Representativeness and repeatability of microenvironmental personal and head exposures to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields

The aims of this study were to: i) investigate the repeatability and representativeness of personal radio frequency-electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) exposure measurements, across different microenvironments, ii) perform simultaneous evaluations of personal RF-EMF exposures for the whole body and the head, iii) validate the data obtained with a head-worn personal distributed exposimeter (PDE) against those obtained with an on-body worn personal exposimeter (PEM). Data on personal and head RF-EMF exposures were collected by performing measurements across 15 microenvironments in Melbourne, Australia. A body-worn PEM and a head-worn PDE were used for measuring body and head exposures, respectively. The summary statistics obtained for total RF-EMF exposure showed a high representativeness (r(2) > 0.66 for two paths in the same area) and a high repeatability over time (r(2) > 0.87 for repetitions of the same path). The median head exposure in the 900 MHz downlink band ranged between 0.06 V/m and 0.31 V/m. The results obtained during simultaneous measurements using the two devices showed high correlations (0.42 < r(2) < 0.94). The highest mean total RF-EMF exposure was measured in Melbourne's central business district (0.89 V/m), whereas the lowest mean total exposure was measured in a suburban residential area (0.05 V/m). This study shows that personal RF-EMF microenvironmental measurements in multiple microenvironments have high representativeness and repeatability over time. The personal RF-EMF exposure levels (i.e. body and head exposures) demonstrated moderate to high correlations

