Residential characteristics and radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposures from bedroom measurements in Germany.
Breckenkamp J, Blettner M, Schüz J, Bornkessel C, Schmiedel S, Schlehofer B, Berg-Beckhoff G. · 2012
View Original AbstractCordless phones and WiFi create 82% of bedroom EMF exposure, giving you direct control over nighttime radiation levels.
Plain English Summary
German researchers measured EMF exposure in 1,348 bedrooms nationwide. They found cordless phones and WiFi devices created 82% of nighttime EMF exposure, though levels were extremely low and well below safety limits. This shows bedroom EMF exposure is widespread but typically minimal during sleep.
Why This Matters
This study provides crucial baseline data about the EMF environment where we spend roughly one-third of our lives - our bedrooms. What's particularly significant is that 82% of bedroom RF exposure came from devices we actively choose to have in our homes: cordless phones, WiFi routers, and Bluetooth devices. This puts the power of exposure reduction directly in our hands. The researchers found exposure levels were 'very low' by current safety standards, but this shouldn't be the end of the conversation. The science demonstrates that biological effects can occur at levels far below current regulatory limits, and bedroom exposure is especially important because sleep is when our bodies repair and regenerate. The reality is that you don't have to accept unnecessary EMF exposure in your bedroom - simple changes like switching to wired phones and turning off WiFi at night can dramatically reduce your exposure during these critical hours.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 0.00000205 µW/m²
- Electric Field
- 0.05 V/m
- Source/Device
- GSM900, GSM1800
Exposure Context
This study used 0.00000205 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 205x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 3.4x above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
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 Details
The objectives of this study were to assess total exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) in bedrooms and the contribution of different radioservices (FM radio, analogue TV and DVB-T, TETRA, GSM900 downlink, GSM1800 downlink, UMTS downlink, DECT, and wireless LAN and blue tooth) to the total exposure. Additional aims were to describe the proportion of measuring values above the detection limit of the dosimeters and to characterize the differences in exposure patterns associated with self-reported residential characteristics.
Exposure to RF sources in bedrooms was measured using Antennessa(®) EME Spy 120 dosimeters in 1,348 ...
Exposure to RF-EMF is ubiquitous, but exposure levels are-if at all measurable-very low and far belo...
Show BibTeX
@article{j_2012_residential_characteristics_and_radiofrequency_876,
author = {Breckenkamp J and Blettner M and Schüz J and Bornkessel C and Schmiedel S and Schlehofer B and Berg-Beckhoff G.},
title = {Residential characteristics and radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposures from bedroom measurements in Germany.},
year = {2012},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21964673/},
}