Assessment of general public exposure to LTE and RF sources present in an urban environment.
Joseph W, Verloock L, Goeminne F, Vermeeren G, Martens L. · 2010
View Original AbstractLTE 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
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...
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/},
}