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Prediction of RF-EFM exposure levels in large outdoor areas through car-mounted measurements on the enveloping roads

Knowledge of spatial and temporal trends in the environmental exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) is a key prerequisite for RF-EMF risk assessment studies attempting to establish a link between RF-EMF and potential effects on human health as well as on fauna and flora. In this paper, we determined the validity of RF exposure modelling based on inner-area kriging interpolation of measurements on the surrounding streets. The results vary depending on area size and shape and structural factors; a Spearman coefficient of 0.8 and a relative error of less than 3.5 dB are achieved on a data set featuring a closed measurement ring around a decently sized area (1 km2, with an average minimum distance of the encircled area to the ring of less than 100 m), containing mainly low, detached buildings. In larger areas, additional inner-area sampling is advised, lowering the average minimum distance between sampled and interpolated locations to 100 m, to achieve the same level of accuracy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2016.06.006 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-bolte-0856134/

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08/31/2016

Prediction of RF-EFM exposure levels in large outdoor areas through car-mounted measurements on the enveloping roads

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NextGEM Practical Guidelines for RF-EMF exposure awareness and preventive actions: goals, definitions, and procedure

The European Union (EU) Horizon Europe project NextGEM provides a framework for generating health-relevant scientific knowledge and data on new exposure scenarios to Radio-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields (RF-EMFs) and developing and validating tools for evidence-based risk assessment. Practical guidelines for different societal stakeholders for RF-EMF exposure awareness and preventive actions will be created. This abstract outlines the goals of these guidelines, the definitions used to keep the guidelines specific and practical and the procedure that will ultimately generate the guidelines.

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08/18/2023

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Development of a low cost sensor network for measurement of 5G signals in the Netherlands

We aim to set up a continuous low cost monitoring system for electromagnetic fields in the Netherlands, so that a trend in exposure to 5G signals can be observed. A number of options will be explored for this, such as software-defined radio and measurement nodes for specific 5G frequencies. We developed and tested low cost dedicated measurement nodes for four 5G bands: the 800, 1400, 2100 and 3500 MHz bands. Generally, the error is less than 1 dB and close to dynamic range limits (-65 to 5 dBm) the error increases to 3 dB.

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06/18/2022

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NextGEM: Next-Generation Integrated Sensing and Analytical System for Monitoring and Assessing Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field Exposure and Health

The evolution of emerging technologies that use Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Field (RF-EMF) has increased the interest of the scientific community and society regarding the possible adverse effects on human health and the environment. This article provides NextGEM’s vision to assure safety for EU citizens when employing existing and future EMF-based telecommunication technologies. This is accomplished by generating relevant knowledge that ascertains appropriate prevention and control/actuation actions regarding RF-EMF exposure in residential, public, and occupational settings. Fulfilling this vision, NextGEM commits to the need for a healthy living and working environment under safe RF-EMF exposure conditions that can be trusted by people and be in line with the regulations and laws developed by public authorities. NextGEM provides a framework for generating health-relevant scientific knowledge and data on new scenarios of exposure to RF-EMF in multiple frequency bands and developing and validating tools for evidence-based risk assessment. Finally, NextGEM’s Innovation and Knowledge Hub (NIKH) will offer a standardized way for European regulatory authorities and the scientific community to store and assess project outcomes and provide access to findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) data.

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06/07/2023

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Comparison of Low-Cost 5G Electromagnetic Field Sensors

This paper compares different low-cost sensors that can measure (5G) RF-EMF exposure. The sensors are either commercially available (off-the-shelf Software Defined Radio (SDR) Adalm Pluto) or constructed by a research institution (i.e., imec-WAVES, Ghent University and Smart Sensor Systems research group (S3R), The Hague University of Applied Sciences). Both in-lab (GTEM cell) and in-situ measurements have been performed for this comparison. The in-lab measurements tested the linearity and sensitivity, which can then be used to calibrate the sensors. The in-situ testing confirmed that the low-cost hardware sensors and SDR can be used to assess the RF-EMF radiation. The variability between the sensors was 1.78 dB on average, with a maximum deviation of 5.26 dB. Values between 0.09 V/m and 2.44 V/m were obtained at a distance of about 50 m from the base station. These devices can be used to provide the general public and governments with temporal and spatial 5G electromagnetic field values.

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03/20/2023

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Fusing the electromagnetic articulograph, high-speed video cameras and a 16-channel microphone array for speech analysis

Electromagnetic articulography (EMA) is one of the instrumental phonetic research methods used for recording and assessing articulatory movements. Usually, articulographic data are analysed together with standard audio recordings. This paper, however, demonstrates how coupling the articulograph with devices providing other types of information may be used in more advanced speech research. A novel measurement system is presented that consists of the AG 500 electromagnetic articulograph, a 16-channel microphone array with a dedicated audio recorder and a video module consisting of 3 high-speed cameras. It is argued that synchronization of all these devices allows for comparative analyses of results obtained with the three components. To complement the description of the system, the article presents innovative data analysis techniques developed by the authors as well as preliminary results of the system’s accuracy.

