ESB Telecoms Information Relating to Communication Masts and Health

ESB Telecoms regards the protection of the health, safety and welfare of its staff and the general public as a core company value in all its activities. In this regard ESB Telecoms recognises that some individuals are genuinely concerned about issues in relation to telecommunications base stations and health. ESB Telecoms is committed to addressing these concerns by:

1. Operating in accordance with the most up-to-date recommendations and guidelines of the various expert and independent international bodies. ESB Telecoms has a policy of adhering to the international and national standards
2. Providing relevant information about non-ionising radiation
3. Answering any questions/concerns raised by the general public
4. Continually monitoring scientific research in this area

Many well-recognised national and international bodies have carried out studies into the effect of non-ionising radiation on the general public. As a result of this research, international standards have been developed. These agencies include:

• The World Health Organisation (WHO)
• International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)
• Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulations (ODTR)
• ComReg, the Commission for Communications Regulation
• The European Union (EU)
• The Irish Government
• The British Government

Standards for emission limits of non-ionising radiation.

The International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) was founded in 1992 and it is an independent, scientific organisation. ICNIRP was established for the purpose of advancing Non-Ionising Radiation Protection for the benefit of people and the environment and in particular to provide guidance and recommendations on protection from Non Ionising Radiation (NIR) exposure.

ICNIRP operates in co-operation with the Environmental Health Division of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Environment Programme. In 1998, ICNIRP issued a position paper on the health and safety aspects of NIR. This reviewed both thermal and athermal effects and its conclusion endorsed the 1988 guidelines produced by the IRPA.

It should be noted that the European Commission put out a recommendation which proposed to limit exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields 0 Hz-300 GHz based on a set of basic restrictions and reference levels developed internationally under the advice of ICNIRP. In relation to emissions within the radio spectrum, these limits are equivalent to the ICNIRP guideline limits used by Commission for Communication Regulation.

Standards

There is nothing to suggest that there are any adverse effects to exposure to telecommunication masts. When asked for information on telecoms masts the Irish Government issued the following statement :

"No government nor any national or international health advisory authority is suggesting that the radio-frequency emissions from mobile phone base stations antennae represent a hazard to health. The strength at ground level of the signals from these antennae are of the order of one-thousandth the strength that ICNIRP would still consider safe. In the Dublin area, for example, the signal strengths from television stations and local radio stations are an order of magnitude higher - but still well within safe levels. Mobile phone systems operate in the UHF band at frequencies formerly allocated to TV broadcasting. " (Tom McManus - Chief Technical Advisor, Dept. of Public Enterprise)

The table below illustrates where telecoms base stations fall in relation to other everyday emissions. As stated by Tom McManus above, mobile equipment works in the frequencies normally assigned to either radio or television.

	Source of Radiation	Nature	Frequency	Strength (watts sq. m)	Exposure Limit (watts sq. m)
1	The Sun	Infra-red	300GHz - 385THz	580	100
2	The human body	Microwave	300MHz - 300GHz	0.003	10
	Microwave Oven	Microwave	2.45GHz	2.0	10
3	RTE radio	Medium wave	1200kHz	0.0013
3	LW radio	Long wave	252 kHz	0.0009
3	Mobile Phone Tower	Microwave	947 MHz	0.000005
3	UHF - TV	Microwave	550 MHz	0.000033
4	UHF - TV	Microwave	487 MHz	0.000011
4	FM radio	VHF	94.8 MHz	0.000015
4	Mobile Phone Tower	Microwave	900 MHz	0.000037

Table 1

Notes Re: Table 1:

(1) Data for Irish latitudes on a sunny day
(2) Information on human body taken from the World Health Organisation (WHO) Environmental Health Criteria No. 137 published in 1993.
(3) These were the highest RF measurements observed by Forbairt at Glasnevin in Dublin while measuring RF field strengths across the spectrum. Data has been converted to watts/sq. m to facilitate comparison.
(4) Measurements made in December 1997 in rural areas near transmitters.

A joint committee of the Oireachtas on Public Enterprise and Transport carried out an in-depth study on Emissions from Communications Masts and their report was issued in December 1998. In its conclusion, the report stated that

"all the available evidence to the Joint Committee does not indicate a health hazard from telecommunications masts and does not even consider that the precautionary principle should be invoked".

All the information available indicates that mobile base stations are not harmful to the health of the general public. The government has accepted this view but they have not ruled out making any changes if any new information should arise.

"Should evidence emerge that this form of radiation is causing an unacceptable public health risk appropriate remedial measures will be put in place immediately by the Department of Health and Children"
(Joint Committee on Public Enterprise and Transport Report on Non-Ionising Microwave Radiation Emissions from Communications Masts)

Compliance with Emission Limits

ComReg carry out annual audits of all the telecoms operators and their base station equipment. This follows a recommendation made in the Stewart Report. It recommended (section 6.54) the setting up of an ongoing independent audit of base stations. Base stations are selected at random and their emissions are registered and compared to the standards issued by the ICNIRP. The National Electronic Technology Centre (NETC) in Enterprise Ireland was chosen to carry out the external audits.

NETC is the only Irish agency accredited by the National Accreditation Board (NAB) to measure the levels of non-ionising radiation from telecoms masts. The NETC is accredited in accordance with the European harmonised standards where the requirements of independence, impartiality and integrity must be complied with. On the basis of the results detailed in the publication 01/85, ComReg was able to confirm that all operators audited met the necessary requirements

The results of this audit are available on the ComReg website www.comreg.ie

Finally as stated before, ESB Telecoms is committed to continually monitoring advances in research and technology and is responding accordingly to provide the safest service possible to the public. Further information can be found in the following publications :

• Office of the Director of telecommunications Regulation (ComReg), Compliance with emissions limits for non-ionising radiation, Third Audit report 2001.
• The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Public Enterprise and Transport, report on, Non-Ionising Microwave Radiation Emissions from Communication Mast.
• Department of the Environment Guidelines for Planning Authorities for Telecommunications Antennae and Support Structures 1996.
• World Health Organisation Fact Sheet No. 193, Electromagnetic Fields and Public Health: Mobile phones and their base stations.
• British Department of Health - Information leaflet on Mobile phone base stations and health.
• Swedish Radiation Protection Institute - Radiation from mobile telephone base stations