EMF Guideline:
Radio frequency radiation

Minimize your exposure to radio frequency radiation as much as possible.

In areas where you spend more than 4 hours a day,
keep your exposure at least below the recommended precautionary values.

Precautionary values

RF source (peak hold value)

Radio broadcast (FM)

TETRA

DVB-T

DECT cordless phone

GSM: 2G wireless communications system

UMTS: 3G wireless communications system

LTE: 4G wireless communications system

Wi-Fi: 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz (10 Hz pulse)

DAB+ (10.4 Hz pulse)

GPRS: 2.5G with PTCOH (8.33 Hz pulse)

µW/m2

µW/m2

µW/m2

µW/m2

µW/m2

µW/m2

µW/m2

µW/m2

µW/m2

µW/m2

Sensitive
populations

100

10

10

1

1

1

1

0.1

Different RF sources have different precautionary values due to their different signal characteristics;
see Supplement 3 for the specific crest factor, pulse frequency and characteristic of each listed RF source.

0.1

0.1

LTE — Long Term Evolution (4G)
PTCCH — Packet Timing Control Channel
TETRA — Terrestrial Trunked Radio
UMTS — Universal Mobile Telecommunications (3G)

DAB+ — Digital Audio Broadcasting
DECT — Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications
DVB-T — Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial
GPRS — General Packet Radio Service (2.5g)
GSM — Global System for Mobile Communications (2G)

Daytime exposure

10,000

1,000

1,000

100

100

100

100

10

10

10

Nighttime exposure

1,000

100

100

10

10

10

10

1

1

1

Measurement specifications

Basis for evaluation

  • Peak hold / max hold value

  • Short-term spot measurement

  • Across bed or workplace

  • Identify RF source(s)

The EUROPAEM EMF Guideline for the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of EMF-related Health Problems and Illnesses has been published in the journal Reviews on Environmental Health and is available as a free download: EN (original) | DE (translation).

Last modified on 13 February 2025

Measuring instruments and methods

  • Spectrum analyzer or band-specific RF meter

  • Isotropic, biconical, or logarithmic-periodic antenna

  • Electric field in V/m or
    calculated power density in µW/m2

  • RF sources:
    Radio and TV transmitters
    Cell antenna sites: TETRA, GMS, UMTS, LTE
    Cordless phones: DECT
    Wi-Fi
    WiMAX