Challenges and Opportunities from the Out-of-Band Sensitivity of Data Loggers in a (Quasi)Autonomous Evaluation of Electromagnetic Exposure

The investigations examined the applicability of radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic field (EMF) data loggers (DL), readily available on the market, for assessing worker exposure to the strong EMF (i.e. near its sources) in the microenvironment where strong and complex (in the frequency domain) exposure may exist – at frequencies within the DL's declared measurement frequency band and outside of it (out-of-band frequency), e.g. exposure to RF and also 50 Hz (out-of-band) EMF. The results of laboratory tests and field studies show that, based on: (i) the real RF-DL metrological parameters (including its out-of-band sensitivity) and (ii) the frequency pattern of EMF in a microenvironment under question, as anticipated from previous tests, a possible false detection that it is a highly RF-exposed environment may be reinterpreted into the relevant evaluating of exposure to the out-of-band frequency EMF component. Using the approach of three-step exposure evaluation (including: (1) laboratory tests on the out-of-band sensitivity of available RF-DL; (2) environmental tests of real frequency pattern of exposure in the microenvironment under question; (3) expert-assisted interpretation of the results of RF-DL measurements), may technically allow the extension of the frequency range of workers’ EMF exposure (beyond measurement frequency ranges declared for DLs available on the market), which may be (quasi)autonomously monitored in a real working environment with respect to its timing and level.