title: [ASSESSMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO RADIO FREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  European Union Directive 2013/35/UE provides for the implementation of EU regulations into national legislation. Our aim is to assess actual health hazards from radiofrequency eldctromagnetic field (RF EMF) (range: 100 kHz - 300 GHz) and indicate workplaces with the highest risk to employee health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from measurements of RF EMF performed by the Laboratory of Electromagnetic Hazards in Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (Łódź, Poland) were analyzed. The analysis covered the results of electric field intensity (E) for over 450 selected items. The ranges of protection zones and the extent to which maximum admissible intensity (MAI) values were also analyzed. The determinations and'measurements of EMF in the work environment met the requirements of Polish Standard, while Polish regulations on the MAI values were used as the criterion for the assessment of the exposure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The highest values of E field intensity at workplaces were measured for: electrosurgery, to 400 V/m, and short-wave diathermy units, to 220 V/m, dielectric welders to 240 V/m, within the FM radio antenna systems, to 180 V/m. The widest protection zones were noted for prototype research instruments, short-wave diathermy units, and dielectric welders. The most excessive (up to 12-fold MAI) values were recorded for dielectric welders, short-wave diathermy units (up to 11-fold) and microwave diathermy units (up to 8-fold).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results have confirmed the high RF EMF values for physiotherapists, operators of dielectric welders, and mast maintenance workers in radio com munication facilities (especially radio and TV broadcasting stations).
authors: Halina
authors: H
authors: Aniołczyk
authors: Magda
authors: M
authors: Mariańska
authors: Paweł
authors: P
authors: Mamrot
mesh_terms: D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009787:Occupational Medicine; D011044:Poland; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011846:Radio Waves / Q000009:adverse effects*