Electric field levels measured near indoor antennas in shopping mall
Human Exposure to Non-Ionizing Radiation from Indoor Distributed Antenna System: Shopping Mall Measurement Analysis
Networking and Internet Architecture
Summary
As more wireless devices connect people indoors, there is a concern about how much non-ionizing radiation we are exposed to. The authors measured electric fields from indoor antennas in a busy shopping mall in Brazil to see if they stay within safe limits. They found the strongest signals were only a small fraction of what safety guidelines allow. This shows that even near many antennas, the radiation levels can remain low enough to meet current safety standards.
What this means in practice
- •For wireless network engineers: Design safe indoor antenna placements by using measured field levels to comply with exposure standards in crowded public spaces.
- •For health and safety regulators: Use measurement data from real indoor environments to inform guidelines and compliance checks on wireless infrastructure.
Authors
Júlia da L. A. Silva, Vicente A. de Sousa,, Marcio E. C. Rodrigues, Fred Sizenando Rossiter Pinheiro, Gutembergue Soares da Silva, Halysson B. Mendonça, Ricardo Q. de F. H. Silva, João V. L. da Silva, Fernanda E. S. Galdino, Vitor F. C. de Carvalho, Lucas I. C. Medeiros
Abstract
It is crucial to monitor the levels of Non-Ionizing Radiation (NIR) to which the general population may be exposed and compare them to the limits defined in the current standards, in view of the rapid rise of communication services and the prospects of a connected society. A high number of people visits shopping malls and since these locations usually have several indoor antennas close to the public, it is therefore a kind of place that must be evaluated. Thus, this work presents measurements of the electric field in a shopping mall located in Natal, Brazil. We proposed a set of six measurement points, following two criteria: places with great the flow of people and the presence of one or more Distributed Antenna System (DAS), co-sited or not with WiFi access points. Results are presented and discussed in terms of the distance to DAS (conditions: near and far) and flow density of people in the mall (scenarios: low and high number of people). The highest peaks of electric field measured were 1.96 and 3.26 V/m, respectively corresponding to 5% and 8% of the limits defined by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the Brazilian National Telecommunication Agency (ANATEL).