What is the radiation before 5G? A correlation study between measurements in situ and in real time and epidemiological indicators in Vallecas, Madrid.

BACKGROUND: Exposure of the general population to electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobile phone base stations is one of the greater concerns of residents affected by the proximity of these structures due to the possible relationship between radiated levels and health indicators. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to find a possible relationship between some health indicators and electromagnetic radiation measurements. METHODS: A total of 268 surveys, own design, were completed by residents of a Madrid neighborhood surrounded by nine telephone antennas, and 105 measurements of electromagnetic radiation were taken with a spectrum analyzer and an isotropic antenna, in situ and in real - time, both outside and inside the houses. RESULTS: It was shown statistically significant p - values in headaches presence (p = 0.010), nightmares (p = 0.001), headache intensity (p < 0.001), dizziness frequency (p = 0.011), instability episodes frequency (p = 0.026), number of hours that one person sleeps per day (p < 0.001) and three of nine parameters studied from tiredness. Concerning cancer, there are 5.6% of cancer cases in the study population, a percentage 10 times higher than that of the total Spanish population. DISCUSSION: People who are exposed to higher radiation values present more severe headaches, dizziness and nightmares. Moreover, they sleep fewer hours.

Radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure and risk perception: A pilot experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to far-field radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) has raised public concerns in recent decades. However, it is not known if individuals' perception towards the health risks of RF-EMF is dependent on their knowledge of the objectively measured personal RF-EMF exposure levels. OBJECTIVES: This pilot study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of objectively measuring personal RF-EMF exposure from mobile phone base stations (MPBS) and to determine if the risk perception of people to the potential health risk of exposure to RF-EMF from MPBS is dependent on their knowledge of personal RF-EMF exposure levels. DESIGN: An experimental study was conducted in 383 adults, recruited in Melbourne, Australia. Participants were randomized to one of the three groups: 1) basic information group who were provided with basic information about RF-EMF to read prior to completing a risk perception assessment questionnaire; 2) precautionary group who were provided with an information pack which included precautionary messages; and 3) personal exposure measurement group who were provided with a summary of their quantitative RF-EMF exposure from MPBS. The same basic information about RF-EMF was also given to the precautionary and personal exposure measurement groups. RESULTS: Participants had a mean (±â€¯SD) age of 36.9 ±â€¯12.5 years; 66.7% were women. Overall, 44.1% had noticed an MPBS in their neighbourhood. The mean (SD) values (from 1 to 7) for risk perceptions to RF-EMF from MPBS were 4.02 (1.67) for basic information, 3.82 (1.62) for precautionary messages, and 3.97 (1.72) for the personal exposure measurement groups. These differences were not statistically significant. Nevertheless, the personal exposure measurement group were more confident that they could protect themselves from RF-EMF than the precautionary or basic information groups. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that providing people with personal RF-EMF exposure measurements may not affect their perceived risk from MPBS, but increase their confidence in protecting themselves.

Personal Exposure to Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields among Australian Adults.

The measurement of personal exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) is important for epidemiological studies. RF-EMF exposure can be measured using personal exposimeters that register RF-EMFs over a wide range of frequency bands. This study aimed to measure and describe personal RF-EMF exposure levels from a wide range of frequency bands. Measurements were recorded from 63 participants over an average of 27.4 (±4.5) hours. RF-EMF exposure levels were computed for each frequency band, as well as from downlink (RF from mobile phone base station), uplink (RF from mobile phone handsets), broadcast, and Wi-Fi. Participants had a mean (±SD) age of 36.9 ± 12.5 years; 66.7% were women; and almost all (98.2%) from urban areas. A Wi-Fi router at home was reported by 61 participants (96.8%), with 38 (61.2%) having a Wi-Fi enabled smart TV. Overall, 26 (41.3%) participants had noticed the existence of a mobile phone base station in their neighborhood. On average, participants estimated the distance between the base station and their usual residence to be about 500 m. The median personal RF-EMF exposure was 208 mV/m. Downlink contributed 40.4% of the total RF-EMF exposure, followed by broadcast (22.4%), uplink (17.3%), and Wi-Fi (15.9%). RF-EMF exposure levels on weekdays were higher than weekends (p < 0.05). Downlink and broadcast are the main contributors to total RF-EMF personal exposure. Personal RF-EMF exposure levels vary according to day of the week and time of day.

Modeled and Perceived Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields From Mobile-Phone Base Stations and the Development of Symptoms Over Time in a General Population Cohort.

