Representativeness and repeatability of microenvironmental personal and head exposures to RF EMF

Abstract

Overview

The study primarily investigates the consistency and accuracy of evaluating personal exposures to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) across varying microenvironments.

Findings

• The research presents the first assessment of head exposure to RF-EMF in uncontrolled, various microenvironments in Melbourne, Australia, utilizing a total of 15 different settings.
• Evidence supports that the study's measurement protocols for personal and head RF-EMF exposures are highly repeatable over time and representative of larger area exposures within the same settings.
• The method involved using both an on-body personal exposimeter (PEM) and a head-worn personal distributed exposimeter (PDE), making simultaneous evaluations of whole body and head exposures, with a high degree of data validation between the two devices.
• Significant findings include a higher exposure to RF-EMF in densely populated urban areas compared to lesser populated suburban zones.

Conclusion

This robust research method lends confidence in the data suggesting notable exposure differences in various environments, highlighting potential health risks associated with RF-EMF, particularly in dense urban settings.