Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields

RBS 2000 and RBS 3000

Safety Information

E
 Copyright

© Ericsson AB 2005 - All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer

No part of this document may be reproduced in any form without the written
permission of the copyright owner.

The contents of this document are subject to revision without notice due to
continued progress in methodology, design and manufacturing. Ericsson shall
have no liability for any error or damage of any kind resulting from the use
of this document.

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Contents

1 Introduction 1
1.1 Target Group 1

2 RF Exposure Limits 3
2.1 RF Exposure Calculations 4
2.2 Compliance Distance Determination 5
2.3 Example Determination of the Compliance Boundary 7

3 General Recommendations for Public Safety 9

4 References 11

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1 Introduction

This document provides guidelines for the estimation of RF exposure levels and
compliance distances for other RBS product configurations and antennas than
those specified by Ericsson.

Note: Ericsson provides information for typical configurations and

recommended antennas as part of the Product Data or Technical
Product Description of each specific RBS product.

The radio base station (RBS) is a radio frequency (RF) transmitter. Very high
levels of RF exposure can result in adverse health effects. In order to protect all
people against such effects, RF exposure limits, which include wide margins,
are specified by national and international health authorities.

Ericsson provides distances where the exposure limits are met for typical
RBS configurations with a recommended antenna. These distances specify a
boundary within which the RF exposure limits may be exceeded. Radio base
station antennas should be installed in such a way that the general public does
not have access to those areas.

For other configurations and antennas than those specified by Ericsson, it is

necessary to estimate the RF exposure and specify the requirements for an
RBS antenna site. The analytical expressions presented here can be used to
estimate RF exposure levels and the areas to which the general public should
not have access. The methods can also be used to determine compliance
distances for occupational exposure.

1.1 Target Group

The target group for this document is engineering personnel who create Site
Installation Documentation for base stations, operating in the following mobile
telephone systems:

• GSM 800

• GSM 900

• GSM 1800

• GSM 1900

• WCDMA

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2 RF Exposure Limits

A number of national and international RF regulations, safety standards, and

recommendations exist that are relevant for RBS RF exposure. The limits within
these standards are similar and are often based on international guidelines
set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection
(ICNIRP), itself recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). These
guidelines have been adopted in the European Council recommendation,
1999/519/EC.

Basic restrictions for both occupational and public exposure to electromagnetic

fields, which should not be exceeded in any near-field or far-field exposure
situation, have been developed by the ICNIRP. These restrictions are directly
based on established health effects and biological considerations. In the
frequency range between 10 MHz and 10 GHz, the Specific Absorption Rate
(SAR) is used to specify the basic restrictions. The SAR is a measure of the
rate of RF energy absorption in the body expressed in units of watt per kilogram
of tissue (W/kg).

These restrictions, summarized in Table 1 on page 3, incorporate a safety

factor of about 10 for occupational exposure and about 50 for general public
exposure. The localized SAR limits, averaged over 10 g of tissue, are valid for
the head and the trunk. For the limbs the localized SAR limits are twice as high.
The whole-body limits are maximum SAR averaged over the body.

Table 1 ICNIRP Basic Restrictions for Occupational and General Public

Exposure
Whole-Body SAR (W/kg) Localized SAR 10g (W/kg)
Occupational General Public Occupational General Public
Exposure Exposure Exposure Exposure
0.4 0.08 10 2

Since SAR often is difficult to determine, reference levels expressed in terms

of electric field strength (V/m), magnetic field strength (A/m), and power
density (W/m²) values have been developed for the purpose of comparison
with exposure quantities in air. The ICNIRP power density reference levels, for
occupational and general public exposure, are summarized in Table 2 on page
4 and Table 3 on page 4 respectively.

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Table 2 ICNIRP Reference Levels for Occupational Exposure

Occupational Reference Levels Expressed as Power Density
10 – 400 MHz 400 – 2000 MHz 2000 – 10 000 MHz
2 (1)
10 W/m2 f/40 W/m 50 W/m2
(1) f = frequency in MHz

Table 3 ICNIRP Reference Levels for General Public Exposure

General Public Reference Levels Expressed as Power Density
10 – 400 MHz 400 – 2000 MHz 2000 – 10 000 MHz
2 2 (1)
2 W/m f/200 W/m 10 W/m2
(1) f = frequency in MHz

The reference levels, which are frequency dependent, have been chosen to
ensure that the basic SAR restrictions cannot be exceeded in any exposure
situation. This means that additional safety margins have been introduced.
The reference levels are primarily applicable for whole-body far-field exposure
situations, while they are very conservative for partial-body near-field
exposures. In fact, the reference levels may be exceeded in many near-field
exposure situations, whilst still remaining compliant to the basic restrictions.

