Monitoring of people and workers exposure to the electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields in an Italian National Cancer Institute.
BACKGROUND
The paper reports the electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields (emf) measurements carried out in the Regina Elena National Cancer Institute (NCI). Several devices, used in diagnostics and in medical cures, can represent sources of emf for the workers and for the public subjected to the treatments. The aim is to evaluate their exposition, in order to assess the compliance with the law.


METHODS
The investigations have been carried out in the departments of: intensive care, physiotherapy, MR presstherapy and in the surgical rooms. The measurements have been performed using broad band probes in the frequency ranges 5 Hz/30 kHz and 100 kHz-3 GHz.


RESULTS
The variability of the magnetic induction (B(microT)) levels is between 0,05 microT and 80 microT. The statistical distribution shows that most of the measurements are in the range 0,05<B = 0,5 microT and the 89% of the B(microT) levels are within the 3 microT.


CONCLUSIONS
The measurement of the emf levels in the NCI is recommended because of the presence of the oncological patients; their long stay near the equipments and their day-long exposure represent additional risk factors for which a prudent avoidance strategy have to de adopted.
Di Nallo
Anna Maria
AM
Laboratorio di Fisica Medica e Sistemi Esperti, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy. dinallo@ifo.it
Strigari
Lidia
L
Giliberti
Claudia
C
Bedini
Angelico
A
Palomba
Raffaele
R
Benassi
Marcello
M
D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004782:Environmental Health; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D016272:Occupational Health; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D018570:Risk Assessment