RF Safe

Combining near- and far-field exposure for an organ-specific and whole-body RF-EMF proxy for epidemiological research: a reference case.

Bioelectromagnetics · 2013 · Unclear · Insufficient evidence

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UnclearInsufficient evidencePaper 4623

A framework is presented to combine numerically derived organ/whole-body SAR values with realistic personal exposure measurements (Swiss Qualifex). For a typical mobile phone user, 24-h whole-body averaged exposure is dominated by the user’s own phone when GS…

Study snapshot

PublicationBioelectromagnetics · 2013
Study typeexposure_assessment
Reported directionUnclear
Evidence ratingInsufficient

Abstract

A framework for the combination of near-field (NF) and far-field (FF) radio frequency electromagnetic exposure sources to the average organ and whole-body specific absorption rates (SARs) is presented. As a reference case, values based on numerically derived SARs for whole-body and individual organs and tissues are combined with realistic exposure data, which have been collected using personal exposure meters during the Swiss Qualifex study. The framework presented can be applied to any study region where exposure data is collected by appropriate measurement equipment. Based on results derived from the data for the region of Basel, Switzerland, the relative importance of NF and FF sources to the personal exposure is examined for three different study groups. The results show that a 24-h whole-body averaged exposure of a typical mobile phone user is dominated by the use of his or her own mobile phone when a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) 900 or GSM 1800 phone is used. If only Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) phones are used, the user would experience a lower exposure level on average caused by the lower average output power of UMTS phones. Data presented clearly indicate the necessity of collecting band-selective exposure data in epidemiological studies related to electromagnetic fields.

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
PopulationThree different study groups in the region of Basel, Switzerland (Swiss Qualifex study)
Sample sizeNot supplied
ExposureRF · 24-h whole-body averaged exposure (reference case)
Evidence strengthInsufficientConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

A framework is presented to combine numerically derived organ/whole-body SAR values with realistic personal exposure measurements (Swiss Qualifex). For a typical mobile phone user, 24-h whole-body averaged exposure is dominated by the user’s own phone when GSM 900 or GSM 1800 is used; if only UMTS phones are used, average exposure would be lower due to lower average output power.

Outcomes measured

  • Framework to combine near-field and far-field RF-EMF sources into average organ-specific and whole-body SAR proxies
  • Relative contribution of near-field vs far-field sources to personal RF-EMF exposure
  • Comparison of exposure dominance for GSM 900/1800 vs UMTS phone use
  • Need for band-selective exposure data collection in epidemiological studies
View raw extracted JSON
{
  "study_type": "exposure_assessment",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile phone; personal exposure meters (near-field and far-field sources)",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "24-h whole-body averaged exposure (reference case)"
  },
  "population": "Three different study groups in the region of Basel, Switzerland (Swiss Qualifex study)",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Framework to combine near-field and far-field RF-EMF sources into average organ-specific and whole-body SAR proxies",
    "Relative contribution of near-field vs far-field sources to personal RF-EMF exposure",
    "Comparison of exposure dominance for GSM 900/1800 vs UMTS phone use",
    "Need for band-selective exposure data collection in epidemiological studies"
  ],
  "main_findings": "A framework is presented to combine numerically derived organ/whole-body SAR values with realistic personal exposure measurements (Swiss Qualifex). For a typical mobile phone user, 24-h whole-body averaged exposure is dominated by the user’s own phone when GSM 900 or GSM 1800 is used; if only UMTS phones are used, average exposure would be lower due to lower average output power.",
  "effect_direction": "unclear",
  "limitations": [],
  "evidence_strength": "insufficient",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "RF-EMF",
    "near-field",
    "far-field",
    "specific absorption rate",
    "SAR",
    "personal exposure meters",
    "Qualifex",
    "Basel",
    "GSM 900",
    "GSM 1800",
    "UMTS",
    "band-selective exposure",
    "epidemiology proxy"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "who-icnirp",
      "weight": 0.2,
      "reason": "Mentions SAR-based exposure metrics relevant to RF-EMF assessment used in epidemiological research (no explicit WHO/ICNIRP reference in abstract)."
    }
  ]
}
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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: 10.1002/bem.21782
PubMed: 23417714

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