Radio-frequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure levels in different European outdoor urban environments in comparison with regulatory limits.
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.


OBJECTIVE
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.
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.
Damiano
D
Urbinello
Department of Information Technology, Ghent University/iMinds, Gaston Crommenlaan 8, B-9050 Ghent, Belgium.
Wout
W
Joseph
Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Department of Environmental Epidemiology, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, Utrecht, NL-3508 TD, The Netherlands.
Anke
A
Huss
Department of Information Technology, Ghent University/iMinds, Gaston Crommenlaan 8, B-9050 Ghent, Belgium.
Leen
L
Verloock
Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Department of Environmental Epidemiology, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, Utrecht, NL-3508 TD, The Netherlands.
Johan
J
Beekhuizen
Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Department of Environmental Epidemiology, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, Utrecht, NL-3508 TD, The Netherlands.
Roel
R
Vermeulen
Department of Information Technology, Ghent University/iMinds, Gaston Crommenlaan 8, B-9050 Ghent, Belgium.
Luc
L
Martens
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.
Martin
M
Röösli
D040421:Cell Phone; D002947:Cities; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D033161:Government Regulation; D006801:Humans; D011846:Radio Waves
Exposure assessment; Portable exposure meter; Radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs); Regulatory limits