Exposure of the general public to digital broadcast transmitters compared to analogue ones.

The terrestrial digital video and audio broadcast are supposed to replace the existing analogue broadcast systems. To determine possible changes of this switchover on the public exposure situation to radio frequency electromagnetic fields, extensive measurements at more than 300 identical points were performed 'before' and accordingly 'after' the switchover. At the point with the highest sum-exposure, only 0.3% of the ICNIRP reference levels for general public exposure (power flux density) was reached. The statistical analysis of both measurement campaigns ('before-after') shows an increase in mean exposure in the centre of the DVB-T starting areas around Nuremberg and Munich, which is mainly based on the increase in the radiated power at the transmitter stations. After developing a simple calculation program based on the ITU-RP.1546, the measured exposure values were compared to calculations. Optimising the results leads to mean deviations of +/-3 dB at about 80% of all points.