1. Societal and normative context

Over the last century, radio frequencies have found numerous applications, notably in communications and defense. Radiofrequency heating has also been used successfully in industrial, medical and food applications. As radio frequency sources and their power have increased, so have the potential risks associated with human exposure to electromagnetic fields, necessitating the development of appropriate safety regulations and standardized exposure measurement and assessment techniques.

The safety standard for exposure to electromagnetic fields, used in many European countries, is the "Guide to the establishment of exposure limits to electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields – Alternating fields (time-varying frequencies up to 300 GHz)". This standard, published by the ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) in 1998, is also used...