Possible electromagnetic interference with electronic medical equipment by radio waves coming from outside the hospital.
Hanada E, Kodama K, Takano K, Watanabe Y, Nose Y. · 2001
View Original AbstractHospitals face radio wave interference up to 200 V/m from external sources, potentially disrupting critical medical equipment.
Plain English Summary
Researchers measured radio wave levels inside an 11-story hospital under construction to see if external signals could interfere with medical equipment. They found extremely high electric field intensities of 200 volts per meter from airport radar and 1.78 V/m from cell tower signals. The study suggests these levels could disrupt critical medical devices, highlighting the need for hospitals to monitor their electromagnetic environment.
Why This Matters
This research reveals a critical blind spot in hospital safety protocols. While most attention focuses on patients' cell phones interfering with medical equipment, this study demonstrates that external radio sources create far more intense electromagnetic fields inside hospitals. The 200 V/m reading from airport radar is extraordinarily high - roughly 100 times stronger than typical cell tower exposure levels that people encounter daily. What this means for you is that the electromagnetic environment in medical facilities may be far more complex and potentially problematic than previously recognized. The reality is that life-saving medical equipment operates in an increasingly dense soup of radio frequency radiation, yet few hospitals systematically measure these exposures. This study's call for routine electromagnetic monitoring in urban hospitals isn't just technical housekeeping - it's a patient safety imperative that deserves immediate attention from healthcare administrators.
Exposure Details
- Electric Field
- 200 V/m
- Source/Device
- 2.79 GHz
Exposure Context
This study used 200 V/m for electric fields:
- 593.3x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.3 V/m
Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.
Study Details
We measured electric field intensity induced by radio waves coming into our 11-floor hospital, which was under construction.
The maximum intensity observed was about 200 V/m at 2.79 GHz, from airport surveillance radar waves....
These data show that various frequencies of radio waves are common in this urban area, and that they...
Show BibTeX
@article{e_2001_possible_electromagnetic_interference_with_1013,
author = {Hanada E and Kodama K and Takano K and Watanabe Y and Nose Y.},
title = {Possible electromagnetic interference with electronic medical equipment by radio waves coming from outside the hospital.},
year = {2001},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11463202/},
}