exposure metrics (e.g., SAR) are not specified.",
    "The abstract frames an argument for improved measurement and linkage to health impacts, indicating ongoing challenges in evidence integration."
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "insufficient",
  "confidence": 0.66,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "electromagnetic field radiation",
    "EMFR",
    "built environment",
    "buildings",
    "indoor environment",
    "occupant exposure",
    "ELF",
    "RF",
    "regulations",
    "guidelines",
    "measurement protocols",
    "European regulations",
    "US regulations",
    "health effects"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "who-icnirp",
      "weight": 0.52,
      "reason": "Discusses regulations/guidelines and exposure thresholds for EMFR (European and US), which commonly relate to international guideline frameworks."
    }
  ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.3992/jgb.16.2.55
PubMed: Not supplied

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