We assessed associations between modeled and perceived exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) from mobile-phone base stations and the development of nonspecific symptoms and sleep disturbances over time. A population-based Dutch cohort study, the Occupational and Environmental Health Cohort Study (AMIGO) (n = 14,829; ages 31-65 years), was established in 2011/2012 (T0), with follow-up of a subgroup (n = 3,992 invited) in 2013 (T1; n = 2,228) and 2014 (T2; n = 1,740). We modeled far-field RF-EMF exposure from mobile-phone base stations at the home addresses of the participants using a 3-dimensional geospatial model (NISMap). Perceived exposure (0 = not at all; 6 = very much), nonspecific symptoms, and sleep disturbances were assessed by questionnaire. We performed cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, including fixed-effects regression. We found small correlations between modeled and perceived exposure in AMIGO participants at baseline (n = 14,309; rSpearman = 0.10). For 222 follow-up participants, modeled exposure increased substantially (>0.030 mW/m2) between T0 and T1. This increase in modeled exposure was associated with an increase in perceived exposure during the same time period. In contrast to modeled RF-EMF exposure from mobile-phone base stations, perceived exposure was associated with higher symptom reporting scores in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, as well as with sleep disturbances in cross-sectional analyses.

Exposure to electromagnetic fields in households--trends from 2006 to 2012.

This article is a follow-up study of extremely low-frequency electric and magnetic fields (ELF-EFs, ELF-MFs) and radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) using data collected in 2012 following earlier data sets from 2006 and 2009. Measurements were conducted in 219 bedrooms in Lower Austria. Out of these rooms 113 measurements were done in the same households in 2006, 2009 and 2012, and 106 were conducted in neighbouring buildings added in 2009 and newly recruited buildings in mainly urban areas in 2012. In revisited places the median of the ELF-EFs decreased from 23.20 V/m in 2006 to 13.90 V/m in 2012. The median of all-night measurements of ELF-MFs at 50 Hz decreased from 13.50 to 11.37 nT. The median of total RF-EMFs increased from 28.13 to 52.16 µW/m(2). Highest increases were found for universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) and wireless local area networks (WLAN). The analysis of all households showed higher total RF-EMFs in urban (median = 117.73 µW/m(2)) than in rural (median = 34.52 µW/m(2)) areas. Long-term evolution (LTE) in the 2600 MHz frequency range was detected at 17 locations with a maximum of 38.20 µW/m(2). Indoor RF-EMF sources resulted in decreased exposure in the frequency range of digital enhanced cordless telecommunications telephones (DECT) and increased exposure in the frequency range of WLAN.

Análisis dimensional del riesgo percibido por la exposición del público a radiaciones electromagnéticas emitidas por estaciones base de telefonía móvil / Dimensioal analyysis of risk perceived because of public exposure to electromagnetic radiations emitted by mobile phone base stations

La omnipresencia de estaciones base de telefonía móvil (EBTM) en los territorios urbanos ha dado lugar a que la población esté siendo expuesta a las radiaciones no ionizantes (RNI) emitidas por este tipo de fuentes radioeléctricas, dado que estas han sido ubicadas cerca de los sitios donde habitan y/o concurren las personas que se han considerado más susceptibles a las radiaciones electromagnéticas. Este escenario se ha caracterizado por las constantes preocupaciones de los ciudadanos y expertos en torno a los posibles efectos nocivos que se pueden presentar por la exposición a las RNI; no obstante, existe también un ambiente de desconocimiento e incertidumbre frente al tema, lo que ha generado que sea más complejo evaluar este potencial riesgo de origen antrópico tecnológico. Por lo tanto, se consideró importante analizar la respuesta social frente al riesgo generado por las radiaciones electromagnéticas emitidas por EBTM, con el fin de realizar un diagnóstico integral de esta situación. Para ello, se adaptó el método del paradigma psicométrico, y se realizó un análisis descriptivo y multivariado, los cuales permitieron conocer la percepción social frente al riesgo en la zona que se consideró más crítica, según los resultados que surgieron del diagnóstico de las áreas urbanas expuestas a las RNI emitidas por las EBTM, localizadas en el municipio de Cartago (Valle del Cauca). Los resultados de los análisis muestran que la percepción de cada individuo se basa en juicios intuitivos y factores socioculturales, que se traducen en actitudes y decisiones que se toman frente al riesgo evaluado, que al parecer, en el imaginario social no ha sido concebido en su totalidad como un potencial factor de riesgo. Es por esto que se puede concluir que los juicios sobre el riesgo evaluado difieren no solo individualmente sino también colectivamente.

The omnipresence of mobile phone base stations (MPBS) in urban areas has resulted in the population being exposed to non-ionizing radiation (NIR) emitted by this type of radio sources, inasmuch as they have been located near places inhabited or frequently visited by people who are considered more susceptible to electromagnetic radiations. This scenario has been characterized by the constant concerns of citizens and experts about the possible adverse health effects that may occur from exposure to NIR. However, there is also an atmosphere of ignorance and uncertainty regarding the topic which makes it more difficult to evaluate this technological anthropogenic potential risk.. Therefore, it was considered important to analyze the social response in front of the risk generated by the electromagnetic radiation emitted by MPBS, in order to make an integral diagnosis of this situation. To do this, the psychometric paradigm method was adapted and a descriptive and multivariate analysis was carried out, which allowed knowing the social perception of the risk in the area that was considered more critical according to the results that emerged from the diagnosis of urban areas exposed to NIR emitted by MPBS located in the municipality of Cartago (Valle del Cauca). The results of the analyses show that the perception of each individual is based on intuitive judgments and sociocultural factors which result in attitudes and decisions made against the assessed risk which, apparently, in the social imaginary has not been conceived in its entirety as a potential risk factor. That is why, it can be concluded that judgments about the assessed risk differ not only individually but also collectively.

