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Assessment of general public exposure to LTE and RF sources present in an urban environment.

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Joseph W, Verloock L, Goeminne F, Vermeeren G, Martens L. · 2010

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LTE cellular towers added 4% to total RF exposure in Stockholm, with levels up to 0.8 V/m that stayed below heating-based safety limits.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers measured radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic field exposure from LTE cellular towers and other wireless sources at 30 locations in Stockholm, Sweden. They found that LTE towers contributed an average of only 4% to total RF exposure, with LTE levels reaching up to 0.8 volts per meter. All measured exposures remained well below international safety guidelines, though the study focused on regulatory compliance rather than biological effects.

Why This Matters

This study provides important baseline data for understanding public exposure to LTE (4G) cellular technology, which was relatively new in 2010. While the researchers found exposures below regulatory limits, the reality is that these limits were established decades ago based solely on heating effects, not the growing body of research showing biological effects at much lower levels. The measured LTE exposures of up to 0.8 V/m may seem modest, but they represent continuous, involuntary exposure for millions of people. What this means for you is that even though LTE contributed only 4% of total RF exposure in this study, it adds another layer to our cumulative electromagnetic burden. The science demonstrates that biological effects can occur at levels far below what regulators consider 'safe,' making exposure assessment studies like this valuable for understanding our real-world EMF environment.

Exposure Details

Electric Field
0.2-2.6, 0.8 V/m

Study Details

For the first time, in situ electromagnetic field exposure of the general public to fields from long term evolution (LTE) cellular base stations is assessed

Exposure contributions due to different radiofrequency (RF) sources are compared with LTE exposure a...

LTE exposure levels up to 0.8 V/m were measured, and the average contribution of the LTE signal to t...

Cite This Study
Joseph W, Verloock L, Goeminne F, Vermeeren G, Martens L. (2010). Assessment of general public exposure to LTE and RF sources present in an urban environment. Bioelectromagnetics. 31(7):576-579, 2010.
Show BibTeX
@article{w_2010_assessment_of_general_public_1053,
  author = {Joseph W and Verloock L and Goeminne F and Vermeeren G and Martens L.},
  title = {Assessment of general public exposure to LTE and RF sources present in an urban environment.},
  year = {2010},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20607741/},
}
PubMed: 20607741

Cited By (58 papers)

View all 58 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

LTE cellular towers contributed only 4% to total radiofrequency exposure in Stockholm according to 2010 research. The study measured 30 urban locations and found LTE levels reached up to 0.8 volts per meter, but remained well below international safety guidelines established by regulatory authorities.
Researchers measured LTE radiofrequency exposure levels up to 0.8 volts per meter at 30 locations across Stockholm, Sweden in 2010. All measured exposures stayed well below international safety guidelines, though LTE represented a small fraction of total urban RF exposure.
No, LTE networks contributed only 4% of total radiofrequency exposure in Stockholm's urban environment according to 2010 measurements. Despite multiple wireless sources present, LTE tower emissions remained well below international safety limits at all 30 tested locations throughout the city.
LTE towers contributed just 4% of total radiofrequency exposure in Stockholm, with other wireless sources making up the remaining 96%. The 2010 study measured 30 urban locations and found LTE levels reached maximum 0.8 V/m while staying below safety guidelines.
Yes, the 2010 Stockholm study measured LTE exposure at 30 different urban locations to assess general public exposure patterns. Researchers found consistent results showing LTE contributed only 4% of total RF exposure, with levels up to 0.8 V/m remaining below safety limits.