Effect of adverse environmental conditions and protective clothing on temperature rise in a human body exposed to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields

• Published in: Bioelectromagnetics Vol. 38; no. 5; pp. 356 - 363
• Main Authors: Moore, Stephen M., McIntosh, Robert L., Iskra, Steve, Lajevardipour, Alireza, Wood, Andrew W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.07.2017
• Subjects: Ambient temperature; Body temperature; Computer simulation; Electromagnetic fields; Electromagnetic Fields - adverse effects; Environmental conditions; Exposure; Guidelines; High temperature; Human body; Humans; Humidity; Low frequency; Occupational exposure; occupational safety; Protective Clothing; Radiation Exposure - prevention & control; Radio frequency; Radio Waves - adverse effects; radiofrequency safety standards; RF‐EMF worker; Safety; Temperature; Temperature effects; temperature rise; Thermal response; protective clothing; RF-EMF worker; radiofrequency safety standards; temperature rise; occupational safety
• ISSN: 0197-8462; 1521-186X; 1521-186X
• DOI: 10.1002/bem.22048

This study considers the computationally determined thermal profile of a finely discretized, heterogeneous human body model, simulating a radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF‐EMF) worker wearing protective clothing subject to RF‐EMF exposure, and subject to various environmental conditions including high ambient temperature and high humidity, with full thermoregulatory mechanisms in place. How the human body responds in various scenarios was investigated, and the information was used to consider safety limits in current international RF‐EMF safety guidelines and standards. It was found that different environmental conditions had minimal impact on the magnitude of the thermal response due to RF‐EMF exposure, and that the current safety factor of 10 applied in international RF‐EMF safety guidelines and standards for RF‐EMF workers is generally conservative, though it is only narrowly so when workers are subjected to the most adverse environmental conditions. Bioelectromagnetics. 38:356–363, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.