Radiofrequency radiation in five Vancouver schools: exposure standards not exceeded

Although the purpose of the survey was to determine the actual levels of RF radiation in the analog (first-generation cellular phone) and personal communication services (PCS, the new generation of digital cellular phone) cellular base-station frequency bands, measurements also covered AM, FM and TV broadcast frequencies where possible. We present a brief report of the survey findings and compare the results with the exposure limits outlined in Health Canada's Safety Code 6.' The RF radiation exposure limits specified in the code are based on a review of the scientific research conducted over the past 30 years on the health effects of RF radiation exposure. Effects of exposure at levels well above the limits include burns, cataracts, behavioural changes and damage to the central nervous system.2 These effects could occur at very high environmental levels of RF radiation, such as on the axis of a high-power stationary radar antenna at a few metres from the source, which is unlikely to exist in the general environment. No health effects from chronic exposure to RF radiation below the limits defined in the safety code have been conclusively demonstrated.