SAR and Radiation Hazards
Webinar Recording: September 09, 2016
Presented by Jay Moulton
Radio products must comply with radiation exposure requirements to limit the impact of RF energy on human health. The requirements for devices depends largely on the output power and the use of the device. The limits for “safe exposure” are slightly different across different approvals regimens, but the FCC limits are considered to be the most stringent in the world. The FCC mandates the “routine environmental evaluation” be performed for all radio frequency transmitters. The devil, as they say, is in the details.
Many challenges exist when measuring these quantities. The assessment depends on the distance of the radio transmitter from the human body, whether it be the head, hands or torso. Different techniques are used, and different limits apply.
Other international organizations develop assessment methods and limits, notably the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), which has been working since 1992 to assess the health aspects of non-ionizing radiation (as opposed to the ionizing kind—alpha, beta, gamma and X-rays).
Several elements of health effects on humans are explored in this webinar. Concepts related to the measurement and quantification of RF energy will be discussed, including:
- Evolution of the Exposure Requirements
- Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE)
- Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)
- Human Body Models
- Sampling techniques
- Summation and multiple-emitter quantification
- Evolution of RF Safety Standards
- New measurement technologies
We will explore the requirements for the protection of human health and safety from radio frequency energy. The original requirements for protection of persons from radio frequency energy grew out of research conducted in the 1950s and 1960s, as radio services expanded. The original requirements, in the US, were promulgated under ANSI C95.1, which was originally issued in 1974. Since then, volumes of studies, measurements, reports and discussion have swirled around the issues of the safety of radio frequency fields.
Jay Moulton is Vice President and Chief Technical Officer at RF Exposure Labs. Jay has been making SAR measurements since the inception of requirements for radio frequency requirements for portable devices. He is active on industry groups and consults with manufacturers and designers on the essence of SAR compliances. Jay’s expertise in RF exposure requirements and compliance includes highly complex multiple radio configurations and operational modes for mobile phones, tablets, push-to-talk radios, WiFI “Hotspots” and related RF equipment.
