Measurements and Analysis of Personal Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields at Outdoor and Indoor School Buildings: A Case Study at a Spanish School

Ramirez-Vazquez, Raquel; Escobar, Isabel; Thielens, Arno; Garde, Enrique Arribas

doi:10.1109/access.2020.3033800

Cited by 29 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 63 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…As to the indoor RF-EMF sources, their number and their locations, as well as the structure of the rooms and their furniture, are affected by a lack of information especially for private environments [7]. Depending on local circumstances, in general, personal wireless cellular communications (UL or DL signals usually for voice or communication or data exchange), cellular BS general exposure DL signals and Wi-Fi Access Points (access to Internet) are the main contributions to total RF-EMF exposure when analyzing indoor environments [18,[27][28]. With the introduction of new generation of wireless communication technologies and the Smart Concept worldwide, an expanding demand with huge increase in data transmission has presented, mostly, in the last decade, outpacing current capacity and increasing the RF-EMF exposure associated [29][30][31].…”

Section: B Environmental Exposurementioning

confidence: 99%

Empirical and Modeling Approach for Environmental Indoor RF-EMF Assessment in Complex High-Node Density Scenarios: Public Shopping Malls Case Study

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This work provides an intensive and comprehensive in-depth study from an empirical and modeling approach of the environmental radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) radiation exposure in public shopping malls, as an example of an indoor high-node user density context aware environment, where multiple wireless communication systems coexist. For that purpose, current personal mobile communications (2G-5G FR 1) as well as Wi-Fi services (IEEE 802.11n/ac) have been precisely analyzed in order to provide clear RF-EMF assessment insight and to verify compliance with established regulation limits. In this sense, a complete measurements campaign has been performed in different countries, with frequencyselective exposimeters (PEMs), providing real empirical datasets for statistical analysis and allowing discussion and comparison regarding current health effects and safety issues between some of the most common RF-EMF exposure safety standards: ICNIRP 2020 (Spain), IEEE 2019 (Mexico) and a more restrictive regulation (Poland). In addition, environmental RF-EMF exposure assessment simulation results, in terms of spatial E-field characterization and Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) probabilities, have been provided for challenging incremental high-node user dense scenarios in worst case conditions, by means of a deterministic in-house 3D Ray-Launching (3D-RL) RF-EMF safety simulation technique, showing good agreement with the experimental measurements. Finally, discussion highlighting the contribution and effects of the coexistence of multiple heterogenous networks and services for the environmental RF-EMF radiation exposure assessment has been included, showing that for all measured results and simulated cases, the obtained E-Field levels are well below the exposure limits established in the internationally accepted standards and guidelines. In consequence, the obtained results and the presented methodology could become a starting point to stablish the RF-EMF assessment basis of future complex heterogeneous 5G FR 2 developments on the millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency range, where massive high-node user density networks are expected.

show abstract

Section: B Environmental Exposurementioning

confidence: 99%

Empirical and Modeling Approach for Environmental Indoor RF-EMF Assessment in Complex High-Node Density Scenarios: Public Shopping Malls Case Study

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Other studies also refer to risk perception, but the results were only obtained from questionnaire application without carrying out measurements of personal exposure [ 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 ], and other studies that measured exposure to RF-EMF did not evaluate risk perception [ 15 , 79 , 92 , 93 ]. As stated in the introduction, most studies on this topic are conducted in Europe, not in Mexico, and therefore this is a novel study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Personal Exposure Assessment to Wi-Fi Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields in Mexican Microenvironments

