Characterizing and Mapping of Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields (20-3,000 Mhz) in Chengdu, China

With radiofrequency exposure caused by electronic applications increasing, some members of the public are worrying about potential health risks. In this paper, methods of performing large-scale radiofrequency exposure evaluation are described. All studied sites were divided into three categories: commercial-area, residential-urban, and residential-rural. Then a series of site investigations were conducted on a car-mounted system in the years 2014 and 2015, aiming to characterize electric field exposure from 12 different radiofrequency sources. The results indicate that the studied environment is safe as indicated by exposure below guidelines and standards. The highest exposure measured in the 2 y of monitoring was from an FM source, 316.23 mV m. Telecommunication sources dominate exposure, contributing the most power density (65-90%). Meanwhile, intergroup differences are discussed and summarized. The spatial distributions of FM and GSM1800 exposure are demonstrated on a map. This study describes an approach for the assessment of the spatiotemporal pattern of radiofrequency exposures in Chengdu and facilitates the identification of any sources causing exposure above relevant guidelines and standards.