High Frequency Radiation and Human Exposure
Proceedings of the International Conference on Non-Ionizing Radiation at UNITEN (ICNIR 2003) Electromagnetic Fields and Our Health
October 2003
High Frequency Radiation and Human Exposure
Mahmoud M. Dawoud
Electrical Engineering Department
King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals
P.O. Box 5038
Dhahran 31261- Saudi Arabia
Email: mmdawoud@kfupm.edu.sa
INTRODUCTION
In many applications, electromagnetic waves are generated and travel through free space at the speed of light. Radio waves and microwaves emitted by transmitting antennas are one form of electromagnetic energy. This electromagnetic energy is characterized by its frequency (in Hz) and wavelength. Radio frequency waves occupy the frequency range 3 kHz to 300 GHz. Microwaves are a specific category of radio waves that cover the frequency range 1 GHz to approximately 100 GHz.
RF and microwave radiation is non-ionizing because the energy levels associated with it are not high enough to cause ionization of atoms and molecules.
The most important application of RF energy is in providing telecommunication services. These applications include radio and television broadcasting, cellular telephony, personal communication services (PCS), cordless telephones, business radio, radio communications for the police, amateur radio, microwave point-to-point links and satellite communications. Other applications of microwaves utilize its heating properties. Microwave cooking is a good example of a non-communication use of RF energy. This application utilizes the efficient absorption of microwave energy in the water molecules of food which results in rapid heating through out the object material. Other applications include radar, which is used in traffic enforcement, air traffic control and other military applications. Industrial heating and medical applications are examples of other applications.
Radio frequency spectrum spans the range of 3 kHz to several hundred GHz. The most utilized range is the microwave range, which can be defined as 1 GHz to @40 GHz. Most of modern point to point, wireless, and satellite communications occupy this range.
The possible effects on human health of exposure to radio frequency and microwave radiations are of public concern near the locations of radio and television transmitters, mobile base stations, wireless networks and the like. It has been the utmost concern to investigate the non-ionizing radiation levels that result from these sources and their effects on humans. Several studies have been initiated all over the world to determine the safe levels of exposure to RFR (Radio Frequency Radiation) for occupational workers and general public. Several guidelines and standards have been issued by ANSI/IEEE, ICNIRP, NCRP, and other organisations.
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Proceedings of the International Conference on Non-Ionizing Radiation at UNITEN (ICNIR 2003)
Electromagnetic Fields and Our Health
th nd
20 –22 October 2003
This presentation will include an overview of classification of the concerned high frequency range and their applications. The sources of concerns to human exposure consist of mobile phones and their base stations, radio and television transmitters and personal communication systems.
THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM
Radio waves used for communications can be classified according to the type of application. It starts from approximately 300 kHz for long wave radio up to around 300 GHz. The electromagnetic spectrum is illustrated in the following figure.
Medical –X-rays
Heat lamps
Satellite communications Mobile Telephony Microwave ovens
FM radio, television AM radio
Power lines Static fields
Frequency (Hz)
X-rays
UV (ultraviolet) Visible
Microwaves (MW) Radio waves (RF)
Extremely low F.(ELF)
The Electromagnetic spectrum
1020
1018 1016
1014 1012 1010
108 106
104 102
Continuous wave energy radiated by antennas oscillates at radio frequencies. The associated waves range in length from thousands of meters at the long wave extreme to fraction of a
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Ionizing Non-ionizing
Proceedings of the International Conference on Non-Ionizing Radiation at UNITEN (ICNIR 2003)
Electromagnetic Fields and Our Health
th nd
20 –22 October 2003
millimetre at the short wave extreme. The relationship between wavelength and frequency for the different frequency ranges as follows:
Band
Frequency
30-300 Hz 3-30 KHz 30-300 MHz 3-30 MHz 30-300 MHz
300-3000 MHz
3-30 GHz 30-300 GHz
Wavelength
10-1 Mm
100-1 Km
1 Km-100M
100-10m
10-1m
1m-10 cm
10-1 cm
1 cm-1 mm
ELF VLF LF HF VHF UHF SHF EHF
The following table shows the main application in each frequency range.
AM broadcast band
Short wave radio
FM broadcast band
VHF TV (2-4)
VHF TV (5-6)
UHF TV (7-13)
UHF TV (14-83)
Microwave Radio links and Satellite
Communication
Mobile Telephony
535-160 kHz 3-30 MHz 88-108 MHz 54-72 MHz 76-88 MHz 174-216 MHz 470-890 MHz 1GHz-20 GHz
800 MHz-3GHz
In these frequency bands, suitable transmitting and receiving antennas are used to provide the required coverage range for the particular application.
Different classes of transmitting antennas are used which range in electrical size from a fraction of the wavelength to many wavelengths. Their radiation coverage range from omni- directional, which are mainly wire antennas to directive antenna arrays. Mobile base station antennas provide wide coverage in the horizontal plane and several antennas are used to cover the whole range of the cell.
RADIO AND TELEVISION TRANSMITTERS
Radio and TV terrestial transmitters provide an omni-directional coverage area in order to serve the whole population around the site. Omni directional radiating antenna is used for this purpose. Usually a restricted zone around the transmitting antennas is provided to limit the exposure of the general public to the electromagnetic waves with relatively high concentration of energy. Measurements of power density can be performed around such sites
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Proceedings of the International Conference on Non-Ionizing Radiation at UNITEN (ICNIR 2003)
Electromagnetic Fields and Our Health
th nd
20 –22 October 2003
in order to verify that the exposure levels of the general public are within the maximum permissible exposure levels.
The calculated power densities around the antenna site can be performed from a knowledge of the types of antennas used. Verification of these results can be confirmed by a measurement program using the appropriate instruments.
An example of a studied radio transmitter’s site radiation levels is described here. Predicted and measured power densities were obtained for radio transmitter built inside a residential area. The site contained two types of antennas.
(a) Omni directional short dipole antennas used for AM broadcasting with maximum radiated power of 10 kW, and operating in the frequency range (415-515 kHz),
(b) A high gain log periodic antennas with gain of 14.2 dB and operating in the frequency range (4-30 MHz).
The power densities were calculated in the direction of maximum radiation to ensure the worst case situation and to yield the maximum power densities that will result in any horizontal direction away from the antenna site.
The predicted power density levels were calculated at distances of 10, 75, and 100 meters from the radiation sources. These distances were chosen to account for the real distances of the road, residential areas and educational building around the site. The calculated power densities were as follows:
1. Omni directional AM antenna
where
W= P Gt 4pR2
W is the power density in W/m2
P is the transmitted power in W
R is the distance from the antenna in m, and
Gt is the gain of the short dipole.
The results are given in the following table:
R W ( mW/cm2)
10 1194
75 21.2
100 11.94
The log periodic high gain antenna gave the following results:
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Proceedings of the International Conference on Non-Ionizing Radiation at UNITEN (ICNIR 2003) Electromagnetic Fields and Our Health
th nd 20 –22
October 2003
R W ( muW/Cm2)
10 26390
75 468.5
100 263.9
These values for the high gain antenna refer to the intended direction of maximum radiation and decay rapidly away from that direction at a rate depending on the shape of the radiation pattern of the particular antenna.
A set of measurements were performed around the site and the maximum power density 2
found was 52 mW/Cm . This confirms that the operational levels were below the predicted ones.
MOBILE TELEPHONE BASE STATIONS
Mobile phone base stations may be considered as relatively low-power multi channel two way radio systems. They comprise transmitter and receiver systems and the transmit-receive antennas. These antennas produce radio frequency radiation and they expose people near them to electromagnetic radiation. The exposure levels are generally low, because the communication system made up from the mobile phone and base station is considered low- power system. The consensus of the scientific community is that the power from these mobile base stations antennas is far too low to produce health hazards as long as the general public are kept away from direct access to the antennas. It is also important to differentiate between the antennas that produce the RF radiation and the towers (or masts), which are the structures that support the antennas.
The concern about human health effects is more for the hand-held mobile phones rather than the base stations. This concern is because the mobile phone antennas delivers much of their RF energy to very small volumes of the user’s body.
SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR RF RADIATION
Safety guidelines for exposure of the public to the RF radiation from transmitting antennas are set by different organizations all over the world. The most widely accepted standards are those developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), and the National Council on Radiation protection and Measurements (NCRP).
These standards are expressed in power density in (mW/Cm2). The 1992 ANSI/IEEE
exposure standard for the general public is 1.2 mW/Cm2 for antennas operating in the 1800-
2 2000 MHz range. The limit for antennas operating in the 900 MHz range is 0.57 mW/Cm .
The ICNIRP standards are slightly lower and the NCRP standards are identical.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) guidelines include standards for mobile base stations antennas which are essentially the same as the (ANSI/IEEE). In the presence of multiple antennas, these standards apply to the total power produced by all antennas.
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Proceedings of the International Conference on Non-Ionizing Radiation at UNITEN (ICNIR 2003)
Electromagnetic Fields and Our Health
th nd
20 –22 October 2003
The measurement programs that were conducted in the United Kingdom and Canada near
schools showed that the measurements were below the maximum limits set by the different
standards. The maximum measured RF levels in the Canadian schools were between 0.00001
222 mW/cm and 0.0026 mW/cm . the Canadian standard is less than 0.57 mW/cm .
In the UK, measurements were performed at 118 publicly accessible sites around 17 mobile
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phone base stations. The maximum exposure at any location was 0.00083 mW/cm . Typical
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power densities were less than 0.00001 mW/cm . This is less than 0.01% of the ICNIRP
public exposure guidelines. When RF radiation from all sources was taken into account, the maximum power density at any site was less than 0.2% of the ICNIRP public exposure guidelines.
The RF levels produced by mobile base stations that can produce known biological effects are summarized in the following table:
40 mW/Cm2 Reproducible effects
4 mW/Cm2 Unconfirmed reports of effects
1 mW/Cm2 FCC public exposure standard (2000 MHz)
CONCLUSION
High frequency radiation exists in free space around us from an increasing number of sources and cover a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum. By for the most important and rapidly expanding source is the mobile phone base stations. Fortunately, the radiated power densities around these base stations are below the standard limits set by the different world organizations. It is important to take care in the design of new base stations to meet the guidelines set for the antennas and their mounting so that the minimum required distance can be observed for the public access. New trends in the design of such antennas such as the smart antenna concept, can be applied in order to further reduce the radiation power levels.
REFERENCES
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[1] John Moulder, “Cellular phone antennas (mobile phone base stations) and Human Health,”October, 2003.
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[2] K.R. foster, J.E. Moulder, “Are mobile phones safe?”IEEE Spectrum, august 2000, pp. 23-28.
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[3] Radio Frequency Safety, Federal Communication Committee, OET-RF Safety FAQ’s.
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Proceedings of the International Conference on Non-Ionizing Radiation at UNITEN (ICNIR 2003)
Electromagnetic Fields and Our Health
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20 –22 October 2003
[4] M.M. Dawoud, A.S. Farag, J.M. Bakhashwain, and A. Frazi, “Study of EM Fields and Radiated Power Generated from Dammam Radio Stations,”1998.
[5] S. Dillingham and Niek Cobles,”Radio Frequency Radiation for transmitters: A compariso9n of US and European requirements,”www.ce-mag.com
[6] “RF Radiation levels near mobile base stations,”National Aerials,
www.qerials.cofe.anglican.org
[7] The ARPANSA Radio frequency radiation exposure standard, www.arpansa-gov.au
[8] Andrew Performax, base Station Antennas, www.andrew.com
[9] Mobile Telephony and Health, Exposure from base stations, The National Radiological Protection Board, nrpb, www.nrpb.org
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