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Advances in the Understanding of the Significance of Environmental Human-Made Electromagnetic Energy

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 11567

Special Issue Editor

Laboratory of Electromagnetic Hazards, Central Institute for Labour Protection–National Research Institute (CIOP-PIB), Czerniakowska 16, 00-701 Warszawa, Poland
Interests: electromagnetic environment; electromagnetic technologies; electromagnetic exposure; electromagnetic hazards; exposure evaluation; measurements; numerical modeling; systematic approach to electromagnetic environmental safety (regarding workers and public)

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is incredibly hard to find a location today which is not affected by human-made electromagnetic energy, either emitted intentionally or leaking unintentionally during the constant function of a mass of electric appliances and systems used (over decades or new, consistently or in a changing manner) for radio communication, industrial, medical, office, household, or any other purposes. Electromagnetic energy of increasing complexity is affecting the bio- and technosphere, creating an urgent need for a relevant characterization of its significance in the environment and influence on humans’ safety, health, and wellbeing, as well as its electromagnetic coexistence with other elements of the bio- and technosphere, where it is considered to be a dominating single factor, complex factor, or co-factor during the life of a particular organism. In this Special Issue, technical and biomedical aspects may be considered, with special attention to advances in the understanding of the aforementioned complex environmental issues, considering the relations between parameters of sources of electromagnetic energy and effects in various exposed objects by measurements, numerical simulations, laboratory or epidemiological investigations, in the context of an evaluation of the short- and long-term environmental impact of electromagnetic technologies.

Dr. Jolanta Karpowicz
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • electromagnetic radiation
  • electromagnetic field
  • exposure effects
  • biophysical effects
  • safety hazards
  • health hazards
  • environmental engineering
  • electromagnetic compatibility
  • exposure evaluation
  • measurements
  • numerical modeling
  • biomedical engineering
  • public health

