Methodological challenges in near-field exposure assessment of personnel operating military radio equipment using personal exposimeters: Possible difficulties in compliance analysis

In this study we report on the relationship between the field strength (both electric and magnetic components) measured by the exposimeter placed in the upper pocket of a group of subjects equipped with a backpacked military radio transceiver (VHF) and the unperturbed field values at the location of the human body/exposimeter position without the human body present. We propose correction factors for the investigated scenarios, for different spatial averaging methods and discuss methodological challenges in near field exposure assessment.