title: Exposure estimates based on broadband ELF magnetic field measurements versus the ICNIRP multiple frequency rule.
abstract: The evaluation of exposure to extremely low-frequency (ELF) magnetic fields using broadband measurement techniques gives satisfactory results when the field has essentially a single frequency. Nevertheless, magnetic fields are in most cases distorted by harmonic components. This work analyses the harmonic components of the ELF magnetic field in an outdoor urban context and compares the evaluation of the exposure based on broadband measurements with that based on spectral analysis. The multiple frequency rule of the International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) regulatory guidelines was applied. With the 1998 ICNIRP guideline, harmonics dominated the exposure with a 55% contribution. With the 2010 ICNIRP guideline, however, the primary frequency dominated the exposure with a 78% contribution. Values of the exposure based on spectral analysis were significantly higher than those based on broadband measurements. Hence, it is clearly necessary to determine the harmonic components of the ELF magnetic field to assess exposure in urban contexts.
authors.affiliation: Dpto. de Física Aplicada, Escuela Politécnica, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de la Universidad s/n, Cáceres 10003, Spain paniagua@unex.es.
authors.forename: Jesús M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Paniagua
authors.affiliation: Dpto. de Física Aplicada, Escuela Politécnica, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de la Universidad s/n, Cáceres 10003, Spain.
authors.forename: Montaña
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rufo
authors.affiliation: Dpto. de Física Aplicada, Escuela Politécnica, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de la Universidad s/n, Cáceres 10003, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.affiliation: Escuela Politécnica, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de la Universidad s/n, Cáceres 10003, Spain.
authors.forename: Fernando T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Pachón
authors.affiliation: Escuela Politécnica, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de la Universidad s/n, Cáceres 10003, Spain.
authors.forename: Julián
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carrero
mesh_terms: D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D038622:Internationality; D060526:Magnetic Fields; D060306:Magnetometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000592:standards*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity