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Assessment of extremely low frequency magnetic field exposure from GSM mobile phones
Author(s) -
Calderón Carolina,
Addison Darren,
Mee Terry,
Findlay Richard,
Maslanyj Myron,
Conil Emmanuelle,
Kromhout Hans,
Lee Aekyoung,
Sim Malcolm R.,
Taki Masao,
Varsier Nadège,
Wiart Joe,
Cardis Elisabeth
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
bioelectromagnetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.435
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-186X
pISSN - 0197-8462
DOI - 10.1002/bem.21827
Subject(s) - gsm , bioelectromagnetics , mobile phone , magnetic field , mobile telephony , extremely low frequency , categorization , computer science , flux (metallurgy) , acoustics , telecommunications , physics , mobile radio , materials science , artificial intelligence , quantum mechanics , metallurgy
Although radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones have received much attention, relatively little is known about the extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields emitted by phones. This paper summarises ELF magnetic flux density measurements on global system for mobile communications (GSM) mobile phones, conducted as part of the MOBI‐KIDS epidemiological study. The main challenge is to identify a small number of generic phone models that can be used to classify the ELF exposure for the different phones reported in the study. Two‐dimensional magnetic flux density measurements were performed on 47 GSM mobile phones at a distance of 25 mm. Maximum resultant magnetic flux density values at 217 Hz had a geometric mean of 221 (+198/−104) nT. Taking into account harmonic data, measurements suggest that mobile phones could make a substantial contribution to ELF exposure in the general population. The maximum values and easily available variables were poorly correlated. However, three groups could be defined on the basis of field pattern indicating that manufacturers and shapes of mobile phones may be the important parameters linked to the spatial characteristics of the magnetic field, and the categorization of ELF magnetic field exposure for GSM phones in the MOBI‐KIDS study may be achievable on the basis of a small number of representative phones. Such categorization would result in a twofold exposure gradient between high and low exposure based on type of phone used, although there was overlap in the grouping. Bioelectromagnetics. 35:210–221, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.