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. 2021 Feb 14;18(4):1857.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18041857.

Personal Exposure Assessment to Wi-Fi Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields in Mexican Microenvironments

Raquel Ramirez-Vazquez  1 , Jesus Gonzalez-Rubio  2 , Isabel Escobar  1 , Carmen Del Pilar Suarez Rodriguez  3 , Enrique Arribas  1
Affiliations

Personal Exposure Assessment to Wi-Fi Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields in Mexican Microenvironments

Raquel Ramirez-Vazquez et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

In recent years, personal exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields (RF-EMF) has substantially increased, and most studies about RF-EMF with volunteers have been developed in Europe. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study carried out in Mexico with personal exposimeters. The main objective was to measure personal exposure to RF-EMF from Wireless Fidelity or wireless Internet connection (Wi-Fi) frequency bands in Tamazunchale, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, to compare results with maximum levels permitted by international recommendations and to find if there are differences in the microenvironments subject to measurements. The study was conducted with 63 volunteers in different microenvironments: home, workplace, outside, schools, travel, and shopping. The mean minimum values registered were 146.5 μW/m2 in travel from the Wi-Fi 2G band and 116.8 μW/m2 at home from the Wi-Fi 5G band, and the maximum values registered were 499.7 μW/m2 and 264.9 μW/m2 at the workplace for the Wi-Fi 2G band and the Wi-Fi 5G band, respectively. In addition, by time period and type of day, minimum values were registered at nighttime, these values being 129.4 μW/m2 and 93.9 μW/m2, and maximum values were registered in the daytime, these values being 303.1 μW/m2 and 168.3 μW/m2 for the Wi-Fi 2G and Wi-Fi 5G bands, respectively. In no case, values exceeded limits established by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Of the study participants (n = 63), a subgroup (n = 35) answered a survey on risk perception. According to these results, the Tamazunchale (Mexico) population is worried about this situation in comparison with several European cities; however, the risk perception changes when they are informed about the results for the study.

Keywords: microenvironments; personal exposure; radiofrequency electromagnetic fields; risk perception; wi-fi band.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Location of the houses of each participating volunteer (green icon for women and red icon for men).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Registered mean for Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields (RF-EMF) from Wi-Fi bands by time period and type of day (μW/m2).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Registered mean for RF-EMF from Wi-Fi bands in each microenvironment (μW/m2).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Georeferenced Map with the Wi-Fi 2G band (2400–2500 MHz) exposure levels (μW/m2), recorded at volunteers’ homes indicated with black dots.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Georeferenced Map with the Wi-Fi 5G band (5150–5850 MHz) exposure levels (μW/m2), recorded at volunteers’ homes indicated with black dots.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Risk perception by volunteers about possible effects of RF-EMF on people’s health.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Comparison of risk perception before and after the study. The arithmetic mean of each group is depicted with a red “✕”
Figure 8
Figure 8
Mean exposure from the Wi-Fi 2G and Wi-Fi 5G bands by microenvironments, time period and type of day (μW/m2).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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