Monitoring Electrosmog in Switzerland

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1 IEEE Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 Monitoring Electrosmog in Switzerland Martin von Allmen, DR. GRAF AG, Privatstrasse 10-12, CH Gerlafingen, Switzerland. Abstract Densely populated Switzerland has probably the most stringent law regulating electromagnetic immissions from power lines to mobile phone base stations today. In the public perception, the issue has aquired a prominence that is difficult to understand on purely scientific grounds. Impl ementing the law requires new approaches in modelling and monitoring. Efficient tools and procedures are of vital interest not only to the public authorities (primarily at the communal level) but even more so to the concerned service providers. Unresolved technical topics include: Dealing with measurement and sampling errors, treatment of the background, and keeping pace with a very dynamical environment (UMTS rollout is under way). We discuss various problems in the measurement and modelling of electromagnetic immissions, as well as in the communication of complex and controversial issues, in a grass-roots democracy.

2 IEEE Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 Monitoring Nonionizing Radiation in Switzerland Martin von Allmen

3 Martin von Allmen IEEE Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 Non-ionizing radiation = N I R a.k.a. electrosmog are electromagnetic waves with frequencies between 0 and about 1000 GHz. As mechanical movements create sound, movement of electric charges creates em radiation. Unwanted sound is noise, unwanted em-waves are electrosmog. Electromagnetic spektrum f [Hz] "power Monitor LW Radio MW TV UKW UHF Flugfunk handy Micowave Radar Richtfunk Infrared Light uv λ 3E5km 300m 30cm 0.3mm 300nm nonionizing ionizng

4 Martin IEEE von Allmen Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 public private

5 Martin von Allmen IEEE Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June Antennenspannung (dbuv) Übersichtsspektrum MHz GSM 900 GSM Bellikon1+2 Frequenz (MHz)

6 IEEE Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 Typical field strengths source feature location electric field (Volt/meter) mag.induction (micro-tesla) earth magnetic field 0 40 storm cloud static, natural outdoors ionosphere directly below 100 m away power line 380 kv low electric outlet frequency 30 cm away hair drier 1 kw 10 cm away 80 5 Television near screen Handy high frequency near earpiece GSM base station 30m downbeam estimated fields far away from local sources frequency range (LF<100 khz<hf) mag. induction (nano-tesla) electric field (Volt/meter) irradiance (Milliwatt per m 2 ) LF HF LF HF LF HF rural area metropolitan area Martin von Allmen

7 IEEE Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 Martin von Allmen

8 Physiological effects of low frequency (<10 MHz) em fields IEEE Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 Main effect: induces currents in the body. Symptoms: above 1 A/m 2 : Potentially lethal heart rythm disturbance 0.1 to 1 A/m 2 : Acute sensory stimulation 10 to 100 ma/m 2 : Established effects on protein synthesis, enzyme activity, bone healing, weak sensory stimulation. 1 to10 ma/m 2 : Suspected but unproven chronic effects like sleep disturbance or elevated cancer risk. Background current densities in the brain <1 ma/m 2 : No suspected effects Background current density in body tissue ICNIRP sets the limit for - transient exposure at 10 ma/m 2, - chronic exposure at 2 ma/m 2. Quantitative connection between currents and external em fields is based on biophysical modelling. ICNIRP = International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection Martin von Allmen

9 Physiological effects of high frequency (>10 MHz) em fields IEEE Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 Main effect: heats the tissue. Relevant quantity is the specific absorbed power density (SAR, W/kg). ICNIRP-limits allow a maximum temperature increase of 1 C. Radiation heating below 10 GHz is by volume absorption. ICNIRP-limit is 0.08 W/kg body weigth metabolic turnover at rest: 1.2 W/kg, while jogging: 10 W/kg above 10 GHz is by surface absorption, ICNIRP-limit is 10 W/m 2 body surface solar constant 400 W/m 2. Quantitative connection between body temperature rise and external em fields is based on biophysical modelling. electric field magnetic field ICNIRP = International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection Martin von Allmen

