Antenna modeling considerations for accurate SAR calculations in human phantoms in close proximity to GSM cellular base station antennas.
van Wyk MJ, Bingle M, Meyer FJ. · 2005
View Original AbstractHuman bodies alter cell tower antenna behavior within 12 inches, potentially making standard worker safety calculations inaccurate.
Plain English Summary
Researchers studied how to accurately calculate SAR (specific absorption rate, a measure of energy absorbed by the body) when people work very close to cell tower antennas. They found that when a person is within 300 millimeters (about 12 inches) of a base station antenna, the human body actually changes how the antenna behaves, requiring more detailed modeling to get accurate safety calculations. This research helps establish proper safety zones for workers who maintain cell towers.
Why This Matters
This study highlights a critical gap in how we assess EMF exposure from cell towers. The finding that human bodies significantly alter antenna behavior at close distances means that standard safety calculations may be inaccurate for workers who service these installations. The 300-millimeter threshold identified here is particularly relevant because it's well within the range where maintenance workers routinely operate. What this means for you is that current occupational safety guidelines may not adequately protect workers who climb cell towers or work on rooftop installations. The research demonstrates that the interaction between EMF sources and the human body is more complex than simple distance-based calculations suggest, underscoring the need for more sophisticated safety assessments in real-world scenarios.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
This study presents a variety of critical aspects that need to be considered when calculating SAR in a human body close to a mobile phone base station antenna.
A hybrid FEM/MoM technique is proposed as a suitable numerical method to obtain accurate results. Th...
The results show that it is critical to take the disturbance effect of the human phantom (a large co...
The conclusion is that it is feasible to calculate, using the proposed techniques and methodology, accurate occupational compliance zones around base station antennas based on a SAR profile and basic restriction guidelines.
Show BibTeX
@article{mj_2005_antenna_modeling_considerations_for_2647,
author = {van Wyk MJ and Bingle M and Meyer FJ.},
title = {Antenna modeling considerations for accurate SAR calculations in human phantoms in close proximity to GSM cellular base station antennas.},
year = {2005},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15931680/},
}