What are the exposure limits for mobile communications in other countries?

Many countries have legal provisions similar to Germany’s in order to regulate the maximum strength of high-frequency electromagnetic fields used for mobile communications. Most of these limits are based on the guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP): a field strength of 41 volts per metre for GSM networks operating at the 900 MHz frequency band, 57 volts per metre for GSM networks operating at 1800 MHz and 61 volts per metre for UMTS.

The European Union also referred to these ICNIRP guidelines in its EU Council Recommendation 1999/519/EG (1999). Many EU states, such as Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden followed the EU Council Recommendation when establishing their national limits. Beyond the EU, states such as South Korea, Israel, Singapore and South Africa also refer to the ICNIRP guidelines.

Internationally, United States, Canadian and Taiwanese exposure limits follow the recommendations of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The limits set out in the IEEE Standard for Safety Levels with Respect to Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields are, however, similar to the exposure guidelines of the ICNIRP. The IEEE proposes field strength limits of 47.5 volts per metre for 900 MHz (GSM) as well as 61 volts per metre for 1800 MHz (GSM) and 2165 MHz (UMTS).

The installation exposure limits in Switzerland

Some countries, for example Switzerland, have established exposure limits that lie considerably below the ICNIRP guidelines. In principle, the same exposure limits apply here as in Germany, where they are laid down in the 26th Ordinance Implementing the Federal Immission Control Act (Verordnung über elektromagnetische Felder zum Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetz – 26 BImSchV). In Switzerland exposure limits have been regulated by the Ordinance Relating to Protection from Non-Ionising Radiation (Verordnung über den Schutz vor nicht ionisierender Strahlung – NISV) since 1 February 2000.

But Switzerland has established a second set of exposure limits in addition to these regulations. These are so-called installation exposure limits which apply, for instance, to mobile network installations and wireless local loops. They concern places of sensitive use such as rooms in buildings and kindergartens, where field strength is limited by the factor 10. For GSM networks transmitting in the range of 900 MHz the installation exposure limit is 4.0 volts per metre and for GSM networks in the range of 1800 MHz it is 6.0 volts per metre. In practice, many German mobile network installations also follow these Swiss limits.

Switzerland did not reduce its installation exposure limits based on scientifically proven and reproducible research. Their restrictions followed a political agenda, satisfying demand for precautionary measures, which has proved to be a problem. Founding limits on assumptions only, without a scientific basis, was counterproductive and resulted in an increase in public insecurity about potential health risks.

Exposure limit assessment by the SSK

The German Commission on Radiological Protection (Strahlenschutzkommission des Bundes – SSK) concluded that “even after the assessment of the most recent scientific literature we have not found any new developments regarding proven adverse health effects that could raise doubts about the scientific evaluations forming the basis for the protective concepts of the ICNIRP or the EU Council Recommendations” (recommendation of the SSK, September 2001).