10 Nonthermal effects? IEEE Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 Postulated nonthermal long-term effects of weak em fields include hormonal disturbance, sleeplessness, general malaise increased cancer incidence depressed immune system The availabe evidence is largely epidemiological. Example: Relative risk of leukaemia in children growing up near power lines Index 1.0 means same risk as control group, index 5 corresponds to one additional case per year in Switzerland. Bars show 95% confidence interval. Martin von Allmen

Mai 2000) genetically engineered Caenorhabditis elegans: fluorescing stress protein

11 Non-thermal heat-shock response to microwaves D. de Pomerai et al., Nature 405, (25. Mai 2000) genetically engineered Caenorhabditis elegans: fluorescing stress protein exposure at 750 MHz, 45 V/m (SAR = W/kg) IEEE Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 exposed unexposed Martin von Allmen

12 IEEE Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001

13 Martin IEEE von Allmen Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 arguments of the critics! health hazards (sleeping disorders, cancer...)! real estate value losses! affected landscape! for me the risk, for them the profit

14 Martin IEEE von Allmen Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 sceptical by experience.. DDT salvage from malaria poisoned food chain Contergan pain killer without side effects birth defects asbestos inert and indestructible lung cancer tobacco Marlboro-feeling cancer meat-fodder protein-recycling BSE genetech food for 20 billion people?

15 IEEE Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 The Swiss ONIR I: Immission limits E (V/m) 10'000 ICNIRP immission limits B (µt) 10' Hz 1 khz 1 MHz 1 GHz 28 peaks A/m in air Martin von Allmen

16 IEEE Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 The Swiss ONIR II: Installation limits Immission Immission limit Installation limit not open to the public restricted zone public spaces and passages locations with sensitive use residential and working areas installation installation limit minimal distance (main beam direction) power line (full load) 1 µt m railroad (24-h-mean) 1 µt 5-20 m USW radio broadcaster (Volllast) 3 V/m 80 mobil phone GSM900 (full load) 4 V/m 30 mobil phone GSM1800 (full load) 6 V/m 35 Martin von Allmen

17 Martin IEEE von Allmen Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 E B V / m µ T 1 ε 0 µ k k ik R k Immissions of a power line Cku R k k ε o : dielectric constant C: line capacity (Farad/m) u: voltage (Volt) R: distance (m) µ: permeability i: current (Ampère) R: distance (m) We have always near field conditions. E und B must be determined independently. E B

18 Martin IEEE von Allmen Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 Immissions of mobile phone base station E V / m 7 R m ERP W γ δ Farther than 1 m from the antenna we have far field conditions, giving (in air): B = E/c or ERP: Power of an equivalent dipole radiator γ: attenuation factor from antenna lobe δ: attenuation factor from structures R: distance B µt EV / 300 m 100 % 10% 5% 0m 20 m 40 m 60 m 80m

19 Martin IEEE von Allmen Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 Measuring is not enough The ONIR specifies installation limits under specified operating conditions : power lines at thermal limit current, mobile phone stations at full power and simultanous operation of all traffic channels. This requires scaling measurements to specified operating conditions on the basis of operator data. power line mobile phone station E B mb mb = = E B eff eff max imum load effective load max imum ERP ERP of BCCH (BCCH=broadcast control channel)

20 Martin IEEE von Allmen Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 No measurement is perfect NIR- measurements suffer from 3 sources or errors error type origin estimated error (δe/e) instrument impedance, temperature, cables... ± 1.5 db % sampling diffraction and interference ± 6 db % scaling operator data ± 2dB % total error (vector sum) ± 6.5dB %

21 Martin IEEE von Allmen Workshop on Environmental Sensing and Monitoring Politechnico di Milano, June 2001 NIR Monitoring Problems " who bears the errors? (burden of proof) " Calculation or measurement? " how bad is worst case? " are immission data public or proprietary? are emission data public or proprietary? " who bears the cost of fear?

Harmful Effects of Mobile Phone Tower Radiations on Muscle and Bone Tissues of Human Body at Frequencies 800, 900, 1800 and 2450 MHz

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