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 320 KiB  
Article
ICNIRP Guidelines’ Exposure Assessment Method for 5G Millimetre Wave Radiation May Trigger Adverse Effects
by Mary Redmayne and Donald R. Maisch
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(7), 5267; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20075267 - 27 Mar 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5597
Abstract
The current global roll-out of 5G infrastructure is designed to utilise millimetre wave frequencies (30–300 GHz range) at data transmission rates in the order of gigabits per second (Gbps). This frequency band will be transmitted using beamforming, a new introduction in near-field exposures. [...] Read more.
The current global roll-out of 5G infrastructure is designed to utilise millimetre wave frequencies (30–300 GHz range) at data transmission rates in the order of gigabits per second (Gbps). This frequency band will be transmitted using beamforming, a new introduction in near-field exposures. The International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) has recently updated their guidelines. We briefly examine whether the new approach of the ICNIRP is satisfactory to prevent heat damage and other adverse bio-effects once millimetre wave 5G is included, and we challenge the use of surface-only exposure assessment for local exposures greater than 6 GHz in part due to possible Brillouin precursor pulse formation. However, this is relevant whether or not Brillouin precursors occur from absorption of either 5G or future G transmissions. Many significant sources conclude there is insufficient research to assure safety even from the heat perspective. To date, there has been no published in vivo, in vitro or epidemiological research using exposures to 5G New Radio beam-formed signals. Full article
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18 pages, 14358 KiB  
Article
Pilot Study of the Long-Term Effects of Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Radiation Exposure on the Mouse Brain
by Sonia Spandole-Dinu, Ana-Maria Catrina, Oana Cristina Voinea, Alina Andone, Speranța Radu, Cerasela Haidoiu, Octavian Călborean, Diana Mihaela Popescu, Vladimir Suhăianu, Octavian Baltag, Leontin Tuță and Georgiana Roșu
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3025; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043025 - 09 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2191
Abstract
The increasing radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic radiation pollution resulting from the development and use of technologies utilizing RF has sparked debate about the possible biological effects of said radiation. Of particular concern is the potential impact on the brain, due to the close proximity [...] Read more.
The increasing radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic radiation pollution resulting from the development and use of technologies utilizing RF has sparked debate about the possible biological effects of said radiation. Of particular concern is the potential impact on the brain, due to the close proximity of communication devices to the head. The main aim of this study was to examine the effects of long-term exposure to RF on the brains of mice in a real-life scenario simulation compared to a laboratory setting. The animals were exposed continuously for 16 weeks to RF using a household Wi-Fi router and a laboratory device with a frequency of 2.45 GHz, and were compared to a sham-exposed group. Before and after exposure, the mice underwent behavioral tests (open-field test and Y-maze); at the end of the exposure period, the brain was harvested for histopathological analysis and assessment of DNA methylation levels. Long-term exposure of mice to 2.45 GHz RF radiation increased their locomotor activity, yet did not cause significant structural or morphological changes in their brains. Global DNA methylation was lower in exposed mice compared to sham mice. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind these effects and to understand the potential effects of RF radiation on brain function. Full article
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13 pages, 3142 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Electric Field Strength, Magnetic Field Strength and Power Density around the Cell Phone Towers of Varying Characteristics with a Proposed Classification Facilitating Research on Human Population
by John Baliah, Balanehru Subramanian, David Livingstone, Bushra Kanwal, Mahmud Uz Zaman, Kumar Chandan Srivastava, Huda Abutayyem, Khalid Al-Johani, Anju P. David, Deepti Shrivastava and Mohammad Khursheed Alam
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14157; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114157 - 29 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1358
Abstract
The continuous exposure of electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation from cell phone towers may possibly have an influence on public health. Each cell phone tower is unique in terms of number of antennas and its associated attributes; thus, the radiation exposure varies from one [...] Read more.
The continuous exposure of electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation from cell phone towers may possibly have an influence on public health. Each cell phone tower is unique in terms of number of antennas and its associated attributes; thus, the radiation exposure varies from one tower to another. Hence, a standardized method for quantifying the exposure is beneficial while studying the effects of radiation on the human population residing around the cell phone towers. A mere collection of data or human samples without understanding the cell phone tower differences may show study results such as an increase or decrease in biological parameters. Those changes may not be due to the effects of EMF radiation from cell phone towers but could be due to any other cause. Therefore, a comparative study was designed with the aim of quantifying and comparing the electric field strength (EF), magnetic field strength (MF) and power density (PD) on four sides of cell phone towers with varying numbers of antennas at 50 m and 100 m. Further, an attempt was made to develop a PD-based classification for facilitating research involving human biological samples. Through convenience sampling, sixteen cell phone towers were selected. With the use of coordinates, the geographic mapping of selected towers was performed to measure the distance between the towers. Based on the number of antennas, the cell phone towers were categorized into four groups which are described as group I with 1–5 antennas, group II comprising of 6–10 antennas, group III consisting of 11–15 antennas and group IV comprised of towers clustered with more than 15 antennas. The study parameters, namely the EF, MF and PD, were recorded on all four sides of the cell phone towers at 50 m and 100 m. One-way ANOVA was performed to compare the study parameters among study groups and different sides using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0. The mean MF in Group IV was 2221.288 ± 884.885 μA/m and 1616.913 ± 745.039 μA/m at 50 m and 100 m respectively. The mean PD in Group IV at 50 m was 0.129 ± 0.094 μW/cm2 and 0.072 ± 0.061 μW/cm2 at 100 m. There was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) increase in the MF and PD at 50 m compared to 100 m among cell phone tower clusters with more than 15 antennas (Group IV). On the other hand, a non-significant increase in EF was observed at 50 m compared to 100 m in Group II and IV. The EF, MF and PD on all four sides around cell phone towers are not consistent with distance at 50 m and 100 m due to variation in the number of antennas. Accordingly, a PD-based classification was developed as low, medium and high for conducting research involving any biological sample based on quantile. The low PD corresponds to 0.001–0.029, medium to 0.03–0.099 and high to 0.1–0.355 (μW/cm2). The PD-based classification is a preferred method over the sole criteria of distance for conducting human research as it measures the true effects of EMF radiation from the cell phone towers. Full article
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18 pages, 4142 KiB  
Article
Modelling and Evaluating Electromagnetic Field Exposure in the Multiple-Source Scenario of Using IoT HF RFID Readers
by Patryk Zradziński
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3274; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063274 - 10 Mar 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1735
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) and induced electric field (Ein) values in the model of a body of a person present near multiple HF RFID readers of a passive proximity integrated circuit card (PICC) working in [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to evaluate Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) and induced electric field (Ein) values in the model of a body of a person present near multiple HF RFID readers of a passive proximity integrated circuit card (PICC) working in an IoT application in a public transport vehicle, in order to test the hypothesis that even the simultaneous use of modelled readers does not cause electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure exceeding relevant limits provided for the evaluation of exposure of the general public. SAR and Ein values were evaluated under various exposure scenarios, designed to mimic EMF exposure under realistic conditions of HF RFID readers used on a public bus and covering various reader locations and the presence of a person using a PICC and a bystander. The results obtained from numerical modelling showed that the absorption of EMF emitted continuously by HF RFID readers (located 10 cm away from a body) in the human body may have a significant influence on humans when the PICC reading ranges are longer than 15–23 cm (depending on the class of PICC) for a single reader and when multiple sources of exposure are used in a public transport vehicle—even at reading ranges 15% shorter (13–20 cm). Full article
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