8,700 Studies Reviewed. 87.0% Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.
Shield Your Body
Whole Body / General

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Radiative Measurements for Automotive Applications

Bioeffects Seen

J. W. Adams, H. E. Taggart, M. Kanda, J. Shafer · 1979

Share:

Vehicles can trap and amplify electromagnetic fields from nearby transmitters, creating unpredictable exposure conditions for occupants.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

This 1979 technical study measured electromagnetic field levels inside three different-sized vehicles when exposed to CB radios, mobile radio transmitters, and broadcast stations. Researchers found that vehicles act like metal boxes that can concentrate and amplify electromagnetic fields from nearby transmitters, creating potentially intense exposure conditions for occupants and electronic systems.

Why This Matters

This early automotive EMF study reveals a crucial reality that remains relevant today: your car can become an electromagnetic echo chamber. When CB radios and mobile transmitters operate near vehicles, the metal structure doesn't shield you as you might expect. Instead, it can trap and intensify electromagnetic fields, creating what researchers call 'near-field' conditions where exposure levels become unpredictable and potentially elevated. What makes this 1979 research particularly significant is how it anticipated today's connected vehicle environment. Modern cars contain dozens of wireless systems, from WiFi hotspots to cellular modems to Bluetooth connections, all operating simultaneously in that same metal enclosure. The study's focus on electromagnetic compatibility testing criteria proved prescient, as today's vehicles must manage far more complex EMF environments than researchers could have imagined four decades ago.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Cite This Study
J. W. Adams, H. E. Taggart, M. Kanda, J. Shafer (1979). Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Radiative Measurements for Automotive Applications.
Show BibTeX
@article{electromagnetic_interference_emi_radiative_measurements_for_automotive_applicati_g5010,
  author = {J. W. Adams and H. E. Taggart and M. Kanda and J. Shafer},
  title = {Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Radiative Measurements for Automotive Applications},
  year = {1979},
  
  
}

Quick Questions About This Study

This study found that vehicles can actually amplify electromagnetic fields from CB radios and mobile transmitters rather than shield occupants. The metal structure creates near-field conditions that can intensify exposure levels unpredictably.
Researchers tested three different-sized vehicles and found that vehicle size influences how electromagnetic fields behave inside the cabin. Larger and smaller vehicles created different field patterns and intensity levels from the same external sources.
The study measured electromagnetic fields from CB radios, mobile radio transmitters, and broadcast stations. These were the primary wireless communication sources affecting vehicles in 1979, before modern cellular and WiFi systems existed.
Measuring electric and magnetic fields independently provides more complete data about electromagnetic exposure conditions. In near-field situations like inside vehicles, these field components can behave differently and create varying exposure patterns.
The research aimed to establish electromagnetic compatibility testing criteria for vehicles and their electronic systems. Understanding the EMF environment helps engineers design automotive electronics that function properly despite electromagnetic interference from external sources.