Radon exposure in a thorium rich area in Norway

This work was carried out in a thorium rich region, Fen Complex (FC), located in Telemark County, Norway. The area has been well recongised as a high natural radiation area in Norway due to the presence of considerable amount of thorium (along with relatively higher uranium) in the unique rocks of the area. In addition, the area also includes the sites, where iron and niobium mining was carried out during the past centuries. OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to measure outdoor radon and thoron concentrations as well as gamma dose rates/doses, to estimate public annual effective doses from gamma, radon and thoron exposures in the five selected areas of the complex (Bollodalen, Fengruve, Gruvehaugen, Rullekoll and Søve). The risk of human cancers (Solid cancers, leukaemia and lung cancer) from the estimated doses were also evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The absorbed gamma dose rates in air were measured during different months (May 2008, September and November 2009 and June 2010) with automess. Absorbed gamma doses in air were also measured in the area during summer 2010 with thermo luminescent dosimeters (TLDs). In addition, simultaneous outdoor radon and thoron measurements were conducted in the different locations of the region during autumn 2009 and summer 2010 with radon-thoron discriminative detectors. All the measurements were performed at the distance of one meter above the ground level. The TLD gamma doses were read at Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia, and radon and thoron concentrations were measured at National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan. All the data were entered and analyzed using Windows Office EXCEL 2007 and Minitab 16. For all analyses, p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Annual average effective doses were estimated by extrapolating the absorbed doses in air of the measured period (2 months) and using the conversion factor 0.7 Sv/Gy. In case of radon and thoron doses, Equilibrium Equivalent Concentrations (EEC in Bq/m3) were calculated using equilibrium factors (F); 0.7 for radon, and 0.003 and 0.1 for thoron. The EECs and doses from radon isotopes were derived using the relationships between EECs and Working Levels as well as Working Level Months (WLMs) and equivalent doses; 1 Bq/m3 of EEC=0.27 mWL (for radon) and 3.64 mWL (for thoron), and conversions; 10 mSv/WLM for radon and 3.4 mSv/WLM for thoron. The outdoor occupancy factor of 0.2 (=1752 hrs/yr) for gamma as well as radon and thoron doses were taken into account while estimating their respective doses. The gamma dose risks were estimated assuming the excess relative risks of solid and leukaemia mortality of 0.4/Sv and 4.0/Sv respectively. Similarly, mean excess relative risk for lung cancer from radon and thoron exposures were estimated using 0.26%/WLM. RESULTS: The dose rates were found to be varied in all the areas during the studied months; Bollodalen (1.62-4.47 µGy/h), Fengruve (0.77-4.06 µGy/h), Gruvehaugen (1.57-9.17 µGy/h), Rullekoll (0.48-5.53 µGy/h) and Søve (1.03-11.05 µGy/h). The mean annual effective doses due to gamma at different areas were ; Bollodalen (1.76 mSv), Fengruve (2.48 mSv), Gruvehaugen (2.02 mSv), Rullekoll (1.17 mSv) and Søve (0.36 mSv). The mean radon concentration of the FC region in autumn (4.5 Bq/m3) was significantly lower (p0.05) of the FC areas. The mean thoron concentration of the region in autumn (691 Bq/m3) was significantly lower (p<0.05) than that in summer (1593 Bq/m3). The mean thoron concentration of the complex during the autumn ranged from 7 Bq/m3 to 1000 Bq/m3, and that in summer ranged from 91 Bq/m3 to 1786 Bq/m3. ANOVA General Linear Model showed statistically significant different thoron concentrations measured different areas (p<0.05). Søve area had a significantly lower (p<0.05) thoron concentration than the other areas. A moderate strong correlation also observed between radon and thoron measured in summer (r=0.697, p<0.05). The regression analyses of gamma dose and radon and thoron showed that gamma dose line is better fitted with the measured thoron concentration data (R2=40.7%, p<0.05) than that with radon concentration (R2=31.7%, p<0.05) data. The mean effective doses due to outdoor radon exposures at the FC areas were; Bollodalen (1.55 mSv), Fengruve (1.78 mSv), Gruvehaugen (1.22 mSv), Rullekoll (1.05 mSv), and Søve (0.6 mSv). Similarly, the mean effective doses due to outdoor thoron (with F 0.003) exposures at the FC areas were; Bollodalen (0.52 mSv), Fengruve (0.6 mSv), Gruvehaugen (0.7 mSv), Rullekoll (0.5 mSv), and Søve (0.03 mSv). The thoron doses were estimated 33 times greater with the larger Feq value of 0.1 than that estimated with F eq 0.003. The mean risks of solid cancers and leukaemia from gamma doses were estimated to be in the range of 0.0001-0.001 and 0.001-0.01 respectively. The excess relative risks of lung cancer from radon exposures ranged 0.0001-0.0004, and that from and thoron were 0.00002-0.0004 (F 0.003) and 0.0007-0.019 (F 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The present study found that the FC region has high outdoor natual gamma dose rates (1.16-8.43 µGy/h) as well as radon (7-210 Bq/m3) and thoron (7-4996 Bq/m3) concentrations. All of these values are considerably higher than global and Norwegian average corressponding values. Radon and thoron showed significantly lower air concentrations in the autumn than that in the summer. The estimated range of mean annual effective doses due to the natural radiation in the FC areas were also found remarkebly high; gamma (0.36-2.48 mSv), radon (0.6-1.78 mSv) and thoron (0.03-0.7 mSv). The risk of leukaemia from gamma doses was estimated to be higher (0.001-0.01) than that of solid cancer (0.0001-0.001), and lung cancer (0.00002-0.0005) from radon isotopes.Therefore, on the basis of the findings from this study, it can be recommended that the high dose areas in the FC require interventions in order to minimize the likelihood of human stochastic effects by limiting public doses as low as resonably achievable

INVESTIGATION OF EXPOSURES AND HEALTH EFFECTS FROM MOBILE PHONES AND OTHER SOURCES OF RADIO-FREQUENCY RADIATION

This thesis: i) reviewed instruments to assess and measure personal and environmental radiofrequency-electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposures, ii) evaluated personal RF-EMF exposures across various environments in Australia and Belgium, iii) assessed environmental and personal RF-EMF exposures in kindergarten children, and iv) assessed possible longitudinal associations between the use of mobile and cordless phones in a cohort of primary school children and effects on their cognitive function