Impact of input data uncertainty on environmental exposure assessment models: A case study for electromagnetic field modelling from mobile phone base stations.

BACKGROUND: With the increased availability of spatial data and computing power, spatial prediction approaches have become a standard tool for exposure assessment in environmental epidemiology. However, such models are largely dependent on accurate input data. Uncertainties in the input data can therefore have a large effect on model predictions, but are rarely quantified. METHODS: With Monte Carlo simulation we assessed the effect of input uncertainty on the prediction of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) from mobile phone base stations at 252 receptor sites in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The impact on ranking and classification was determined by computing the Spearman correlations and weighted Cohen's Kappas (based on tertiles of the RF-EMF exposure distribution) between modelled values and RF-EMF measurements performed at the receptor sites. RESULTS: The uncertainty in modelled RF-EMF levels was large with a median coefficient of variation of 1.5. Uncertainty in receptor site height, building damping and building height contributed most to model output uncertainty. For exposure ranking and classification, the heights of buildings and receptor sites were the most important sources of uncertainty, followed by building damping, antenna- and site location. Uncertainty in antenna power, tilt, height and direction had a smaller impact on model performance. CONCLUSIONS: We quantified the effect of input data uncertainty on the prediction accuracy of an RF-EMF environmental exposure model, thereby identifying the most important sources of uncertainty and estimating the total uncertainty stemming from potential errors in the input data. This approach can be used to optimize the model and better interpret model output.

Metodología par el diagnóstico de áreas urbana con alta exposición a radiacioones electromagnéticas emitidas por estaciones base de telefonía móvil / Methods forthe ddiagnosis of urban areas with high exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobile phone base stations

La proliferación incontrolada de estaciones base de telefonía móvil (EBTM) en centros urbanos y, especialmente, en zonas con establecimientos considerados como vulnerables a las radiaciones no ionizantes (RNI) con relación al tipo de personas que albergan, ha generado preocupación por los posibles efectos nocivos para la salud que se pueden presentar en la población, a causa de la exposición a las radiaciones electromagnéticas emitidas por este tipo de equipos. Para abordar esta situación desde un enfoque técnico-ambiental, se diseñó e implementó una metodología para diagnosticar áreas con alta exposición a RNI emitidas por EBTM, en la que se tienen en cuenta factores amenazantes y vulnerables de este potencial escenario de riesgo. Esta metodología se estructura mediante la elaboración de un inventario de EBTM, una zonificación de las áreas con alta exposición a RNI emitidas por estas fuentes radioeléctricas y la implementación de una matriz multicriterios. Con la interacción de estos tres elementos, se genera un mapa de riesgo por exposición a RNI emitidas por EBTM, que facilita a nivel territorial la localización y visualización de áreas con alta exposición, teniendo en cuenta las zonas con mayor grado de vulnerabilidad. Finalmente, con base en estos resultados se obtiene un diagnóstico del escenario de riesgo por el posicionamiento de EBTM, pudiéndose identificar las zonas críticas o de alto riesgo, las cuales son consideradas como áreas sensibles donde se deben realizar de forma prioritaria las mediciones de las RNI de inmisión y emisión y, determinar el cumpliendo de los límites establecidos. La validación de esta metodología se efectuó en el municipio de Cartago (Valle del Cauca), donde se diagnosticaron las áreas con alta exposición a las RNI emitidas por las EBTM y se determinaron las zonas de alto riesgo.

The uncontrolled proliferation of mobile phone base stations (MPBS) in urban centers and especially in areas with facilities considered vulnerable to non-ionizing radiation (NIR) in relation to the type of people they are home to has generated concerns about the potential adverse health effects that may occur in the population, because of the exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted by this type of equipment. To address this situation from a technical and environmental approach, a methodology to diagnose areas exposed to NIR issued by MPBS was designed and implemented, which takes into account threatening and vulnerable factors of this potential risk scenario. This methodology is structured through the development of an MPBS inventory, a zoning of the areas exposed to high NIR emitted by these radio-electric sources, and the implementation of a multicriteria matrix. With the interaction of these three elements, a risk map is generated by exposure to NIR emitted by MPBS, which facilitates the location and visualization of areas with high exposure at the territorial level, thus considering the areas of greatest vulnerability. Finally, based on these results a diagnosis of the risk scenario is obtained by the MPBS positioning, being possible to identify critical or high risk areas, which are considered as sensitive areas where NIR emission and immision measurements must be done as a priority and determine the accomplishment of defined limits. The validation of this methodology was made in the municipality of Cartago (Valle del Cauca), where areas highly exposed to NIR emitted by EBTM were diagnosed and high-risk areas were identified.