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Upgrading the research capacities for safety and health effects of hum an exposure to electrom agnetic fields

SAFE EMF INCO-CT-2007-043638 http://cemc.feit.ukim.edu.mk/

• Prof. Vesna Arnautovski-Tosheva

Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, Skopje

Centre for Electromagnetic Compatibility (CEMC)

Table of contents

EC FP6 “SAFE EMF” Motivation Current regulations and their influence on research

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• 1. EC FP6 “SAFE EMF”

2007 – 2009

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EC FP6 project “SAFE EMF”

SAFE EMF – Upgrading the research capacities for safety and health effects of human exposure to electromagnetic fields The main objective of the SAFE EMF project is to reinforce the research capacities of the CEMC at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies in Skopje in terms of:

Equipm ent Know ledge Hum an potentials

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Project objectives

Upgrading the CEMC capacities in terms of:

• Upgrading the relevant S&T equipm ent for

assessm ent and m onitoring of electromagnetic fields (EMF) in urban and rural environment;

• I nitiate and support legislative process: to

provide documents for implementation of required EU and national standards and regulations;

• Centre of expertise: initiating regional research

networking and cooperation centre;

• Prom oting EU and regional netw orking.
• Highest quality study of EMF health effects,

especially on children;

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Project description

Lately, numerous EMF sources come in focus

• f health concerns, including power lines, and

most recently mobile phones and base stations of existing and emerging wireless technologies. The project’s general aim is to support safe integration of mobile and wireless technology in Macedonia and wider in Western Balkan Countries and to enable highest EU quality level research on possible adverse effects on brain functions due to exposure to radiofrequency EMF.

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Project description

WP 1 - Recruiting young researchers WP 2 - Upgrading the relevant S&T equipment WP 3 - Initiation and support of legislative process WP 4 - Training of researchers WP 5 - Preparation for experimental studies of EMF health effects and influence on brain functions WP 6 - Dissemination of the project WP 7 - Management of the project

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Partners

Centre for Electrom agnetic Com patibility ( CEMC) , Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies

• Ss. Cyril & Methodius University

Skopje, Macedonia

Role in project: Responsible coordinator for preparation and submission of project proposal, EC contract negotiations, project administration and management

• f overall project performance. CEMC has m ain role

in all project activities and performs supporting and promoting dissemination activities by regular communication to external parties.

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CEMC key personnel

• Prof. Leonid Grcev, PhD, CEMC and

project leader

• Prof. Marija Kacarska, PhD
• Prof. Vesna Arnautovski-Tosheva, PhD
• Ass. Spase Petkoski, dipl. ing.
• Prof. Snezana Cundeva, PhD
• Prof. Velimir Filiposki, PhD

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Partners

Departm ent of Psychophysiology Pediatric Clinic Faculty of Medicine

• Ss. Cyril & Methodius University

Skopje, Macedonia

Role in project: Local Network partner. The key strategic partner for preparation of future research following up this project on EMF related possible health effects and changes of brain functions, as well as for providing high level experience in EEG measurements including quantitive EEG and relevant instrumentation.

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Partners

Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, The Nederland Université Blaise Pascal in Clermont- Ferrand, France Institute of Non-Ionizing Radiation – Ljubljana, Slovenia École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland

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Human potentials upgrade

Spase Petkoski, dipl. el. ing. EMF measurement methodologies and result analysis Milivoj Sim eonovski, dipl. inf. ing. Software engineering Biljana Gjoneska, medical doctor EMF health effects analysis

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Human potentials upgrade

Spase Petkoski: 4th International Summer School on Emerging Technologies in Biomedicine in Patras, Greece – 1 week in July 2008 Second International Measurement Comparison in Dubrovnik, Croatia - 1 week in November 2008 LASMEA, University Blaise Pascal in Clermont-Ferrand, France – 1 week in February 2009

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Human potentials upgrade

Milivoj Sim eonovski:

Faculty of Information Technology, mathematics and electrical engineering; Department of telematics; The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway – 2 weeks in March 2009

Biljana Gjoneska:

15th International Summer School of Cognitive Science in Sofia - Bulgaria - 3 weeks in July 2008 International workshop “Open Questions in the Research on Biological and health Effects of Low- Intensity RF-EMF” in Stuttgart-Germany - 1 week in November 2008

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• 2. Motivation

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Quality study of EMF exposure health effects

Motivation for project comes from:

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Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

Electrical energy emerging, that started in the second half of 19 century, today is focused in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). 50% of the growth of productivity in EU between 2000 and 2004 is connected with ICT. ICT market today is valued around 1.400 billions USD. Wireless communications and Internet are the biggest part of ICT.

