December 5, 2018
RFR Exposure Limits (Updated Dec. 7)
RFR Exposure Limits (Updated Dec. 7)
The World Health Organization's Global Health Observatory data repository publishes radio frequency radiation (RFR) exposure limits for the general public and for workers. The repository also has exposure limits for low frequency and static electromagnetic fields.
Radio frequency radiation includes the radiation emitted by cell phones and cordless phones, cell towers, microwave ovens, wireless baby monitors and smart meters, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices including laptops, tablets, and wireless wearables.
The RFR exposure limit data for the general public in 36 nations (as of May 31, 2017) can be downloaded as a pdf document from http://bit.ly/RFlimitsXcountry.
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| WHO: RFR exposure limits for 36 nations |
Health Effects
The RFR exposure limits were designed to protect the general public only from heating risks due to short-term exposure to this type of non-ionizing radiation. The limits were not designed to protect individuals from chronic exposure to low-intensity (i.e., non-thermal levels of) RFR. Yet the preponderance of peer-reviewed research on low-intensity RFR exposure finds biological effects and adverse health effects. Thus, one must carefully examine these studies to determine safe levels of RFR exposure.
BioInitiative 2012 provides charts that summarize RFR studies which employed low-intensity exposures. These charts can be downloaded as a pdf document from https://www.bioinitiative.org/rf-color-charts/.
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| BioInitiative 2012: first page of RF color chart |
