NATIONAL OBSERVATORY OF ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS: NATIONAL TELEMETRIC NETWORK FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF HIGH-FREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS IN GREECE.

At the end of 2015, the operation of the National Observatory of Electromagnetic Fields (established in 2012) has started. The National Observatory of Electromagnetic Fields is a network of 500 fixed (480 broadband and 20 frequency selective) and 13 mobile (vehicle mounted frequency selective) measurement stations throughout Greece that continuously monitor the electromagnetic field levels from all kinds of antenna stations in the frequency range 100kHz-7GHz. The results of this national monitoring network, which is operated and controlled by the Greek Atomic Energy Commission (EEAE), are presented through an interactive web portal (https://paratiritirioemf.eeae.gr), in which data are constantly updated with the latest station measurements. This paper presents the operational aspects and the measurement results of the first 3 years of operation (2016-2018). The measurement results revealed that all values were well below the reference levels for general public exposure, as defined by the Greek legislation.

Occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields. The situation in Greece.

PURPOSE: The management of the occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF), an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) issue of great scientific, social and economic significance, was under intense negotiations at European level over the last twenty years; the Directive 2013/35/EU is the new legislative tool. The presented study deals with the practical aspects of the Directive's implementation. METHODS: The appropriate, extensive measurements and the overall EMF exposure assessments (i.e. exposure mapping, identification of hot spots, proposition of solutions) were conducted in specific workplaces, including power production, railway, broadcasting, clinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) systems, industrial and research sites, as well as common office workplaces. RESULTS: The vast majority of the performed EMF assessments did not reveal occupational overexposures; moreover in most of the cases, even the general public exposure limits (in the above occupational areas) were not exceeded. The very few localized overexposures detected, were manageable on the basis of the technical and organizational OHS principles. On the contrary, the maintenance procedures of the EMF emitting equipment, as recorded in this survey, presented overexposures revealing a challenging field. CONCLUSIONS: This study lays a firm basis for the clarification of the occupational EMF environment, where potential exposures might be high. The proper risk assessment demands precise exposure identification and deep understanding of the EMF nature and hazards. Misconceptions range from the common exposure overestimation to the rarer case of the maintenance hazards underestimation, while attention is needed concerning the proper application of the complex limiting system of the Directive.