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Wireless Telecommunications

ICT infrastructure is rapidly changing from wired to wireless.

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Wireless Telecommunications

Wireless technologies will cover all aspects of ICT.

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Wireless Telecommunications

International standards are already established and their fast implementation is expected in next few years.

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„Electromagnetic smog“

The development of ICT is changing the environment, mostly with uncontrolled EM radiation, which every day becomes with higher intensity, wider frequency spectrum and more complex signals.

• The biggest concern comes from the fact that natural

radiation from the Sun on the same frequency band is 1013 times lower than the radiation at few hundred meters from any GSM base station.

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Possible negative human health effects from EMF exposure

• First indications about

human health effects from EMF exposure dates back in 60’s of last century and are about EMF from power lines.

• At this time TV and Radio

antennas were far from urban areas.

• LF EMF influence studies.

New ICT era – HF EMF influence studies.

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• 3. Current regulations and

their influence on research

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International regulations

Basic of current international regulations for EMF exposure are:

inducted currents level from LF EMF exposure (0 Hz to 100 kHz), and acute thermal effects from HF EMF exposure (100 kHz to 300 GHz) are taken into account.

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Thermal effects of EMF exposure

Thermal effects are due to tissue absorption of energy radiated from EMF and its heat transformation. Thermal effect is described as harmless if the body’s system for thermoregulation can handle with it. Measurable effect is increasing tissue’s temperature. Increasing of tissue temperature of 1°С is in compliance with safety health regulations.

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Tissue penetration of RF radiation

Near by base stations entire body is exposed on radiation, while mobile phones use exposure is localized.

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Thermal effect is very low

According to regulations, RF energy absorption limits are:

For whole body:

0.4 W/kg 0.08 W/kg

For local tissue:

2 W/kg in 10 g of tissue

0.4 W/kg would melt ice cube on 0°C in 10 days.

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International regulations

Current international regulations are only concerned about “overheating” which seems to be impossible. In other words we are protected from danger that doesn’t exist. The thermal effect is qualified as the only “scientifically based” and all others are not part of officially concerns of authorities. This is actually standpoint of The World Health Organization.

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International regulations

Because of this standpoint many of studies about harmful effects of EMF exposure are qualified as not scientifically based. With this the current situation is reversed:

Instead of standpoint that RF radiation is harmful until the opposite is proven, it is said that RF radiation is not harmful until opposite is proven.

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Research of non-thermal effects

In official standpoint it is implicitly said that shown harmful effects have psycho- somatic base. But beside this official standpoint, because of the public pressure and concerns, the hypothesis that there could also be other “non-thermal” effects which could explain some harmful effects is accepted.

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Research of non-thermal effects

Huge public pressure and concerns in EU and USA resulted with financing many scientific and research projects about these non-thermal effects.

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EMF studies

In the last decades there have been more than 1500 scientific and research projects in this area.

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COST 281: Potential Health Implications from Mobile Communication Systems

• COST 281 from 2001 to 2006.
• COST 244 and 244ii from 1992 to 2001.

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There are no conclusions in the final documents, but just open questions

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EU FP6 SAFE EMF

Assessm ent of electrom agnetic fields ( EMF) in the environm ent and Specification of technical characteristics

• f m easuring equipm ent
• Dipl. Eng. In Electrical Eng. Spase Petkoski

Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, Skopje Centre for Electromagnetic Compatibility (CEMC)

Table of contents

Assessment of electromagnetic fields (EMF) in the environment Specification of technical characteristics

• f measuring equipment
• Selective RF meter up to 3 GHz – SRM 3000
• ELF magnetic and electric field analyzer – EFA 300
• Broadband Field Meter - NBM-550
• Area Monitoring Station 2600 – AMS 2600
• Personal RF broadband and selective dosimeters –

EME SPY 121

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• 1. Assessment of

electromagnetic fields (EMF) in the environment

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This part of the project enables:

• Assessment of compliance with safety standards
• f general public and occupational exposure.
• Long term measurements on special locations of

interest.

• Categorization of public locations exposure.
• Impact of emerging technologies.

Connecting on these results with human health effects monitoring.

