OccRF-Health study: occupational exposure of workers to RF-EMF
Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) exposure, ubiquitous in our environment due to the rise in mobile phones and wireless technology, has grown significantly in the last 30 years. This exposure is generally low in everyday environments, but certain occupations, like those in the medical s...
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| Format: | doctoral thesis |
| Status: | Published version |
| Publication Date: | 2024 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | CBUC, CESCA |
| Repository: | TDR. Tesis Doctorales en Red |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:www.tdx.cat:10803/690904 |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10803/690904 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | RF-EMF occupational exposure Job Exposure Matrix (JEM) Personal measurements Occupational exposure assessment Brain tumors INTEROCC Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF- EMF) Exposición profesional a RF-EMF Matriz de Exposición Laboral (JEM) Mediciones personales Evaluación de la exposición profesional Tumores cerebrales Campos electromagnéticos de radiofrecuencia (RF-EMF) 616.8 |
| Summary: | Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) exposure, ubiquitous in our environment due to the rise in mobile phones and wireless technology, has grown significantly in the last 30 years. This exposure is generally low in everyday environments, but certain occupations, like those in the medical sector or telecommunications, involve high-intensity RF-EMF exposure scenarios. Although studies on RF-EMF's health effects, particularly its link to brain tumors, are inconclusive, the International Agency of Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies it as possibly carcinogenic (Group 2B). The current limitations in exposure assessment might contribute to these inconclusive findings. This thesis aims to i) perform full-shift personal RF-EMF measurements in various occupations, ii) compare measurements performed to the exposure estimates in the previously developed INTEROCC RF-JEM iii) explore the link between occupational RF-EMF exposure and brain tumors in the INTEROCC study using the RF-JEM. Personal RF-EMF measurements were carried out on 333 workers across 46 ISCO88 occupations using body-worn exposimeters. These measurements revealed that exposures exceeding 1% of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) 1998 occupational standards were uncommon and typically of short duration, with exposure levels surpassing ICNIRP standards being confined to specific occupations and generally lasting only a few seconds. This data was used to conduct a comparison of estimated exposure profiles with the INTEROCC RF- JEM. Results showed poor agreement overall, likely due to the different exposure assessment methods used to create the exposure estimates. In the context of the INTEROCC case-control study, the use of the RF-JEM did not find clear positive associations overall across the range of exposure metrics and time periods evaluated. Only marginally increased Odds Ratios (ORs) for gliomas in both electric (E) and magnetic (H) fields, particularly in the 1 to 4 years exposure period prior to diagnosis were found. The findings of this thesis suggest that accurately depicting personal occupational exposure to RF-EMF in various occupations is complex and challenging, and still limited by several factors. Further personal measurements of occupational RF-EMF exposure are necessary, particularly in highly-exposed occupations. This would enhance our understanding of the reliability of these exposure assessments and their implications for epidemiological findings related to brain tumor risks. |
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