The vertical pattern of microwave radiation around BTS (Base Transceiver Station) antennae in Hashtgerd township.
Nasseri S, Monazzam M, Beheshti M, Zare S, Mahvi A · 2013
View Original AbstractCell tower radiation increases significantly with height and in crowded areas, potentially exposing urban residents to higher microwave levels.
Plain English Summary
Researchers measured microwave radiation patterns around cell phone towers (base stations) in an Iranian city to understand how exposure levels change at different heights and distances. They found that radiation levels increased significantly as measurement height increased, particularly in crowded urban areas where rigid surfaces and high mobile phone usage amplify wave density. The study demonstrates that cell tower placement in populated areas creates higher public exposure to microwave radiation.
Why This Matters
This field study provides important real-world data on how cell tower radiation varies in actual urban environments, filling a gap between laboratory studies and everyday exposure scenarios. The finding that radiation levels increase with height is particularly concerning given that many residential and office buildings place people at elevated positions relative to nearby cell towers. What makes this research especially relevant is its focus on crowded areas where most people live and work. The researchers identified two key factors that amplify exposure in urban settings: rigid surfaces that reflect and concentrate electromagnetic waves, and high mobile phone usage that increases tower transmission power. This creates a compounding effect where dense populations face higher radiation levels precisely because of the infrastructure designed to serve them.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 900-1800 MHz
Study Details
This study determines the vertical microwave radiation pattern of different types of Base Transceiver Station (BTS) antennae in the Hashtgerd city as the capital of Savojbolagh County, Alborz Province of Iran.
The basic data including the geographical location of the BTS antennae in the city, brand, operator ...
Results indicated that in both operators of Irancell and Hamrah-e-Aval (First Operator), the power d...
The study showed installing antennae in a crowded area needs more care because of higher radiation emission. More rigid surfaces and mobile users are two important factors in crowded area that can increase wave density and hence raise public microwave exposure.
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2013_the_vertical_pattern_of_2461,
author = {Nasseri S and Monazzam M and Beheshti M and Zare S and Mahvi A},
title = {The vertical pattern of microwave radiation around BTS (Base Transceiver Station) antennae in Hashtgerd township.},
year = {2013},
url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3892116/},
}