Determination Of Level Of Radio Frequency Field Exposure To Military Personnel From Tactical Field Expedient Antenna

ABSTRACT Radio communication is an integral part of any military operation. This helps commanders at all levels to achieve command and control in their operational environment. The employment of these radios with their corresponding antennas has led to an increase in the concern of the potential health risks that may arise as a result of exposure to radio frequency (RF) radiations. The main objective of this research was to determine the levels of radio frequency field exposure to military personnel from tactical expedient antennas. The electric field strength and Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of selected military radio antenna were measured at various distances from radio antennas locations in the Burma Camp barracks and analysed during real-time transmission. The radios antennas were selected based on their employment in the field of operations: base station, manpack vehicle mount and handheld (SAR). At a transmission frequency of 5.52 MHz, the maximum power density measured for the base station, manpack and vehicle-mounted radiating antennas were 9.05𝑥 10−7 𝑊⁄𝑚2, 3.359𝑥 10−4 𝑊⁄𝑚2and 4.23𝑥 10−6 𝑊⁄𝑚2 respectively. The general public and occupational exposure quotients for base station radiating antenna were 3.22𝑥10−9 and1.67𝑥10−10, manpack were 7.14𝑥 10−2 and 3.22𝑥10−9 and vehicle mounted were 9.71𝑥 10−3 and 2.67𝑥10−14 respectively. The SAR value for the handheld radio antenna was measured to be SAR 0.19 W/Kg for 10g and 0.31 W/Kg for 1g of tissue with a peak SAR of 0.46 W/Kg at the surface of the tissue. The results obtained for both the field and laboratory measurements were found to be in compliance with the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) RF exposure limit