4th ITU Green Standards Week

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4th ITU Green Standards Week
With ICTs everywhere, how safe is EMF?

• Cristina Bueti
• Adviser of ITU-T Study Group 5

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4th ITU Green Standards Week
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

• UN specialized agency for ICTs
• unique public/private partnership
• Members
• 193 Member States (Governments and regulatory
  bodies)
• Over 700 Private Sector (Sector Members and
  Associates)
• Over 63 Academia

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4th ITU Green Standards Week
ITU structure
Standardization (ITU-T) produces interoperable
technical ICT standards
Radiocommunication (ITU-R) coordinates global
wireless communication
General Secretariat provides coordination for
the whole organization
Development (ITU-D) provides assistance to the
un-connected
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4th ITU Green Standards Week
The ICT revolution

• By end 2014, there will be
• 3 billion Internet users,
• two-thirds of them coming from the developing
  world
• the number of mobile-broadband subscriptions will
  reach 2.3 billion globally (5 of these
  subscriptions are expected to be in the
  developing world)
• mobile-cellular subscriptions will reach almost 7
  billion by end 2014

Source ITU, The World in 2014 ICT Facts and
Figureswww.itu.int/en/ITU-D/statistics
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4th ITU Green Standards Week
The issue
The electromagnetic fields are unknown and
undetectable for people

• Lack of regulation and/or
• non-compliance...

Lack of communication and information to
citizens
It can generate a lack of trust, which may
become fear
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4th ITU Green Standards Week
Regulation of non-ionizing radiations
Emission standards Specifications that limit the
emission of electromagnetic fields (EMF) from the
devices
Exposure standards Specifications that limit the
exposure of people to the Electromagnetic fields
(EMF)
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4th ITU Green Standards Week
How can global standards help

• Facilitate compliance with international
  standards
• Strengthen collaboration among stakeholders
• Ensure transparency
• Enhance communication with citizens

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ITU-T Study Group 5

• Lead study group for electromagnetic
  compatibility and electromagnetic effects

7 Questions
WP1/5 Damage prevention and safety
WP3/5 ICT and climate change
5 Questions
WP2/5 Electromagnetic fields emission, immunity
and human exposure
6 Questions
Q7/5 Human exposure to electromagnetic fields
(EMFs) due to radio systems and mobile equipment
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4th ITU Green Standards Week
Question 7/5
Human exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs)
due to radio systems and mobile equipment

• Main study area
• Real site measurements and modeling of the
  multiple sources operating on different
  frequencies and transmitting antennas
• Determine the validity of electromagnetic field
  predictions
• Procedures and guidance on numerical modeling of
  EMFs in the areas around telecommunication
  transmitting antennas and various systems
• Guidance based on existing SAR measuring and
  calculating procedures, techniques and protocols
  for evaluating EMF due to ICT equipment
• Handbook to answer frequently questions about
  human exposure to EMF.

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4th ITU Green Standards Week
Question 7/5
Human exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs)
due to radio systems and mobile equipment

• Main tasks
• Develop Recommendations for the telecommunication
  sector
• Implement the mandate of the ITU Resolutions on
  EMF
• Collaboration with other standardization bodies
  (IEC, CENELEC, WHO) in order to avoid duplication
  of work
• Maintenance and enhancement of the existing
  Recommendations.

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4th ITU Green Standards Week
Typical EMF assessment

• Safety
• EMF compliance at sites
• Occupational Health Safety (OHS) for workers
  and public

• Environmental
• Radio signals in the community
• Educational informative

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4th ITU Green Standards Week
EMF assessment methods
Calculations or measurements?

• EMF assessment method depends on site
  environment
• Calculations - suitable in many cases, have
  significant benefits - accurate, fast cost
  effective
• Measurements - required in very complex
  environments
• Field monitoring
• Field monitoring is effective when working on
  towers for safety
• Field surveys can provide public reassurance
• Continuous monitoring limited long term benefit
  where EMF levels are low and stable

ITU-T Recommendations - guidance on both
calculation and measurements
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4th ITU Green Standards Week
ITU-T Recommendations for EMF assessment

• ITU-T K.91 Guidance for assessment, evaluation
  and monitoring of human exposure to radio
  frequency electromagnetic fields
• ITU-T K.83 Monitoring of electromagnetic field
  levels
• ITU-T K.70 Mitigation techniques to limit human
  exposure to EMFs in the vicinity of
  radiocommunication stations includes EMF
  Estimator software
• ITU-T K.52 Guidance on complying with limits for
  human exposure to electromagnetic fields
• ITU-T K.61 Guidance on measurement and numerical
  prediction of electromagnetic fields for
  compliance with human exposure limits for
  telecommunication installations

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4th ITU Green Standards Week
Highlights on deliverables

• ITU-T K.91 provides guidance on how to assess and
  monitor human exposure to radio frequency (RF)
  electromagnetic fields (EMF) in areas with
  surrounding radio communication installations
  based on existing exposure and compliance
  standards, based on existing exposure and
  compliance standards in the frequency range of 9
  kHz to 300 GHz
• includes advantages and disadvantages of methods.

