Evaluation of radiofrequency exposures to mobile phone base stations, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in 13 countries

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This longitudinal study assessed radiofrequency (RF) radiation population exposure in 13 countries, including Australia. A mobile phone-based tool (Electrosmart™ App) was used to collect data on 254,410 mobile phone users’ downlink RF exposure (i.e. received radio signal strength) to mobile phone base stations, and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth networks over the period of three years (2017 to 2020). The study showed that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth contributed most of the total measured RF population exposure; and the exposure to these sources seemed to increase over time. However, the exposure levels recorded were orders of magnitude lower than regulation limits in each of the countries.

Longitudinal study of exposure to radio frequencies at population scale

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Overall, the paper reported that the measured RF exposure levels were much lower than the Australian and international public exposure limits. Of note, the study methodology utilised to ascertain population RF exposure is not quite accurate as the App, in fact, measured the background downlink RF exposure. Further, it provides no information on how the measured background RF exposure represented the population RF exposure. In order for the measured background RF exposure to be represented as the ‘population exposure’, the study participants (i. e., mobile phone users) should place the phone close to the body during the whole time when RF exposure was measured. Therefore, the reported RF exposure can only be a surrogate measure of population exposure and hence, the findings of this study should be carefully interpreted. 

ARPANSA has conducted RF measurement studies around mobile phone base stations and published the results on the ARPANSA website. In 2017, ARPANSA published a study assessing the RF exposure level due to Wi-Fi in Australian schools. Exposure levels from other RF sources such as mobile phone base stations, radio, and TV broadcasts were also measured. Overall, the exposure levels from all RF sources measured were much lower than the public exposure limits in the Australian RF Standard. There remains no substantiated scientific evidence that exposure to RF EMF below the limits in the Australian RF Standard causes any adverse health effects.