Radiofrequency-electromagnetic field exposures in kindergarten children.
Bhatt CR, Redmayne M, Billah B, Abramson MJ, Benke G. · 2016
View Original AbstractKindergarten children face unavoidable wireless radiation exposure up to 179 mV/m, with environmental levels exceeding personal exposure by over 100%.
Plain English Summary
Australian researchers measured radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure levels in kindergarten children from cell towers, Wi-Fi, and other wireless sources. They found that environmental exposure levels in kindergarten settings were significantly higher than the personal exposure levels children experienced, with cell tower signals being the dominant source of exposure at levels up to 179 mV/m.
Why This Matters
This study provides crucial baseline data on RF-EMF exposure levels in early childhood educational settings, documenting that kindergarten children face measurable wireless radiation exposure primarily from cell tower infrastructure rather than personal devices. The finding that environmental exposures exceeded personal exposures by more than double highlights how our wireless infrastructure creates unavoidable ambient exposure, particularly concerning for developing children who spend significant time in these environments. What makes this research particularly valuable is its comprehensive measurement across 16 frequency bands, revealing that GSM 900 MHz cell tower downlinks contribute the highest exposure levels at 82 mV/m in the environment and 50 mV/m for personal exposure. While these levels fall below current safety guidelines, the science demonstrates that children's developing nervous systems may be more vulnerable to RF-EMF effects, making exposure documentation in educational settings essential for informed public health policy.
Exposure Details
- Electric Field
- 0.045, 0.05, 0.082 V/m
- Source/Device
- 900 MHz
Study Details
The aim of this study was to assess environmental and personal radiofrequency-electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposures in kindergarten children.
Ten children and 20 kindergartens in Melbourne, Australia participated in personal and environmental...
The median environmental exposures were: 179 mV/m (total all bands), 123 mV/m (total mobile phone ba...
Show BibTeX
@article{cr_2016_radiofrequencyelectromagnetic_field_exposures_in_856,
author = {Bhatt CR and Redmayne M and Billah B and Abramson MJ and Benke G.},
title = {Radiofrequency-electromagnetic field exposures in kindergarten children.},
year = {2016},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27759027/},
}