Long term variations measurement of electromagnetic field exposures in Alcalá de Henares (Spain)

2017 · Mixed · Low evidence

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MixedLow evidencePaper 2313

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2017

Study typeexposure_assessment

Reported directionMixed

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Long term variations measurement of electromagnetic field exposures in Alcalá de Henares (Spain) Sánchez-Montero R, Alén-Corderoa C, López-Espí PL, Rigelsford JM, Aguilera-Benavente F, J.Alpuente-Hermosilla J. Long term variations measurement of electromagnetic field exposures in Alcalá de Henares (Spain). Science of the Total Environment. 598: 657-668. Nov 2017. doi.org. Highlights • The evolution of EMF exposure for Alcalá de Henares over a 2006-2015 is presented. • Measurements take into account all the sources and their evolution in a 35 km2 area. • A statistical and spatial analysis and their variations are also analysed. • We have measured lower EMF levels where the population has remained unaltered. • New areas have demanded new resources and it has led to an increase of the EMF. Abstract Electromagnetic radiowave exposure is a major concern in most countries due to possible adverse health effects. Over the last 10 years, many technological changes (digital television, mobile technologies, wireless networks...) have led to variations in the electromagnetic field (EMF) levels. A large number of studies devoted to the analysis of EMF levels with personal dosimeters or computer models of the exposure of mobile stations have been conducted. However, the study of the exposure values, taking into account all the existing sources, and their evolution in a wide area, using measurements, has rarely been performed. In this paper, we provide a comparison of the EMF exposure levels for the city of Alcalá de Henares (Spain) over a ten-year period using a broadband isotropic probe in the range from 100 kHz to 3 GHz. A statistical and spatial analysis of the measurements and their variations are also presented for the study of the global and local variations. The measured values in the period from 2006 to 2015 were ranging from 0.02 to 2.05 V/m. Our global results show a moderate increase from 2006 to 2010 and they are almost invariant from 2010 to 2015. Although the whole dataset does not have relevant statistical difference, we have found marked local differences. In the city areas where the population density has remained unaltered, we have measured lower exposure levels. Conversely, new urban and industrial developments have demanded new resources, which have potentially contributed to the observed increase in the measured electric field levels within these areas. Conclusions This work considers the long term evolution of radio frequency electric field values from 2006 to 2015 for the city of Alcalá de Henares, Spain. This study has been based on 78 measurement locations across a 35 km2 area of the city, providing an average sample density of 2.2 points per square km. During the period considered, officially published statistical data shows a greater use of the radio electric spectrum for television and especially for mobile phones and wireless technologies. At the same time, significant technological changes have been introduced and widely adopted, such as the switch to digital television broadcasting and the proliferation of Wi- Fi. In 2006, the measured mean electric field value was 0.277 V/m, in 2010 this increased to 0.406 V/m and finally, in 2015 this was 0.395 V/m. The greatest increase in the exposure level of electric field strength occurred between 2006 and 2010. This general trend is largely consistent with the increase of radio resources at that time. The statistical analysis of the measured data shows that it fits a lognormal distribution with a confidence greater than 95%. These results show a moderate increase of the global mean values from 2006 to 2010 and that they are almost invariant from 2010 to 2015. Using this statistical analysis, we can conclude that the probability of finding a value of 14 V/m (half of the prescribed public exposure limit) is less than 0.01% and the probability of finding a value of 28 V/m is negligible. A narrowband measurement based study could help to a better understanding of the actual influence of the different sources (radio, TV, Mobile, WiFi etc.) in the observed exposure values. sciencedirect.com

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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 directionmixed

PopulationNot supplied

Sample size78

ExposureRF · 2006–2015 (10-year period)

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Broadband isotropic probe measurements (100 kHz–3 GHz) across 78 locations in a 35 km² area found values ranging from 0.02 to 2.05 V/m during 2006–2015. Mean electric field increased from 0.277 V/m (2006) to 0.406 V/m (2010) and was similar in 2015 (0.395 V/m), with marked local differences: lower levels where population density was unaltered and higher levels in new urban/industrial developments.

Outcomes measured

Broadband electric field strength (V/m) over time (2006, 2010, 2015)
Spatial/local variation in measured RF electric field levels across the city
Statistical distribution of measured electric field values (lognormal fit)

Limitations

Broadband measurements (100 kHz–3 GHz) do not separate contributions from specific sources; authors note narrowband measurements could better identify influence of different sources.
Whole dataset reported as not having relevant statistical difference despite local differences (details not provided in abstract).

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "exposure_assessment",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "multiple sources (radio/TV/mobile/Wi-Fi)",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "2006–2015 (10-year period)"
  },
  "population": null,
  "sample_size": 78,
  "outcomes": [
    "Broadband electric field strength (V/m) over time (2006, 2010, 2015)",
    "Spatial/local variation in measured RF electric field levels across the city",
    "Statistical distribution of measured electric field values (lognormal fit)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Broadband isotropic probe measurements (100 kHz–3 GHz) across 78 locations in a 35 km² area found values ranging from 0.02 to 2.05 V/m during 2006–2015. Mean electric field increased from 0.277 V/m (2006) to 0.406 V/m (2010) and was similar in 2015 (0.395 V/m), with marked local differences: lower levels where population density was unaltered and higher levels in new urban/industrial developments.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [
    "Broadband measurements (100 kHz–3 GHz) do not separate contributions from specific sources; authors note narrowband measurements could better identify influence of different sources.",
    "Whole dataset reported as not having relevant statistical difference despite local differences (details not provided in abstract)."
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "radiofrequency",
    "EMF exposure",
    "broadband isotropic probe",
    "electric field strength",
    "long-term monitoring",
    "spatial analysis",
    "Alcalá de Henares",
    "100 kHz to 3 GHz",
    "Wi-Fi",
    "mobile technologies",
    "digital television"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "exposure-monitoring",
      "weight": 0.9,
      "reason": "Long-term city-wide RF electric field measurements and spatial/statistical analysis."
    }
  ]
}

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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.scitotenv.2017.03.131
PubMed: Not supplied

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