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4th ITU Green Standards Week
Highlights on deliverables - continued

• ITU-T K.83 provides guidance on how to make
  long-term measurements and monitoring of EMF in
  the selected areas that are under public concern,
  in order to show that EMFs are under control and
  under the limits
• ?Implementation of Recommendation ITU-T K.83
  "Monitoring of electromagnetic field levels" in
  countries (e.g. Argentina, Brazil, Colombia,
  Ecuador, El Salvador and Uruguay).

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4th ITU Green Standards Week
Highlights on deliverables - continued

• ITU-T K. 70 defines techniques which may be used
  by telecommunication operators to evaluate the
  cumulative (total) exposure ratio in the vicinity
  of transmitting antennas and to identify the main
  source of radiation
• Provides guidance on mitigation methods which
  allow reduction of radiation level
• Provides guidance on procedures necessary in the
  environment (on site) in which, in most cases,
  there is a simultaneous exposure to multiple
  frequencies from many different sources
• Includes a software provided that implements the
  methodology EMF estimator

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4th ITU Green Standards Week
Highlights on deliverables - continued

• ITU-T K. 52 aims to help with compliance with
  safety limits for human exposure to EMFs
• Provides guidance on calculation method, and
  installation assessment procedure
• Is based on safety limits provided by ICNIRP
• Determines the likelihood of installation
  compliance based on accessibility criteria,
  antenna properties and emitter power
• Recommends IEC Standard for the compliance
  measurement of mobile handsets.

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4th ITU Green Standards Week
Highlights on deliverables - continued

• ITU-T K. 61 helps telecommunication operators to
  verify compliance with exposure standards
  promulgated by local or national authorities
• Provides guidance on measurement methods that can
  be used to achieve a compliance assessment
• Provides guidance on the selection of numerical
  methods suitable for exposure prediction in
  various situations.

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4th ITU Green Standards Week
Highlights on deliverables - continued
Guide on electromagnetic fields and health
(?Supplement 1 to Recommendation ITU-T K.91)

• answers to typical questions asked by the public
  on EMF, and to address typical misunderstandings
  on EMF matters in the society
• provides education and information promoting EMF
  information and education resources suitable for
  all communities, stakeholders and governments.
• supports clarification of the science
  referencing the WHO and other stakeholders
  providing information most useful in helping
  clarify scientific uncertainties e.g. in the
  areas of Radio Frequency technology,
  infrastructure implementation, usage, and
  consequential EMF exposure.

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4th ITU Green Standards Week
Deliverables under study

• ITU-T K.100 - Measurement of radio frequency
  electromagnetic fields to determine compliance
  with human exposure limits when a base station is
  put into service
• ITU-T K.env - Guidance on the Environmental
  Management for Electromagnetic Radiation from
  Radiocommunication Base Stations
• ITU-T K.maps - Maps of the RF EMF

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EMF flyer and website
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Purpose of ITU-Ts activities

• EMF safety
• Important to assess EMF compliance at sites
• Important to establish Occupational Health
  Safety (OHS) procedures

• Environmental
• Educational and informative
• Calculation vs monitoring a balance is needed

Effective public communication
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4th ITU Green Standards Week
ITU-Ts vision
The rational solution to citizens concerns
regarding exposure to EMFs is to ensure that the
actions of national regulators and network
operators are accompanied to the greatest
possible extent by transparency and communication
with citizens. Compliance with international
standards and associated reporting mechanisms
assures citizens that regulators and network
operators have complied with international best
practices in deploying base stations, thereby
safeguarding citizens health.
Malcolm Johnson ITU/TSB Director
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4th ITU Green Standards Week

• ITU-T/SG5 Environment Climate
  Changeitu.int/go/tsg5
• ITU-T/SG5 Series K Recommendations (free of
  charge)itu.int/ITU-T/recommendations/index_sg.asp
  x?sg5
• ITU and EMFitu.int/go/emfs

Thank you

• cristina.bueti_at_itu.int