The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) has released a new radio wave safety standard offering health protection for Australians.
ARPANSA’s Standard for Limiting Exposure to Radiofrequency Fields, improves the accuracy of its measurements in 23 of 32 exposure limits with a small number of sections removed from the Standard due to irrelevance over time and other which are covered in other Standards
Assistant Director, Assessment and Advice at ARPANSA, Ken Karipidis said the new Standard was an update of the Agency’s 2002 Standard and specified the limits of human exposure for workers and the general public to radiofrequency (RF) fields, which includes radio waves used in wireless communications such as Wi-Fi and 5G.
“The exposure limits in the new Standard continue to be set conservatively, meaning they remain well below the level at which any harm can occur, and will protect the community from all new and existing technologies using radio waves,” Dr Karipidis said.
“The new Standard was developed using the updated international guidelines set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the vast body of scientific research across the whole spectrum of radiofrequency electromagnetic energy,” he said.
Dr Karipidis said Australia was one of the first countries in the world to update its radio wave Standard based on the new international guidelines.
He said the new Standard was now in effect and was expected to be implemented by the relevant regulatory bodies in telecommunications, manufacturing and health sectors over the coming months.
ARPANSA said research was continuing in many countries into possible effects on health arising from RF exposure.
It said that in recognition of the research, its Radiation Health Committee would continue to monitor the results and, where necessary, issue amendments to the Standard.
ARPANSA’s 40-page Standard for Limiting Exposure to Radiofrequency Fields can be accessed at this PS News link with its Q&A on RF electromagnetic energy accessible at this link.
