Can Electromagnetic Field Exposure Caused by Mobile Communication Systems in a Public Environment Be Counted as Dominant?

2018 · Unclear · Low evidence

← Research stream

UnclearLow evidencePaper 1769

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2018

Study typereview

Reported directionUnclear

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Can Electromagnetic Field Exposure Caused by Mobile Communication Systems in a Public Environment Be Counted as Dominant? By Jolanta Karpowicz, Dina Šimunić, Krzysztof Gryz. Chapter 5: 101-128. Abstract The core principle used by mobile communication systems to transfer information via the wireless links involves the emission and reception of the electromagnetic field in the radio frequency band. The entire population today is exposed to the electromagnetic field emitted by mobile terminals (mobile phone handsets, cordless phones, tablets, laptops, routers, etc.) and their base stations. The same frequency bands are also used by other technologies, such as radio and television broadcasting, wireless internet access, microwave heating, anti-theft systems, radio frequency identification systems, and so on. When discussing health hazards may be caused by electromagnetic field exposure from mobile communication systems, it must be remembered that in some cases, other sources of electromagnetic exposure may deliver a dominant or a significant exposure component of the total radio frequency electromagnetic exposure of particular individuals. This paper describes the technical aspects of various mobile communication systems. Exposure scenarios with various dominant sources of exposures are discussed in the chapter together with exposure evaluation techniques which may help recognize the exposure pattern. Conclusions The level of exposure to RF-EMF recorded in the discussed investigations performed in environments accessible to the public is usually significantly lower than the general public exposure limits provided by international guidelines and legislation established in various countries (4-61 V/m) (Council Recommendation, 1999, Gryz et al., 2014a, Stam, 2011). It is worth noting that, when approaching RF emitting antennas, especially BTS of mobile networks or RTV broadcasting, over a short distance the level of RF-EMF increases and may even significantly exceed the mentioned limits. However, the investigations show that in locations where many users of mobile communication tools are present in a crowded space, the components of RF-EMF exposure caused by their activities (which significantly vary over time) may together exceed components from the stationary emitters of RF-EMF (such as mobile networks base stations and RTV broadcasting antennas). Furthermore, other studies showed that local hot spots of exposure may also be created in such locations as a result of the multipath propagation of RF-EMF. Together, this is significant in the context of the safety of the vulnerable population, such as individuals with medical implants and users of telemedicine body worn sensors, because it may cause local hot spot overexposure with respect to the limit of radio frequency exposure, which may influence the function of electronic devices. In order to avoid medical device malfunction, it is usually recommended to maintain a distance from the transmitting terminals (handsets) greater than 1 meter.... It is also important to keep in mind that the rapidly developing mobile communication services are including continuously higher frequencies - AM and FM radio transmissions initially operated at kHz and MHz frequencies and analogue radiophones and cellular phones started from frequencies 27-450 MHz, whereas today's digital cellular phones use frequencies up to 2.2 GHz and wireless internet access explores frequencies up to almost 6 GHz, where the next generation of cellular phones is also going to be. Even much higher frequencies are explored by radio links, almost up to 100 GHz.

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 directionunclear

Populationgeneral public in public environments

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureRF

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 40% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Exposure levels to RF-EMF in public environments are generally below international exposure limits, but short distances to base stations or broadcasting antennas can exceed limits. In crowded spaces, exposure from mobile device users may exceed that from stationary sources. Local hot spots due to multipath propagation can occur, posing risks to vulnerable individuals with medical implants.

Outcomes measured

levels of RF-EMF exposure
comparison of exposure sources
potential local hot spots of exposure
implications for vulnerable populations with medical implants

Limitations

No quantitative exposure data provided
Review of existing studies without new empirical data
Focus on technical and exposure assessment aspects rather than health outcomes

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "review",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile communication systems (mobile phones, base stations, other wireless devices)",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "general public in public environments",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "levels of RF-EMF exposure",
    "comparison of exposure sources",
    "potential local hot spots of exposure",
    "implications for vulnerable populations with medical implants"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Exposure levels to RF-EMF in public environments are generally below international exposure limits, but short distances to base stations or broadcasting antennas can exceed limits. In crowded spaces, exposure from mobile device users may exceed that from stationary sources. Local hot spots due to multipath propagation can occur, posing risks to vulnerable individuals with medical implants.",
  "effect_direction": "unclear",
  "limitations": [
    "No quantitative exposure data provided",
    "Review of existing studies without new empirical data",
    "Focus on technical and exposure assessment aspects rather than health outcomes"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.4,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "RF-EMF",
    "mobile communication",
    "public exposure",
    "exposure assessment",
    "base stations",
    "medical implants",
    "multipath propagation"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "occupational-exposure",
      "weight": 0.3,
      "reason": "Discusses exposure scenarios including public and occupational environments."
    },
    {
      "slug": "5g-policy",
      "weight": 0.5,
      "reason": "Mentions evolving mobile communication frequencies including next generation cellular phones."
    }
  ]
}

AI can be wrong. Always verify against the paper.

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: Not supplied
PubMed: Not supplied

Read the original paper →

Related papers

← Back to the Research Library