UK to continue emissions measurement programme
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The UK government has published a study of mobile phone masts that is said to show that emissions were many hundreds of times below international exposure guidelines.
E-commerce Minister, Douglas Alexander, today published the results that measured electromagnetic emissions from mobile phone base stations. The first 100 tests took place on base stations located on or near schools.
The results showed that the level of emissions ranged from several hundred to many thousands of times below exposure guidelines set by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).
Douglas Alexander also announced that the programme of testing would continue at the same rate of 100 tests in 2002. The testing will be widened to include locations other than schools.
The mobile phone base station audit was carried out by the Radiocommunications Agency between December 2000 and December 2001.
It tested electromagnetic emissions from 100 mobile base stations located on or near schools. The findings showed levels ranging between 1/279 mW/cm2 and 1/825764 mW/cm2 of the international exposure guidelines.
The Radiocommunications Agency undertook the audit in response to recommendations made by the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones, chaired by Sir William Stewart, which reported in April 2000.
The group's report found that evidence did not suggest that mobile phone technologies put the health of the general population at risk. The group recommended a precautionary approach be adopted, and that an audit of base stations be carried out, with base stations near schools as a priority.
