Welcome to the electromagnetic shielding Technical Steering Committee
Who decides on guidelines?
18/03/2012
Countries set their own national standards for exposure to electromagnetic fields. However, the majority of these national standards draw on the guidelines set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). This non-governmental organization, formally recognized by WHO, evaluates scientific results from all over the world. Based on an in-depth review of the literature, ICNIRP produces guidelines recommending limits on exposure. These guidelines are reviewed periodically and updated if necessary.Electromagnetic field levels vary with frequency in a complex way. Listing every value in every standard and at every frequency would be difficult to understand. The table below is a summary of the exposure guidelines for the three areas that have become the focus of public concern: electricity in the home, mobile phone base stations and microwave ovens. These guidelines were last updated in April 1998.
Summary of the ICNIRP exposure guidelines
European power frequencyMobile phone base station frequencyMicrowave oven frequency
Frequency50 Hz50 Hz900 MHz1.8 GHz2.45 GHz
 Electric field (V/m)Magnetic field (μT)Power density (W/m2)Power density (W/m2)Power density (W/m2)
Public exposure limits50001004.5910
Occupational exposure limits10000500

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