The averaging time is 6 minutes. For exposure periods shorter than the
averaging time, higher exposure levels than the basic restrictions or reference
levels are accepted as long as the average is lower than the limits.

In the case of RF sources with multiple frequencies, the following requirement is

specified in the ICNIRP guidelines. For an antenna that operates in n different
frequency bands and Si is the power density at the ith frequency and Slim, i is the
reference level for that frequency, the requirement on the total exposure is:

n
Si (Equation 1)
i=1 S lim,i P009698A

2.1 RF Exposure Calculations

For estimations of the free space far-field power density S (W/m²) in the main
direction of an antenna, the following formula can be used:

PG
S= (Equation 2)
4 d2 P009699A

P (W) is the total rms power fed to the antenna, which equates to the sum of
all transmitter channels minus feeder and combiner losses. G is the numerical
far-field antenna gain relative to an isotropic radiator, and d (m) is the distance

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from the antenna. PG is the equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of the
antenna expressed in watts.

The far field is commonly considered to start at a distance 2D2/λ from the
antenna, where D is the largest dimension of the antenna and λ the wavelength
in meter.

If needed, the electrical and magnetic field strengths can be calculated using
the equation S = E2/377 = 377H2, where 377 ( ) is the impedance of free space.

The far-field formula (equation 2) gives relatively accurate estimations (within

± 3 dB) of the far-field power density in free space without significant reflecting
surfaces near the position of exposure prediction. If used in the near-field, it will
significantly overestimate the exposure.

Based on the so-called cylinder formula, which can be used to estimate the
average power density closer to the antenna, the following near-field formula
has been derived. The near-field formula estimates the maximum power
density in the near-field region of an antenna. For an antenna with an azimuthal
half-power beam width (degrees) and an aperture height h (m), that is fed
with the total rms power P (W), the power density in the main beam direction at
the distance d (m) from the antenna is:

The far-field formula gives good estimations of the exposure in the far field,
while overestimating the exposure close to the antenna. The near-field formula
on the other hand will overestimate the exposure levels in the far field from the
antenna. Therefore, the formula that gives the lowest exposure level should
always be used.

For RF exposure determination in other directions, above, below, behind and

at the sides of the antenna it can be difficult to use analytical expressions,
since the near field radiation properties usually are unknown. Instead other
methods are preferred, for instance those described in the European standard
EN 50383 developed by CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical
Standardization). The environment may also affect the RF exposure. In such
cases the CENELEC standard EN 50400 (draft) can be used.

2.2 Compliance Distance Determination

The compliance distance is the minimum separation that should be kept
between the antenna and a person to ensure that RF exposure limits are not
exceeded. In order to install a RBS antenna in a proper way, it is important that
RF exposure compliance distances are determined and that the RF exposure
levels are below specified limits in areas accessible to the general public.

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The compliance distances are generally different in different directions from

the antenna. The analytical RF exposure assessment methods described in
Section 2.1 on page 4 can be used to determine compliance distances, for both
workers and the general public. In far-field environments without significant
reflections the analytical far-field formula (equation 1) can be used. With S = Slim
which is the reference level expressed as power density (W/m2), the compliance
distance dcompliance (m) in the main beam direction can be calculated as:

P (W) is the total rms power fed to the antenna (sum of all transmitter channels
minus feeder and combiner losses) and G is the numerical far-field antenna
gain, which is given by the far-field radiation pattern received from the antenna
manufacturer.

In most near-field situations the far-field formula, equation 4, will strongly

overestimate the compliance distance. Instead the near-field formula can
be used and for an antenna with the aperture height h (m) and azimuthal
half-power beam width (degrees) the expression for the compliance distance
in the main beam direction will be:

A recommended simple structure to define compliance distances in all

directions (a compliance boundary) is a cylinder, see Figure 1 on page 6. The
analytical assessment methods described can be used for estimating the
compliance distance in front of the antenna. As a rule of thumb the distances
behind, above and below the antenna are about 1/20 of the compliance
distance in front of the antenna.

