HOW TO MEASURE RADIATION FROM A MOBILE PHONE ANTENNA
If you or your family suffer from any of these symptoms: insomnia, fatigue, hyperactivity, depression or infertility, you could be exposed to excessive electromagnetic radiation. There are multiple sources for consultation, for example, the working group of the European Academy of Environmental Medicine or the project Bioinitiative.
In this article I include a short scheme of how engineers proceed to measure the electromagnetic power density that reaches homes or offices from mobile phone antennas, radars, digital terrestrial television and other sources of electromagnetic waves.
METHODS OF MEASURING ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
Measurement is performed by combining two methodologies, which complement each other:
1.- Detailed selective measurement with determination of singular radiation frequencies. All services (GSM, UMTS, 5G, DECT, WLAN, etc.) are evaluated separately.
This measurement is carried out by means of professional equipment called spectrum analyzers and are provided for in the current legal framework. Most services, such as mobile telephony, are below the 10 GHz frequency.
2.- Indicative broadband measurement of the sum of all field influences in the widest possible frequency range, at least up to 8 GHz.
This measurement is performed by broadband meters. In order to distinguish the main service, the measurement must be complemented with an acoustimeter, which converts electromagnetic waves into noise that are distinguished by the engineer.
In the following image you can hear 3 examples of electromagnetic waves converted into acoustic signals.
UMTS (3G) telephony service
LTE telephony service (4G)
Wifi signal (WLAN)
LEGAL AND RECOMMENDED LIMITS
Once the measurements have been taken, they are compared with the references.
On the one hand, the measured values should comply with the legal limits in force in the country of measurement (in Spain from 2,000,000 μW/m2 depending on the antenna emission frequency).
Secondly, in order to ensure that the measured values do not adversely affect people’s health, it is recommended to ensure that the measured values do not exceed those indicated by the Council of Europe (1000 μW/m2) in the 2011 resolution. “Potential hazards of electromagnetic fields and their effect on the environment.” for long-term microwave exposure levels in all indoor spaces.
In case of measuring values higher than the references, actions are advised to avoid excessive exposure to electromagnetic pollution. For example, it is possible to reflect the external radiation reaching a house and send it back outside.
Without professional advice it may be better not to take any action to protect against external radiation sources such as telephone antennas, as it is easy to make a mistake and multiply the radiation instead of reducing it.
In this regard, it should be noted that incorrect or misplaced placement of technical materials can lead to the opposite of the desired result, which is why it is recommended that any protective action be advised by an engineer with expertise in electromagnetic radiation measurement.
If you are interested in a professional measurement in your home or office, you can find more information in the electromagnetic field measurement service.
