A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF AMBIENT ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION AT BASE TOWER STATIONS IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS IN KUALA NERUS

Abstract

Introduction: Mobile communications have developed into an integral component of our daily life. The growing demand for mobile communication services in Kuala Nerus has seen an increase in the installation of base station towers (BST) in residential areas, as well as near schools, and hospitals. Kuala Nerus was selected as a study location because it is a newly developed district in Terengganu, hence, it is crucial to perform electromagnetic radiation (EMR) measurements in the early stages. Mobile service providers typically expand the number of base stations to improve signal reception in anticipation of increasing demand. Objective/aim: This study aimed to measure the RF EMR exposure level in residential areas in Kuala Nerus by measuring the strength of its electric field (EF) strength and power density (PD) value while comparing it with the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)’s standard guidelines which is 61 (V/m) or 1000 (µW/cm²). This study also developed a GIS map showing EMR exposure levels in residential areas at selected BSTs in Kuala Nerus. Materials and methods: Measurements were made using NARDA NBM 550, connected to a probe that could detect frequencies from 100kHz to 6GHz since Kuala Nerus only comply with 2G, 3G and 4G network. The data collection period for each point was approximately 6 minutes during daytime. Results: Average radiation levels in terms of EF strength at all locations were found to vary between 0.26 (V/m) to 3.35 (V/m) equivalent to (PD value about 0.02 µW/cm² to 2.97 µW/cm²). The highest level was measured at Surau Kg Pok Tuyu, which was 5.48%. This ambient is 18 times lower than the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) exposure limit for public areas and all the peak recorded levels were within the limits mentioned in the standard guidelines. The EMR saturation value was used to develop the GIS mapping by applying the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) Interpolation technique and a colour-code map of Kuala Nerus was produced. Conclusion: The RF value obtained does not exceed the standard limit, which in turn contributes indirectly to health monitoring initiatives for public NIR exposure. This study found that exposure levels in selected BSTs in residential areas in Kuala Nerus were within the standard guideline limits.