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Outdoor characterization of radio frequency electromagnetic fields in a Spanish birth cohort.

Not an original health-effects study

Calvente I, Fernández MF, Pérez-Lobato R, Dávila-Arias C, Ocón O, Ramos R, Ríos-Arrabal S, Villalba-Moreno J, Olea N, Núñez MI. · 2015

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Outdoor radiofrequency field measurements around the homes of families from the INMA-Granada birth cohort in Southern Spain were well below international reference levels, though values varied widely by area and season.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers used spot measurements to characterize outdoor radiofrequency electromagnetic fields in the frequency range 100kHz-6GHz around the dwellings of 123 families from the INMA-Granada birth cohort in Southern Spain. The arithmetic mean electric field was 195.79mV/m and the mean power density was 799.01µW/m(2), with median values of 148.80mV/m and 285.94µW/m(2) respectively. All recorded values were well below International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection reference levels. Exposure levels varied widely among different areas or towns/villages and also among seasons.

Why This Matters

The study used spot measurements to build exposure profiles, capturing a snapshot of field strength at specific locations around each dwelling. For the electric field, 42.3% of readings were above the mean of 195.79mV/m, while for power density only 30% of values were above the mean of 799.01µW/m(2), indicating skewed distributions. The researchers noted that the effects of incident field strength have not been fully elucidated, and suggested it may be appropriate to apply the precautionary principle in order to reduce exposure in susceptible groups.

Exposure Details

Power Density
0.000028594 mW/cm²
Electric Field
0.1488, 0.19579, 0.79901 V/m
Source/Device
100kHz-6GHz

Exposure Context

This study used 0.000028594 mW/cm² for radio frequency:

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.

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.000028594 mW/cm²Extreme Concern - 1,000 µW/m²FCC Limit - 10M µW/m²Effects observed in the Severe Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 34,972 times higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 100 kHz - 6 GHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 100 kHz - 6 GHzPower lines50/60 HzCell phones~1 GHzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

The aim of this study was to characterize environmental exposure profiles within the frequency range 100kHz-6GHz in the immediate surrounds of the dwellings of 123 families from the INMA-Granada birth cohort in Southern Spain, using spot measurements.

The arithmetic mean root mean-square electric field (ERMS) and power density (SRMS) values were, res...

Although recorded values were well below International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protect...

Cite This Study
Calvente I, Fernández MF, Pérez-Lobato R, Dávila-Arias C, Ocón O, Ramos R, Ríos-Arrabal S, Villalba-Moreno J, Olea N, Núñez MI. (2015). Outdoor characterization of radio frequency electromagnetic fields in a Spanish birth cohort. Environ Res. 2015 Feb 20;138C:136-143. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2014.12.013.
Show BibTeX
@article{i_2015_outdoor_characterization_of_radio_885,
  author = {Calvente I and Fernández MF and Pérez-Lobato R and Dávila-Arias C and Ocón O and Ramos R and Ríos-Arrabal S and Villalba-Moreno J and Olea N and Núñez MI.},
  title = {Outdoor characterization of radio frequency electromagnetic fields in a Spanish birth cohort.},
  year = {2015},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25707018/},
}
PubMed: 25707018

Cited By (37 papers)

View all 37 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

All recorded values were well below International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection reference levels.
The mean power density was 799.01µW/m(2), with a median of 285.94µW/m(2).
Field strength levels varied widely among different areas or towns/villages and also among seasons.
The researchers noted a particular need to characterize field strength levels in vulnerable populations such as children because of their chronic and ever-increasing exposure.
The study characterized environmental exposure within the frequency range 100kHz-6GHz.