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INFORMAL REPORT ON OBSERVATIONS AND RF FIELD INTENSITY MEASUREMENTS MADE AT A COMMERCIAL FM/TV TOWER LOCATED IN EL PASO, TEXAS

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Z. Glaser, R. Curtis · 1978

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Early documentation of potentially dangerous RF exposure levels at broadcast towers highlighted occupational safety concerns that remain relevant today.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

This 1978 technical report documented radiofrequency field intensity measurements at a commercial FM/TV broadcast tower in El Paso, Texas, focusing on occupational exposure levels for workers. The study represents early efforts to quantify RF exposure levels at broadcast facilities, which can emit extremely high power levels that may pose health risks to maintenance workers and nearby residents.

Why This Matters

This report represents a crucial early documentation of RF exposure levels at broadcast facilities, conducted during a period when occupational safety standards for radiofrequency radiation were still being developed. Commercial FM and TV towers operate at power levels that can be thousands of times higher than cell phone base stations, creating intense RF fields in their immediate vicinity. Workers climbing these towers for maintenance face some of the highest occupational RF exposures possible. The fact that OSHA was involved suggests growing awareness in the late 1970s that these exposures might pose health risks. What makes this particularly relevant today is that many people live within a few miles of these high-power broadcast facilities, yet the long-term health effects of chronic exposure to these elevated RF levels remain poorly understood.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Cite This Study
Z. Glaser, R. Curtis (1978). INFORMAL REPORT ON OBSERVATIONS AND RF FIELD INTENSITY MEASUREMENTS MADE AT A COMMERCIAL FM/TV TOWER LOCATED IN EL PASO, TEXAS.
Show BibTeX
@article{informal_report_on_observations_and_rf_field_intensity_measurements_made_at_a_co_g4469,
  author = {Z. Glaser and R. Curtis},
  title = {INFORMAL REPORT ON OBSERVATIONS AND RF FIELD INTENSITY MEASUREMENTS MADE AT A COMMERCIAL FM/TV TOWER LOCATED IN EL PASO, TEXAS},
  year = {1978},
  
  
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Commercial broadcast towers can create extremely high RF field intensities, potentially thousands of times stronger than cell phone towers. This 1978 study measured these levels to assess occupational exposure risks for maintenance workers.
OSHA's involvement indicates growing recognition in the 1970s that high-power broadcast facilities could pose occupational health risks to workers, particularly those performing maintenance on or near the towers.
Broadcast towers operate at much higher power levels than cell phone base stations or WiFi routers. Workers near these towers can experience some of the highest occupational RF exposures possible.
This represents early systematic documentation of RF exposure levels at commercial facilities, conducted when safety standards were still being developed and health effects were poorly understood.
While this study focused on occupational exposure, many people live within miles of high-power broadcast facilities. The long-term health effects of chronic exposure to these elevated RF levels remain inadequately studied.