A critical note to the standard procedure for assessing exposure to GSM electromagnetic field

• Two different methodologies to measure the peak exposure Emax in the GSM band are compared.
• The relative error between methodologies depends on the type of channel and the system’s load.
• Constant-amplitude hypothesis assumed by measurement standard doesn’t hold at measurement point.
• The most appropriate method can be chosen only with knowledge of channels’ historical behavior.

The paper presents the experimental characterization of the maximum electromagnetic field generated by the GSM system measured by two methodologies, with the aim to provide a critical approach to the procedure indicated in the standards for exposure assessment. Results show that maximum exposure is unexpectedly variable over time and that the relative error between the two methodologies depends on the measurement conditions. Based on the experimental evidence, the standard assessment procedure may turn out to underestimate the peak exposure, thus leading to a less conservative estimate of the peak exposure than it is sough for.