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05/31/2018

Fusing the electromagnetic articulograph, high-speed video cameras and a 16-channel microphone array for speech analysis

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Ecological momentary assessment study of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields and non-specific physical symptoms with self-declared electrosensitives

The main objective of the study is to determine if non-specific physical symptoms (NSPS) in people with self-declared sensitivity to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) can be explained (across subjects) by exposure to RF EMF. Furthermore, we pioneered whether analysis at the individual level or at the group level may lead to different conclusions. By our knowledge, this is the first longitudinal study exploring the data at the individual level. A group of 57 participants was equipped with a measurement set for five consecutive days. The measurement set consisted of a body worn exposimeter measuring the radiofrequency electromagnetic field in twelve frequency bands used for communication, a GPS logger, and an electronic diary giving cues at random intervals within a two to three hour interval. At every cue, a questionnaire on the most important health complaint and nine NSPS had to be filled out. We analysed the (time-lagged) associations between RF-EMF exposure in the included frequency bands and the total number of NSPS and self-rated severity of the most important health complaint. The manifestation of NSPS was studied during two different time lags - 0–1 h, and 1–4 h - after exposure and for different exposure metrics of RF EMF. The exposure was characterised by exposure metrics describing the central tendency and the intermittency of the signal, i.e. the time-weighted average exposure, the time above an exposure level or the rate of change metric. At group level, there was no statistically significant and relevant (fixed effect) association between the measured personal exposure to RF EMF and NSPS. At individual level, after correction for multiple testing and confounding, we found significant within-person associations between WiFi (the self-declared most important source) exposure metrics and the total NSPS score and severity of the most important complaint in one participant. However, it cannot be ruled out that this association is explained by residual confounding due to imperfect control for location or activities. Therefore, the outcomes have to be regarded very prudently. The significant associations were found for the short and the long time lag, but not always concurrently, so both provide complementary information. We also conclude that analyses at the individual level can lead to different findings when compared to an analysis at group level. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.104948 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-bolte-0856134/

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07/05/2019

Ecological momentary assessment study of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields and non-specific physical symptoms with self-declared electrosensitives

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Individual variation in temporal relationships between exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields and non-specific physical symptoms

Background: Everyday exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic ﬁelds (RF-EMF) emitted from wireless devices such as mobile phones and base stations, radio and television transmitters is ubiquitous. Some people attribute non-speciﬁc physical symptoms (NSPS) such as headache and fatigue to exposure to RF-EMF. Most previous laboratory studies or studies that analyzed populations at a group level did not ﬁnd evidence of an association between RF-EMF exposure and NSPS. Objectives: We explored the association between exposure to RF-EMF in daily life and the occurrence of NSPS in individual self-declared electro hypersensitive persons using body worn exposimeters and electronic diaries. Methods: We selected seven individuals who attributed their NSPS to RF-EMF exposure. The level of and variability in personal RF-EMF exposure and NSPS were determined during a three-week period. Data were analyzed using timeseries analysis in which exposure as measured and recorded in the diary was correlated with NSPS. Results: We found statistically signiﬁcant correlations between perceived and actual exposure to wireless internet (WiFi - rate of change and number of peaks above threshold) and base stations for mobile telecommunications (GSM+UMTS downlink, rate of change) and NSPS scores in four of the seven participants. In two persons a higher EMF exposure was associated with higher symptom scores, and in two other persons it was associated with lower scores. Remarkably, we found no signiﬁcant correlations between NSPS and timeweighted average power density, the most commonly used exposure metric. Conclusions: RF-EMFexposure was associated either positively or negatively with NSP Sinsome but not all of the selected self-declared electro hypersensitive persons. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.08.064

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09/14/2018

Individual variation in temporal relationships between exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields and non-specific physical symptoms

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Electromagnetic field exposure in power plants

Electromagnetic fields, or EMF, are ubiquitous in our daily life. Extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF MF) are generated by any device using electric current. Especially in workplace situations involving MRI scanners, welding equipment, induction heaters, and power plants, they are known for potentially high field strengths. These high field strengths may lead to adverse health effects if insufficient preventive measures are in place. This study investigates employees’ perceptions on work safety regarding EMF exposure. We held 15 semi-structured interviews in three different (non-nuclear) power plants in the Netherlands. We found that power plants in this study made ample use of fences and warning signs where needed, creating a safe working environment. Nevertheless, some workers perceive that there are vague regulations, organizational issues and lack of clarity on the properties of EMF. Participants also indicated that there is some room for improvement with respect to work safety meetings on EMF. Employees want to be informed about EMF and its potential health effects and mitigation methods, but their information need is limited and straightforward. A simple warning system, along with safety information on paper, may be sufficient. https://doi.org/10.1080/13669877.2020.1750459 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-bolte-0856134/

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04/08/2020

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Prediction of RF-EFM exposure levels in large outdoor areas through car-mounted measurements on the enveloping roads

NextGEM Practical Guidelines for RF-EMF exposure awareness and preventive actions: goals, definitions, and procedure

Development of a low cost sensor network for measurement of 5G signals in the Netherlands

NextGEM: Next-Generation Integrated Sensing and Analytical System for Monitoring and Assessing Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field Exposure and Health

Comparison of Low-Cost 5G Electromagnetic Field Sensors

Fusing the electromagnetic articulograph, high-speed video cameras and a 16-channel microphone array for speech analysis

Ecological momentary assessment study of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields and non-specific physical symptoms with self-declared electrosensitives

Individual variation in temporal relationships between exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields and non-specific physical symptoms

Electromagnetic field exposure in power plants

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