Occupational and public field exposure from communication, navigation, and radar systems used for air traffic control.
Joseph W, Goeminne F, Vermeeren G, Verloock L, Martens L. · 2012
View Original AbstractAir traffic control systems produce electric fields up to 881.6 V/m, far exceeding typical cell tower exposure and dominating RF levels for miles around airports.
Plain English Summary
Researchers measured electromagnetic radiation from air traffic control systems at 50 sites. Two systems produced dangerously high electric field levels requiring safety distances to protect workers and nearby residents from exceeding international exposure limits.
Why This Matters
This comprehensive field study reveals a critical gap in our understanding of occupational EMF exposure. While most people worry about cell phone radiation, airport workers and nearby residents face significantly higher exposure levels from air traffic control systems that operate 24/7. The measured electric field strengths of up to 881.6 V/m from Non-Directional Beacons represent exposure levels orders of magnitude higher than typical cell phone base stations, which typically produce fields of 0.1-10 V/m in populated areas. What makes this research particularly important is its real-world measurement approach across 50 actual installations, providing concrete data rather than theoretical models. The finding that ATC systems dominate total RF exposure in their vicinity means that workers at airports and people living near these facilities may face chronic exposure levels that dwarf other common sources, yet this occupational hazard receives little public attention compared to consumer devices.
Exposure Details
- Electric Field
- up to 92.3, 881.6 V/m
- Source/Device
- 255 kHz to 24 GHz
Exposure Context
This study used up to 92.3, 881.6 V/m for electric fields:
- 307.7x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.3 V/m
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.
Study Details
Electromagnetic exposure (occupational and general public) to 14 types of air traffic control (ATC) systems is assessed
Measurement methods are proposed for in situ exposure assessment of these ATC systems. In total, 50 ...
For all installations, typical and maximal exposure values for workers and the general public are pr...
Cumulative exposure of all present radiofrequency (RF) sources is investigated, and it is concluded that the ATC source dominates the total exposure in its neighborhood.
Show BibTeX
@article{w_2012_occupational_and_public_field_1084,
author = {Joseph W and Goeminne F and Vermeeren G and Verloock L and Martens L.},
title = {Occupational and public field exposure from communication, navigation, and radar systems used for air traffic control.},
year = {2012},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23111522/},
}