Measurement and Exposure Assessment for Standard Compliance

The use of sophisticated wireless communications devices has been increasing exponentially over the past decades, with a corresponding public perception of increase in ambient background of radio frequency (RF) or high-frequency (HF) radiation in the environment. This perception has developed into a public concern, thus requiring an engagement of public health authorities to quantify these fields by measurements, in order to estimate a potential health risk to general public as well as possible occupational hazards. This article will focus on the issue of high-frequency measurements, that should enable exposure assessment for compliance with existing standards and guidelines in non-ionizing radiation protection, more specifically with those relevant to high-frequency electromagnetic fields. Article contains description of basic properties of electromagnetic fields, presentation of high-frequency measurement techniques, requirements for measurement instrumentation, and an example of measurements for compliance with existing guidelines and standards.