Figure 1 Simple Structure of a Compliance Boundary

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2.3 Example Determination of the Compliance Boundary

The compliance boundary for general public exposure of an antenna operating
in the 2100 MHz frequency band should be determined. The antenna has a
length of 1 meter, antenna gain of 18 dBi (which corresponds to a numerical
gain of 63) and a half power beam width of 60 degrees. The antenna has a
maximum output power of 40 dBm, which corresponds to 10 W.

dBi: 10·log10([numerical antenna gain]) = [antenna gain in dBi]

dBm: 10·log10([power in mW]) = [power in dBm]

The ICNIRP power density reference level at 2100 MHz is 10 W/m2 and the
compliance distance in front of the antenna is given by either the far-field
formula (equation 4) or the near-field formula (equation 5).

Far-field formula:

Near-field formula:

In this example the estimated compliance distance obtained by the near-field

formula should be used since this is the shortest. Hence, the compliance
distance for the general public in front of the antenna is 1.9 meters.

By using the rule of thumb, described in Section 2.2 on page 5, a cylindrical

compliance boundary can be estimated. Behind, above and below the antenna
the distance is approximately 1/20 of the compliance distance in front of the
antenna.

The diameter of the cylindrical compliance boundary is given as the sum of the
depth of the antenna and the compliance distance behind and in front of the
antenna. Assuming an antenna depth of 10 cm, the diameter of the compliance
boundary in this case is 2.1 meters. The distance above and below the antenna,
plus the antenna height gives the height of the cylindrical compliance boundary.
In this example, the cylinder height becomes 1.2 meters.

It is recommended to always round the calculated compliance boundary

dimensions upwards.

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3 General Recommendations for Public

Safety

The following should be considered as complimentary to any existing Ericsson

recommended technical or scientific guidelines:

• In the absence of compliance boundary and exposure data for any

specific configuration, estimate the maximum exposure using the methods
described in Section 2.2 on page 5. If the results indicate non-compliance
with the appropriate general public exposure limits, consider alternative
locations for the antenna installation.

• If non-authorized personnel have access to the antenna front, elevate

antennas mounted on roofs or walls to at least two meters where technically
feasible. Directional rooftop antennas pointing away from the building and
mounted at the roof edge may be considered as an alternative.

• Where antennas cannot be elevated to the recommended height, restrict

access of non-authorized personnel and consider the use of warning signs
posted at rooftop entrances and on the antenna equipment.

• Avoid mounting antennas where they can be easily reached. Antennas

mounted on building facades should be inaccessible from windows and
balconies, and it should not be possible for building service personnel to
pass directly in front of the antennas.

• To alleviate safety concerns, provide relevant information in response to

questions regarding RF safety received from local authorities and persons
living and working in the vicinity of an installation.

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4 References

ICNIRP, ‘‘Guidelines for limiting exposure to time-varying electric, magnetic,

and electromagnetic fields (up to 300 GHz)’’, International Commission on
Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, Health Physics, Vol. 74, No 4, pp 494-522,
April 1998. http://www.icnirp.de

WHO ‘‘Electromagnetic Fields and Public Health, Mobile Phones and Their
Base Stations’’, World Health Organization (WHO), Fact Sheet N193, revised
June 2000. http://www.who.org/emf

519/1999/EC, ‘‘EU Council Recommendation on the limitation of exposure of

the general public to electromagnetic fields’’, Official Journal of the European
Communities, July 1999. http://europa.eu.int

CENELEC EN 50383, ‘‘Basic standard for the calculation and measurement

of electromagnetic field strength and SAR related to human exposure from
radio base stations and fixed terminal stations for wireless telecommunication
systems (110 MHz – 40 GHz)’’, Technical Committee 106x, European
Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC), 2002.
http://www.cenelec.org

CENELEC prEN 50400, ‘‘Basic standard to demonstrate the compliance of

fixed equipment for radio transmission (110 MHz - 40 GHz) intended for use in
wireless telecommunication networks with the basic restrictions or the reference
levels related to general public exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic
fields, when put into service’’, Technical Committee 106x, European Committee
for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC), 2004. http://www.cenelec.org

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