Damiano Urbinello1, Wout Joseph2, Anke Huss3, Leen Verloock2, Johan Beekhuizen3, Roel Vermeulen3, Luc Martens2, Martin Röösli4. 1. Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Socinstrasse 57, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Information Technology, Ghent University/iMinds, Gaston Crommenlaan 8, B-9050 Ghent, Belgium. 2. Department of Information Technology, Ghent University/iMinds, Gaston Crommenlaan 8, B-9050 Ghent, Belgium. 3. Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Department of Environmental Epidemiology, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, Utrecht, NL-3508 TD, The Netherlands. 4. Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Socinstrasse 57, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: martin.roosli@unibas.ch.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Concerns of the general public about potential adverse health effects caused by radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) led authorities to introduce precautionary exposure limits, which vary considerably between regions. It may be speculated that precautionary limits affect the base station network in a manner that mean population exposure unintentionally increases. AIMS: The objectives of this multicentre study were to compare mean exposure levels in outdoor areas across four different European cities and to compare with regulatory RF-EMF exposure levels in the corresponding areas. METHODS: We performed measurements in the cities of Amsterdam (the Netherlands, regulatory limits for mobile phone base station frequency bands: 41-61 V/m), Basel (Switzerland, 4-6 V/m), Ghent (Belgium, 3-4.5 V/m) and Brussels (Belgium, 2.9-4.3 V/m) using a portable measurement device. Measurements were conducted in three different types of outdoor areas (central and non-central residential areas and downtown), between 2011 and 2012 at 12 different days. On each day, measurements were taken every 4s for approximately 15 to 30 min per area. Measurements per urban environment were repeated 12 times during 1 year. RESULTS: Arithmetic mean values for mobile phone base station exposure ranged between 0.22 V/m (Basel) and 0.41 V/m (Amsterdam) in all outdoor areas combined. The 95th percentile for total RF-EMF exposure varied between 0.46 V/m (Basel) and 0.82 V/m (Amsterdam) and the 99th percentile between 0.81 V/m (Basel) and 1.20 V/m (Brussels). CONCLUSIONS: All exposure levels were far below international reference levels proposed by ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection). Our study did not find indications that lowering the regulatory limit results in higher mobile phone base station exposure levels.
BACKGROUND: Concerns of the general public about potential adverse health effects caused by radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) led authorities to introduce precautionary exposure limits, which vary considerably between regions. It may be speculated that precautionary limits affect the base station network in a manner that mean population exposure unintentionally increases. AIMS: The objectives of this multicentre study were to compare mean exposure levels in outdoor areas across four different European cities and to compare with regulatory RF-EMF exposure levels in the corresponding areas. METHODS: We performed measurements in the cities of Amsterdam (the Netherlands, regulatory limits for mobile phone base station frequency bands: 41-61 V/m), Basel (Switzerland, 4-6 V/m), Ghent (Belgium, 3-4.5 V/m) and Brussels (Belgium, 2.9-4.3 V/m) using a portable measurement device. Measurements were conducted in three different types of outdoor areas (central and non-central residential areas and downtown), between 2011 and 2012 at 12 different days. On each day, measurements were taken every 4s for approximately 15 to 30 min per area. Measurements per urban environment were repeated 12 times during 1 year. RESULTS: Arithmetic mean values for mobile phone base station exposure ranged between 0.22 V/m (Basel) and 0.41 V/m (Amsterdam) in all outdoor areas combined. The 95th percentile for total RF-EMF exposure varied between 0.46 V/m (Basel) and 0.82 V/m (Amsterdam) and the 99th percentile between 0.81 V/m (Basel) and 1.20 V/m (Brussels). CONCLUSIONS: All exposure levels were far below international reference levels proposed by ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection). Our study did not find indications that lowering the regulatory limit results in higher mobile phone base station exposure levels.
Authors: Berihun M Zeleke; Christopher Brzozek; Chhavi Raj Bhatt; Michael J Abramson; Rodney J Croft; Frederik Freudenstein; Peter Wiedemann; Geza Benke Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2018-10-12 Impact factor: 3.390