Measurement of human exposure to radiofrequency fields - Part 2: exposimetry

Any electric charge set in motion produces electromagnetic radiation that propagates through space. This property is the basis for the production of radioelectric radiation used in radio, television, telecommunications, microwave heating and radar transmitting devices. Consequently, any system powered by electricity or, even more so, containing a radiating element emits electromagnetic radiation and generates an electric and/or magnetic field in its immediate vicinity, or even further afield, which we will characterize in this article by the generic term "electromagnetic field".

Two concerns emerge from this radio presence:

• one concerns electronic systems; this is electromagnetic compatibility (EMC);

• The other is human exposure to electromagnetic fields induced by non-ionizing radiation (NIR), which is a health and safety issue.

This article, dedicated to the measurement of radioelectric fields in the frequency range covered by non-ionizing radiation and excluding optical radiation, deals exclusively with the latter aspect, the human environment.

In order to provide health authorities with reliable assessment data, the first step is to quantify, by measurement, the relevant quantities characterizing human exposure. The aim of this article is to describe "good" laboratory practice.

The article is divided into 2 parts. The first describes radioelectric fields and sets out the regulatory framework (part 1: radioelectric environment), while the second, more technical part, describes field measurement and the difficulties involved in interpreting it (part 2: exposimetry).