Due to the need of human beings to communicate and share information between individuals who are in different locations, generally not close, but rather distant, it is that they arise from the inventions of William Marconi (Bologna, April 25, 1874 - Rome, July 20, 1937), telecommunications services using wireless technology, that is, transmission of information using the air as a communication channel. These wireless telecommunications services include FM sound broadcasting services (88 MHz to 108 MHz), AM sound broadcasting (540 KHz to 1710 KHz), and television broadcasting), mobile phone services, communications with private networks such as radio taxis,or surveillance companies who use transceivers that operate in the VHF (30 MHz to 300 MHz) and UHF (300 MHz to 3000 MHz) bands.
Technological advances in telecommunications, electronics and software engineering have made it possible for the cost of electronic equipment to lower its prices, and improve its performance both at the transmission and reception levels. This resulted in the massive use of mobile phone devices. This increase in the consumption of mobile phone services results in operators increasing in turn the number of infrastructure facilities in cities, and more in cities with medium or high demographic density, due to the need to cover the territory where provide this type of public service.
At this point, I must specify that these telecommunications services (broadcasting, mobile telephony, private communications, microwaves) are services that use radio frequencies that are in the range of non-ionizing radiation, as established by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE for its acronym in English). But what is non-ionizing radiation? The National Cancer Institute (USA) defines it as "A type of low-energy radiation that does not have enough energy to eliminate an electron (negative particle) from an atom or molecule… It has been established that most types of non-ionizing radiation do not cause cancer ”.
There is a natural concern on the part of the population about whether radiation causes adverse health effects, this concern has reached academic levels, with positions of various kinds, ".. the inevitable energy emissions from both large lines or high voltage transformers like telecommunication networks, they have reached the undesirable social category of new concern in a society increasingly beset by easements… ”(Pedro Costa Morata, 2005, p.50).; other studies propose from the point of view of its harmfulness "Radio frequency radiation emitted by mobile telephony is located in the lower part of the electromagnetic spectrum, they are not ionizing and produce thermal effects." (Emilia Sánchez, 2002, Editorial).
This very sensitive issue, about the effects that the propagation of electromagnetic waves can cause in human tissue, has led most residents to consider the frequency emissions of the mobile phone service as a dangerous emission and harmful to health. However, they do not have the same opinion about other radio frequency emissions such as broadcasting.
A priori, from the point of view of the citizen, it is about moving the mobile phone antennas as far as possible, however, the main parameter is not the distance, but the amount of energy that reaches a certain point, since this energy It depends on the transmission power and frequency mainly. Faced with this problem, the World Health Organization (WHO) has established precautionary measures, which many states established within their respective territories as part of their laws and regulations, in which the frequency range of the entire spectrum is considered. radioelectric without mentioning the service provided, and in which Maximum Permissible, measurable and comparable limits are established.
In situ measurement is undoubtedly the starting point for a better analysis; In this case, the question would be what do we measure? and the answer is the level of radiation, or amount of electromagnetic energy that we receive, regardless of who produces it. This level of radiation that we receive is called “radioelectric immission” and mainly, in this range of frequencies of telecommunications services (3MHz to 3000MHz) the intensity of the electric field is measured.
Faced with the dilemma over the harmfulness of electromagnetic radiation on human tissues, it is first important to know which is the main factor in radioelectric immission measurements, given that there are several industrial and industrial applications throughout the electromagnetic spectrum (9KHz to 300GHz). telecommunications and different behaviors of electromagnetic waves according to the range of frequencies on which they operate.
Most people understand that the main problem in body conditions caused by radioelectric emissions are caused by mobile phone service stations, based only on the frequency parameter; but they do not take into account the other telecommunications services where the power levels are higher and in similar frequency conditions, but they understand that if the whole is measured and it is permissible, its parts will also be permissible. A detailed study of the measurement of power density (also called power energy density or pointing vector) will indicate which is the service with the highest energy contribution.
There are then common points between public perception and scientific explanation:
- Periodic measurements should be made and their results published Measure amount of electromagnetic energy at certain points (immission) Measurements must be reliable (trained personnel and specialized equipment) Administrations must agree to any concerns from the population.
Manuel Gonzalez Del Carpio
