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ERA/TF (Christer Trnevik)

Radio frequency exposure from indoor mobile systems

Radio frequency exposure limits
Very high levels of radio frequency (RF) exposure can induce heating in body tissues and result in adverse health effects. In order to protect all people against such effects, RF exposure limits have been specified by national and international health authorities. The limits include safety margins and are usually based on the guidelines from the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection1 (ICNIRP), itself recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). The ICNIRP guidelines have for example been adopted in the European Council recommendation, 1999/519/EC. In the frequency range between 10 MHz and 10 GHz, the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) is used to specify the basic restrictions for both general public and occupational exposure. The SAR is a measure of the rate of RF energy absorption in the body expressed in units of watt per kilogram of tissue (W/kg). Since SAR is normally difficult to determine, reference levels expressed in terms of electric field strength (V/m), magnetic field strength (A/m), and power density (W/m) values have been developed for the purpose of comparison with exposure quantities in air. The reference levels, which are frequency dependent, have been chosen in order to ensure that the basic SAR restrictions cannot be exceeded in any exposure situation. This means that additional safety margins have been introduced. The reference levels are primarily applicable for whole-body far-field exposure situations, while they are very conservative for partial-body near-field exposures. In fact, the reference levels may be exceeded in near-field exposure situations, whilst the exposure still is in compliance with the basic restrictions. The ICNIRP power density reference levels, for maximum occupational and public exposure are summarised in table 1 and the reference levels for 900, 1800 and 2100 MHz are shown explicitly in table 2.
Table 1 ICNIRP reference levels

Reference levels expressed as power density (W/m , rms) Frequency 0.4 2 GHz 2 300 GHz
* f = frequency in MHz

Occupational exposure f/40 (*) 50

General public exposure f/200 (*) 10

Table 2 ICNIRP reference levels at 900, 1800 and 2100 MHz

Frequency (MHz) 900 1800 2100

Reference levels expressed as power density (W/m , rms) Occupational exposure 22.5 45 50 General public exposure 4.5 9 10

ICNIRP, Guidelines for limiting exposure to time-varying electric, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields (up to 300 GHz), International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), Health Physics, vol. 74, pp 494-522, April 1998.

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Guidelines for systems with antenna output power levels below 1 W

In indoor solutions normally either a distributed antenna system or pico base stations are used. There are several types of external antennas that may be used, omni-directional (typically 2 dBi gain), bi-directional (typically 5 dBi gain) and directional (typically 7 dBi gain). The maximum output power from the antennas is usually less than 1 W. For such configurations, the maximum SAR levels are below the basic restrictions for general public exposure at distances shorter than 10 cm from the surface of the antenna. The occupational exposure limits are met at even shorter distances. Therefore, there is no need of any special RF exposure safety instructions for these antennas. Installation and maintenance personnel can work close to the antennas in operation without being exposed to levels exceeding the basic restrictions. Touching the antennas for short times will not lead to exposure levels exceeding the SAR limits. However, it is advisable to place the antenna where it cannot be easily touched by the general public.

Guidelines for systems with antenna output power levels above 1 W

For output power levels higher than 1 W, SAR assessments can usually not be used to evaluate the RF exposure. Instead, power density levels need to be determined by means of calculations or measurements. The RF exposure will exceed the reference levels in a region that extends more than 10 cm in some directions from the antenna. It is therefore necessary to install the antennas in such a way that people or workers are outside of this region, which is enclosed by a so called compliance boundary. Working below, beside or behind ordinarily configured antennas is usually possible, since the radio frequency exposure does not normally reach the reference levels for occupational exposure in these directions. Touching the antennas for short times will not lead to exposure levels exceeding the exposure limits. Analytical compliance distance determination method Analytical RF exposure assessment methods can be used to estimate compliance distances, primarily in the main beam direction of the transmitting antenna. In other directions the compliance distances are normally shorter. In environments without significant reflections the analytical free space formula can be used to estimate the compliance distance, but in situations close to an antenna the free space formula will overestimate the compliance distance. The free space formula for estimations of the compliance distance dlim (m):
d lim = PG 4S lim

where Slim is the reference level expressed as power density (W/m2 ), P (W) is the total rms power fed to the antenna (sum of all transmitter channels minus feeder and combiner losses) and G is the numerical far-field antenna gain, which is given by the far-field radiation pattern received from the antenna manufacturer.

Example. Calculation of compliance distance in front of an antenna The compliance distance for the general public in front of an antenna should be determined. The directional antenna is operating in the 1800 MHz frequency band and has an antenna gain of 7dBi. The antenna has an output power of 3 W. The ICNIRP general public reference level at 900 MHz is 4.5 W/m2. The numerical antenna gain is about 5 [10lg(5) 7dBi]. The compliance distance in the main lobe is:

d lim =

35 4 4.5

= 0.5 m