What evidence exists on the impact of anthropogenic radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on animals and plants in the environment: a systematic map

Abstract Background Exposure to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMF), particularly from telecommunications sources, is one of the most common and fastest growing anthropogenic factors on the environment. In many countries, humans are protected from harmful RF EMF exposure by safety standards that are based on guidelines by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). The ICNIRP guidelines are based on knowledge of how RF EMF affects the human body, however, there are currently no recognised international guidelines to specifically protect animals and plants. Whether the ICNIRP guidelines for humans are adequate to provide protection to the environment is a subject of active debate. There is some public concern that new telecommunications technologies, like the 5G mobile phone network may affect the natural environment. This systematic map presents a searchable database of all the available evidence on whether anthropogenic RF EMF has an effect on plants and animals in the environment. The map also identifies gaps in knowledge, recommends future research and informs environmental and radiation protection authorities. Methods The method used was published in an a priori protocol. Searches included peer-reviewed and grey literature published in English with no time and geographic restrictions. The EMF-Portal, PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched, and the resulting articles were screened in three stages: title, abstract and full text. Studies were included with a subject population of all animals and plants, with exposures to anthropogenic RF EMF (frequency range 100 kHz–300 GHz) compared to no or lower-level exposure, and for any outcomes related to the studied populations. For each included study, metadata were extracted on key variables of interest that were used to represent the distribution of available evidence. Review findings The initial search, search update and supplementary searches produced 24,432 articles and of those 334 articles (237 on fauna and 97 on flora) that were relevant were included in the systematic map. The vast majority of studies were experiments conducted in a laboratory rather than observational studies of animals and plants in the natural environment. The majority of the studies investigated exposures with frequencies between 300 and 3000 MHz, and although the exposure level varied, it was mainly low and below the ICNIRP limits. Most of the animal studies investigated insects and birds, whereas grains and legumes were the most investigated plants. Reproduction, development and behaviour were the most investigated effects for animals, and germination and growth for plants. The vast majority of the studies employed poor quality methods. Conclusion There are distinct evidence clusters: for fauna, on insect and bird reproduction, development and behaviour; and for flora, grain and legume germination and growth that would benefit from specific systematic reviews. The systematic map also highlights the clear need for investigating the effects of RF EMF on more species and more types of effects, and for an improvement in the quality of all studies

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 (&plusmn;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 (&plusmn;SD) age of 36.9 &plusmn; 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 &lt; 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

Assessment of personal exposure from radiofrequency-electromagnetic fields in Australia and Belgium using on-body calibrated exposimeters

The purposes of this study were: i) to demonstrate the assessment of personal exposure from various RF-EMF sources across different microenvironments in Australia and Belgium, with two on-body calibrated exposimeters, in contrast to earlier studies which employed single, non-on-body calibrated exposimeters; ii) to systematically evaluate the performance of the exposimeters using (on-body) calibration and cross-talk measurements; and iii) to compare the exposure levels measured for one site in each of several selected microenvironments in the two countries. A human subject took part in an on-body calibration of the exposimeter in an anechoic chamber. The same subject collected data on personal exposures across 38 microenvironments (19 in each country) situated in urban, suburban and rural regions. Median personal RF-EMF exposures were estimated: i) of all microenvironments, and ii) across each microenvironment, in two countries. The exposures were then compared across similar microenvironments in two countries (17 in each country). The three highest median total exposure levels were: city center (4.33V/m), residential outdoor (urban) (0.75V/m), and a park (0.75V/m) [Australia]; and a tram station (1.95V/m), city center (0.95V/m), and a park (0.90V/m) [Belgium]. The exposures across nine microenvironments in Melbourne, Australia were lower than the exposures across corresponding microenvironments in Ghent, Belgium (p<0.05). The personal exposures across urban microenvironments were higher than those for rural or suburban microenvironments. Similarly, the exposure levels across outdoor microenvironments were higher than those for indoor microenvironments