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Assessment of EMF in the environment

The project w ill enable statistically relevant assessm ent

• f EMF from

different sources, such as: from pow er lines, w ireless telecom m unication and specially from em erging technologies in residential and

• ccupational

environm ents.

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Assessment of EMF in the environment

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Assessment of EMF in the environment

• Characteristics of EMF in the environment:
• Complex distribution in space and time,
• Complex signal in wide frequency bands.

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Assessment of EMF in the environment

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Assessment of EMF in the environment

Long term measurements:

• Assessment in vicinity of sources of EMF.
• Kinder gardens, schools, playgrounds, etc.
• Hospitals, etc.

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Assessment of EMF in the environment

Measuring field strengths to comply with general safety regulations.

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Assessment of EMF in the environment

Measurements should include different sources

• f EMF including emerging technologies.

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Assessment of EMF in the environment

Highest level research should include emerging technologies (mobile phones) influence on brain functions.

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Assessment of EMF in the environment

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Assessment of EMF in the environment

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Assessment of EMF in the environment

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Assessment of EMF in the environment

• 2. Specification of

technical characteristics

• f measuring equipment

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Selective RF meter up to 3 GHz – SRM 3000

• The SRM 3000 is a

hand-held selective measuring device for safety analysis of RF and microwave EMF.

• SRM 3000 immediately

evaluates the results

• n site.

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Specification of technical characteristics

• f measuring equipment

It can be used by broadcasters, radio network operators, measurement service providers and public authorities to selectively measure the field exposure produced by individual telecom services and assess the results in accordance with the applicable standards.

Selective RF meter up to 3 GHz – SRM 3000

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Specification of technical characteristics

• f measuring equipment

Selective RF meter up to 3 GHz – SRM 3000

The SRM can also compute results as follows: Field strength level or percentage

• f permissible exposure level.

Single source or single channel. List of sources or channels. Contribution from a given telecom service. Contribution from all services and their percentage of the total field strength.

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Specification of technical characteristics

• f measuring equipment

Narda Broadband Field Meter – NBM 550 The NBM-550 makes extremely accurate broadband measurements of non- ionizing radiation. Equipped with probes for measuring electric and magnetic field strengths, it covers all frequencies from long wave up to microwave radiation (EF 0391 probe for E field measures fields up to 50 GHz).

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Specification of technical characteristics

• f measuring equipment

Narda Broadband Field Meter – NBM 550 Flat frequency response probes as well as so-called shaped probes that evaluate the field strength on the basis of a human safety standard are available.

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Specification of technical characteristics

• f measuring equipment

ELF Field Analyzer EFA-300

• The EFA-300 is ideal field

analyzer for measuring ELF magnetic and electric fields in the workplace and in public spaces.

• In the low frequency range,

they handle any required measurement, simply and precisely.

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Specification of technical characteristics

• f measuring equipment

ELF Field Analyzer EFA-300

• With the innovative STD mode

the measurement results for field strength are displayed as a Percent of Standard, regardless

• f the signal shape.
• This enables fast and reliable

measurement and evaluation of the typical fields where complex, non-sinusoidal signals are common.

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Specification of technical characteristics

• f measuring equipment

Area Monitoring Station 2600 – AMS 2600

• The Narda Area Monitor

System 2600 provides a complete solution for remote monitoring

• f electromagnetic field

strength.

• With this powerful system

fields can be permanently monitored at any desired location.

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Specification of technical characteristics

• f measuring equipment

Area Monitoring Station 2600 – AMS 2600

• The Station 2600 monitors the field

strength over a wide frequency band.

• A variety of different full isotropic

probes is available to meet the frequency and level range requirements of the application.

• The bi-directional link is provided

via the GSM network.

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Specification of technical characteristics

• f measuring equipment

Personal RF broadband and selective dosimeters – EME SPY 121

• EME SPY is a selective and

isotropic multifunctional dosimeter for epidemiological studies and RF safety monitoring.

• It is a portable and accurate tool

for measuring the level of radio frequencies and identifying the contribution of each emitter.

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Specification of technical characteristics

• f measuring equipment

Specification of technical characteristics

• f measuring equipment

Personal RF broadband and selective dosimeters – EME SPY 121

• EME SPY has possibility

to identifies up to 12 frequencies with high rejection values.

• Its dedicated software,

makes EME SPY easy to handle and the collected data can be visualized as graphics or in Excel format.

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For more information please address to CEMC web site:

http://www.cemc.feit.ukim.edu.mk

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Thank you for your attention!

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