Comprehensive radiofrequency electromagnetic field measurements and assessments: a city center example

Abstract

Comprehensive radiofrequency electromagnetic field measurements and assessments: a city center example Kurnaz C, Mutlu M. Comprehensive radiofrequency electromagnetic field measurements and assessments: a city center example. Environ Monit Assess. 2020 May 7;192(6):334. doi: 10.1007/s10661-020-08312-3. Abstract In this study, radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) measurements were carried out between 2016 and 2018 in one the largest provinces of Turkey; measurement results are compared with the limit values determined by International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and Turkey's Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA). In the first stage of a three-phase evaluation, short-term RF-EMF measurements were conducted in 500 locations over a 2-year period. In the second stage, short-term RF-EMF measurement results were analyzed to determine selected locations for long-term RF-EMF measurements to be carried out, including variation of RF-EMF during the day. In the last stage, band selective measurements were taken and the main sources of RF-EMF in the environment were determined. Overall, RF- EMF values do not exceed the limits determined by ICNIRP and ICTA, and they are below levels that threaten public health. In the short-term RF-EMF measurements, RF-EMF levels doubled after fourth generation (4G) systems were introduced. In the long-term RF-EMF measurements, RF-EMF values in the day are 35.4% more than at night. The total measured RF-EMF within the city center is 99.3% base station sourced. Among the six main RF-EMF sources, the devices operating in UMTS2100 band have the most contribution to total RF-EMF of medium with 31.2%. Additionally, we found short-term average electric field strength data are best described by the "exponential distribution," while long-term RF-EMF measurement data is best described by the "Burr distribution." ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Excerpts Short-term and long-term RF-EMF measurements were taken using the PMM-8053 EMF meter (PMM-8053 2020) with the EP-330 electric field isotropic probe. Band selective RF-EMF measurements were performed with the SRM-3006 EMF meter (SRM-3006 2020) with 3501/03 isotropic electric field probe. The PMM-8053 measures the total RF-EMF for the frequency spectrum of 100 kHz-3GHz, while the SRM-3006 measures the RF- EMF for a selective band in the 27 MHz-3 GHz frequency band. Technical details for PMM-8053 and SRM- 3006 used in measurements are given in Table 2. Conclusions This study undertook three stages of RF-EMF measurement between 2016 and 2018 in the Altınordu District of Ordu, Turkey. In the first stage, short-term RF-EMF measurements, in the frequency range of 100 kHz-3 GHz, were performed at 500 locations during 2016 and 2017. The highest measured Eavg value in 2016 was 4.55 V/m (21.66% of the lowest ICTA reference level (21 V/m) and 16.25% of the lowest ICNIRP reference level (28 V/m) for the considered frequency band), which increased to 5.86 V/m (27.9% of the lowest ICTA reference level) in 2017. The average of all short-term RF-EMF measurements in 2016 was 0.39 V/m (corresponding to 1.85% of the ICTA reference level), which increased to 0.79 V/m (corresponding to 4.23% of the ICTA reference level) in 2017, an increase of 102.5%. The main reason for this increase appears to be due to the introduction of the 4G system in 2017. Our short-term RF-EMF measurement results (0.39 V/m and 0.79 V/m) were in agreement with those obtained in similar studies, where average electric field strength levels ranged between 0.22 and 0.41 V/m (Urbinello et al. 2014a), from 0.02 to 2.05 V/m (Sanchez-Montero et al. 2017), from 0.07 to 1.27 V/m (Jalilian et al. 2019), from 0.32 to 1.70 V/m (Tang et al. 2019), between 0.08 and 1.8 V/m (Gajsek et al. 2015), 0.47 V/m in city centers (Sagar et al. 2016), 0.74 V/m in urban environments (Joseph et al. 2012). The Eavg of the short-term RF-EMF data are best described by the exponential distribution. In the second stage, long-term RF-EMF measurements at the 17 locations where the short-term RF-EMF measurement exceeded 1.90 V/m were performed to determine the variation of RF-EMF over the day. The maximum overall RF-EMF and average values were observed as 9.54 V/m and 5.13 V/m (45.42% and 24.42% of the corresponding of the lowest ICTA reference level (21 V/m) for the considered frequency band), respectively. RF-EMF values measured during the afternoon are higher than night and morning, being 35% greater than at night. Long-term RF-EMF measurement data is best described by the "Burr distribution." In the last stage, band selective RF-EMF measurements were performed at the same locations as the long-term measurements to identify the sources of RF-EMF. From all the locations considered, the highest average RF-EMF level was 5.013 V/m (23.87% of the lowest ICTA reference level for FM frequency band)) generated by the FM band. The greatest contribution to RF-EMF was from base stations, with 57.3% in the overall measurements, and increasing to 99.3% in the city center. The highest city center RF-EMF level (2.284 V/m for LTE 800 band) measured represented 8.41% of the ICTA limit for LTE 800. Comprehensive RF-EMF measurements were conducted between 2016 and 2018 and over 510 h (short-term RF- EMF measurements took 100 h, while long-term and band selective RF-EMF measurements took 408 h and more than 2 h respectively) show that the values in Altınordu District are below the limits set by ICTA and ICNIRP. However, an annual increase in RF-EMF was observed, and it is recommended that measurements should be made annually to ensure levels remain below the limits set by ICTA and ICNIRP to reduce risks to public health. These measurements and assessments, especially with the deployment of fifth generation (5G) wireless infrastructure in the near future, will be of great importance to determine and keep under control the level of RF-EMF in the environment.

AI evidence extraction

Main findings

RF-EMF measurements (100 kHz–3 GHz total field; 27 MHz–3 GHz band-selective) in Altınordu District (Ordu, Turkey) were reported as below ICNIRP and ICTA limits. Average short-term measurements increased from 0.39 V/m (2016) to 0.79 V/m (2017), a 102.5% increase, which the authors attribute to introduction of 4G. Long-term measurements at 17 selected locations showed daytime values about 35% higher than night, and band-selective results indicated the city-center total RF-EMF was 99.3% base-station sourced, with UMTS2100 contributing 31.2% among six main sources.

Outcomes measured

• Environmental RF-EMF electric field strength (V/m) short-term and long-term
• Comparison to ICNIRP and ICTA reference/limit values
• Temporal variation (day vs night) in RF-EMF
• Source contributions to total RF-EMF (e.g., base stations; UMTS2100 contribution)
• Statistical distribution fit for short-term (exponential) and long-term (Burr) measurement data

Limitations

• No health outcomes were measured; conclusions about public health are based on comparison to guideline limits.
• Geographic scope limited to one district/city center in Turkey.
• Long-term measurements were conducted only at 17 locations selected based on higher short-term readings (>1.90 V/m), which may not represent all locations.
• Frequency-specific numeric details are provided for some bands/locations but not comprehensively for all measured bands in the abstract/excerpts.

Suggested hubs

• who-icnirp (0.72)
  Measurements are explicitly compared with ICNIRP limit/reference values.

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        "band": "RF",
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        "Temporal variation (day vs night) in RF-EMF",
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    ],
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