The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Authority (ARPANSA) has released a consultation draft for a new safety standard for exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic energy, also known as radio waves.
The Authority said the safety standard, Standard for Limiting Exposure to Radiofrequency Fields, set limits for public and occupational exposure across all types of radio waves.
“Radio waves are part of daily life,” ARPANSA said.
“They are produced from services such as radio, television and mobile telecommunications – including the 5G network – as well as household consumer products like microwave ovens and WiFi networks,” it said.
Chief Executive of ARPANSA, Carl-Magnus Larsson said the standard was based on guidelines published by the International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and supported by the World Health Organization.
“Australia is one of the first jurisdictions to update the exposure standard for radio waves to align with the new ICNIRP guidance,” Dr Larsson said.
“In line with the ICNIRP guidelines, the exposure limits set in the draft ARPANSA safety standard are similar to those in the 2002 standard, with some refinements,” he said.
“These refinements take into account current scientific knowledge of how radio waves are absorbed within the body.”
“The draft safety standard is applicable to all sources of radio waves including the 5G mobile network and future telecommunications.”
Dr Larson said stakeholders were invited to provide feedback and input as part of ARPANSA’s consultation process.
The consultation is open until 30 September and the Authority’s 40-page draft with information on how to lodge a comment can be accessed on the ARPANSA website at this PS News link.
