Radiofrequency exposure of people living near mobile-phone base stations in France

2020 · Unclear · Insufficient evidence

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UnclearInsufficient evidencePaper 1550

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2020

Study typeexposure_assessment

Reported directionUnclear

Evidence ratingInsufficient

Abstract

Radiofrequency exposure of people living near mobile-phone base stations in France Pascal De Giudici, Jean-Christian Genier, Sylvie Martin, Jean-François Doré, Pierre Ducimetière, Anne-Sophie Evrard, Thierry Letertre, Claire Ségala.Radiofrequency exposure of people living near mobile-phone base stations in France. Environmental Research. Available online 19 November 2020, 110500. doi.org. Highlights • Mobile-phone base stations antennas are the dominant source of exposure to electromagnetic fields in surrounding housing. • Indoor exposure was influenced by the position of the windows with respect to the antenna and the floor of the building. • Personal electric field measurements showed higher values during trips than at home. • Personal electric field measurements were higher during the day but not different between working days and weekends. • Exposure quantified by spot and personal measurements was strongly correlated. Abstract In response to the demand from a growing number of people concerned about the possible impact of RF-EMF on health, the French National Frequency Agency (ANFR) has published a standardized protocol for in-situ measurements of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF). This protocol was based on the search for the point of highest field strength and the use of spot measurement. In the framework of an epidemiological study, such spot measurements were implemented in the homes of 354 participants located in urban areas within 250 m of a mobile-phone base station (MPBS) and in the main beam direction of the antenna. Among the participants, more than half accepted to be enrolled in a longer-term study, among whom 152 were equipped with a personal exposure meter (PEM) for 48 h and 40 for seven continuous days. Both spot and PEM measurements quantified downlink field strengths, i.e. FM, TV3-4-5, TETRA I-II-III, 2 GHz-5GHz Wi-Fi, WiMax, GSM900, GSM1800, UMTS900, UMTS 2100, LTE800, LTE1800, and LTE2600. Spot measurements showed a mean/median field strength of 0.58/0.44 V/m for total RF-EMF and 0.43/0.27 V/m from the MPBS. RF-EMF from the MPBS was the dominant source of exposure in 64% of households. Exposure to RF-EMF was influenced by the position of the windows with respect to the MPBS, in particular line- of-site visibility, the distance of the antenna and the floor of the apartment. The PEM surveys showed the measured exposure to be higher during outings than at home and during the day than at night, but there was no difference between the weekends and working days. There was a strong correlation between exposure quantified by both spot and PEM measurements, although spot measures were approximately three times higher than those by PEMs. This study is the first to assess exposure to RF-EMF of people living near a MPBS in urban areas in France. These preliminary results suggest the value of using spot measurements to estimate the impact of the evolution of the mobile-phone network and technology on the exposure of populations to RF-EMF. The low levels of RF-RMF expressed as mean values do not necessarily rule out possible health effects of this exposure. Open access paper: sciencedirect.com

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 typeexposure_assessment

Effect directionunclear

PopulationParticipants living in urban areas within 250 m of a mobile-phone base station and in the main beam direction of the antenna (France)

Sample size354

ExposureRF · Spot measurements in homes; personal exposure meter (PEM) for 48 h (n=152) and 7 continuous days (n=40)

Evidence strengthInsufficientConfidence: 86% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

In 354 homes within 250 m of a mobile-phone base station, spot measurements showed mean/median total RF-EMF of 0.58/0.44 V/m and mean/median MPBS contribution of 0.43/0.27 V/m; MPBS was the dominant exposure source in 64% of households. Indoor exposure varied with window position relative to the antenna (including line-of-sight), distance, and apartment floor. Personal measurements were higher during outings than at home and higher during the day than at night, with no difference between weekends and working days; spot and personal measurements were strongly correlated, though spot measures were about three times higher than PEM values.

Outcomes measured

Downlink RF-EMF electric field strength (V/m) total RF-EMF
Downlink RF-EMF electric field strength (V/m) attributable to mobile-phone base stations
Contribution of MPBS to household exposure (dominant source in % households)
Associations of indoor exposure with window position/line-of-sight, distance to antenna, and floor level
Personal exposure patterns by location (outings vs home) and time (day vs night; weekdays vs weekends)
Correlation between spot measurements and PEM measurements

Limitations

Study reports preliminary exposure results; health outcomes were not assessed in the abstract.
Participants were selected from urban areas within 250 m and in the main beam direction of antennas, which may limit generalizability beyond this setting.
Spot measurements were designed to find the point of highest field strength, and were approximately three times higher than PEM measurements.

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "exposure_assessment",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile phone base station",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "Spot measurements in homes; personal exposure meter (PEM) for 48 h (n=152) and 7 continuous days (n=40)"
  },
  "population": "Participants living in urban areas within 250 m of a mobile-phone base station and in the main beam direction of the antenna (France)",
  "sample_size": 354,
  "outcomes": [
    "Downlink RF-EMF electric field strength (V/m) total RF-EMF",
    "Downlink RF-EMF electric field strength (V/m) attributable to mobile-phone base stations",
    "Contribution of MPBS to household exposure (dominant source in % households)",
    "Associations of indoor exposure with window position/line-of-sight, distance to antenna, and floor level",
    "Personal exposure patterns by location (outings vs home) and time (day vs night; weekdays vs weekends)",
    "Correlation between spot measurements and PEM measurements"
  ],
  "main_findings": "In 354 homes within 250 m of a mobile-phone base station, spot measurements showed mean/median total RF-EMF of 0.58/0.44 V/m and mean/median MPBS contribution of 0.43/0.27 V/m; MPBS was the dominant exposure source in 64% of households. Indoor exposure varied with window position relative to the antenna (including line-of-sight), distance, and apartment floor. Personal measurements were higher during outings than at home and higher during the day than at night, with no difference between weekends and working days; spot and personal measurements were strongly correlated, though spot measures were about three times higher than PEM values.",
  "effect_direction": "unclear",
  "limitations": [
    "Study reports preliminary exposure results; health outcomes were not assessed in the abstract.",
    "Participants were selected from urban areas within 250 m and in the main beam direction of antennas, which may limit generalizability beyond this setting.",
    "Spot measurements were designed to find the point of highest field strength, and were approximately three times higher than PEM measurements."
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "insufficient",
  "confidence": 0.86,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "RF-EMF",
    "radiofrequency exposure",
    "mobile-phone base station",
    "in-situ measurements",
    "spot measurement",
    "personal exposure meter",
    "downlink",
    "urban housing",
    "France",
    "ANFR protocol"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "occupational-exposure",
      "weight": 0.1,
      "reason": "Personal exposure meter data included exposure during outings vs at home, but the abstract does not specify occupational settings."
    }
  ]
}

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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: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110500
PubMed: Not supplied

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