Ramirez-Vazquez

González-Rubio

Escobar

et al. 2021

IJERPH

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In recent years, personal exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields (RF-EMF) has substantially increased, and most studies about RF-EMF with volunteers have been developed in Europe. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study carried out in Mexico with personal exposimeters. The main objective was to measure personal exposure to RF-EMF from Wireless Fidelity or wireless Internet connection (Wi-Fi) frequency bands in Tamazunchale, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, to compare results with maximum levels permitted by international recommendations and to find if there are differences in the microenvironments subject to measurements. The study was conducted with 63 volunteers in different microenvironments: home, workplace, outside, schools, travel, and shopping. The mean minimum values registered were 146.5 μW/m2 in travel from the Wi-Fi 2G band and 116.8 μW/m2 at home from the Wi-Fi 5G band, and the maximum values registered were 499.7 μW/m2 and 264.9 μW/m2 at the workplace for the Wi-Fi 2G band and the Wi-Fi 5G band, respectively. In addition, by time period and type of day, minimum values were registered at nighttime, these values being 129.4 μW/m2 and 93.9 μW/m2, and maximum values were registered in the daytime, these values being 303.1 μW/m2 and 168.3 μW/m2 for the Wi-Fi 2G and Wi-Fi 5G bands, respectively. In no case, values exceeded limits established by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Of the study participants (n = 63), a subgroup (n = 35) answered a survey on risk perception. According to these results, the Tamazunchale (Mexico) population is worried about this situation in comparison with several European cities; however, the risk perception changes when they are informed about the results for the study.

show abstract

“…In general, this exposure is divided in exposure caused by one’s own usage of mobile devices, so-called auto-induced exposure, and exposure caused by the network and other users nearby, so-called environmental exposure [ 7 , 9 , 21 ]. Various methods have been developed with the aim to assess this exposure such as: spatio-temporal maps [ 3 ], personal microenvironmental measurements [ 32 , 35 ], spot measurements [ 17 , 36 ], geospatial modelling [ 5 , 18 ], survey studies [ 11 , 37 ], and simulations [ 4 , 29 ]. In the study of Röösli et al [ 19 ] a protocol was developed that can reduce dependency on the used method of measurement results in different studies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protocol for personal RF-EMF exposure measurement studies in 5th generation telecommunication networks

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background The general population is exposed to Radio-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields (RF-EMFs) used by telecommunication networks. Previous studies developed methods to assess this exposure. These methods will be inadequate to accurately assess exposure in 5G technologies or other wireless technologies using adaptive antennas. This is due to the fact that 5G NR (new radio) base stations will focus actively on connected users, resulting in a high spatio-temporal variations in the RF-EMFs. This increases the measurement uncertainty in personal measurements of RF-EMF exposure. Furthermore, a user’s exposure from base stations will be dependent on the amount of data usage, adding a new component to the auto-induced exposure, which is often omitted in current studies. Goals The objective of this paper is to develop a general study protocol for future personal RF-EMF exposure research adapted to 5G technologies. This protocol will include the assessment of auto-induced exposure of both a user’s own devices and the networks’ base stations. Method This study draws from lessons learned from previous RF-EMF exposure research and current knowledge on 5G technologies, including studies simulating 5G NR base stations and measurements around 5G NR test sites. Results To account for auto-induced exposure, an activity-based approach is introduced. In survey studies, an RF-EMF sensor is fixed on the participants’ mobile device(s). Based on the measured power density, GPS data and movement and proximity sensors, different activities can be clustered and the exposure during each activity is evaluated. In microenvironmental measurements, a trained researcher performs measurements in predefined microenvironments with a mobile device equipped with the RF-EMF sensor. The mobile device is programmed to repeat a sequence of data transmission scenarios (different amounts of uplink and downlink data transmissions). Based on simulations, the amount of exposure induced in the body when the user device is at a certain location relative to the body, can be evaluated. Conclusion Our protocol addresses the main challenges to personal exposure measurement introduced by 5G NR. A systematic method to evaluate a user’s auto-induced exposure is introduced.

show abstract

Measurements and Analysis of Personal Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields at Outdoor and Indoor School Buildings: A Case Study at a Spanish School

Cited by 29 publications

References 63 publications

Empirical and Modeling Approach for Environmental Indoor RF-EMF Assessment in Complex High-Node Density Scenarios: Public Shopping Malls Case Study

Empirical and Modeling Approach for Environmental Indoor RF-EMF Assessment in Complex High-Node Density Scenarios: Public Shopping Malls Case Study

Personal Exposure Assessment to Wi-Fi Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields in Mexican Microenvironments

Protocol for personal RF-EMF exposure measurement studies in 5th generation telecommunication networks

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About