EFM Overview & Situation in

Argentina

María Laura Villarreal

RF Engineer
TELECOM SA (Mobile operator)
Buenos Aires, Argentina
2017
Content

• Introduction
• Electromagnetic radiation
• Electromagnetic radiation & health
• Regulation in Argentina
• Official Approach in Argentina
• The Carriers Role
• Final Considerations
• Resources
Introduction

Mobile telephony is now commonplace around the world.

This wireless technology relies upon an extensive network of
fixed antennas, or base stations, relaying information with
radiofrequency (RF) signals.
The antennas work through the emission of electromagnetic
waves, making communication possible. There is a variety of
antennas whose size and use depends on the service
provided: antennas of AM and FM radio, television antennas,
mobile telephony, among others.
Electromagnetic radiation
Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) or electromagnetic energy
(EME) is a natural form of energy composed of linked
electric and magnetic fields that propagate or move through
a medium or empty space.
 .
Electromagnetic radiation
All these manifestations of energy propagation can be classified
into two large groups depending on the ability to ionize matter,
that is, the ability to remove electrons from the irradiated
substances and transform them into ions.

Non-ionizing radiation has very low energy, a million times less

than necessary to break chemical bonds and, therefore, are unable
to produce an ionization. This kind of radiation include optical
radiation (ultraviolet, visible, infrared and laser) and radiation low
frequency electromagnetic waves and relatively long wavelengths.
Mobile telephony, radio and TV stations, the computing,
navigation systems, remote sensing, defense systems and other
applications are examples of some of them.
 .
Electromagnetic radiation & health
EFFECTS OF NON IONIZING RADIATIONS
The analysis of the effects of Non-Ionizing Radiation is highly
complex, due to the different interactions, that the
electromagnetic fields can have with the biological tissue,
depending mainly on its frequency, its associated power and the
characteristics of the irradiated tissue. That is why a basic
terminological distinction is necessary:
Biological Effects: take place when exposure to EM fields
produces a remarkable or detectable change in a biological
system.
Health Hazard Effects: occur when a biological effect is above the
range that the body itself can compensate and thus entail some
detriment in the health condition.
 .
Electromagnetic radiation & health
Radiofrequency exposure limits for mobile phone users are given in terms of
Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) – the rate of radiofrequency energy absorption per
unit mass of the body. Currently, two international institutions (the International
Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)) have developed exposure guidelines
for workers and for the general public. These guidelines are based on a detailed
assessment of the available scientific evidence.
 .
Regulation in Argentina
General Public
• Resolución MSyAS N° 202/95: National safety standard for the exposure
of non-ionizing radiation. Ministry of Health and Social Action.
• Resolución SC 530/00: It provides the mandatory application for all
telecommunications systems of Resolution 202/95.
• Resolución CNC 3690/04: It establishes that the holders of radio stations
must present a report with the measurements of the radioelectric
emissions of the installed antennas, according to the evaluation protocol
described in this resolution.

All the resolutions referred are harmonized with the limits recommended by
the World Health Organization. Some districts have developed their own
standards but have always respected the values limits already indicated
 .
Regulation in Argentina
Occupational
• Resolución Ministerio de Trabajo 295/2003: This regulation is the first
at a national level that covers the entire spectrum of Non-ionizing
radiation, starting from the direct current (remember that it is not a
radiation) to UV radiation. This is a resolution only applicable to
occupational environments.

The resolution has more restrictive levels than the ones recommended by
the WHO. Next, the limit values ​set by the same for the most important
applications and the relevant comparison will be made with the values
recommended by the World Health Organization (Based on the
recommendations of the ICNIRP) for each frequency spectrum.
 .
Regulation in Argentina
The red line corresponds to the values ​established by Resolution MT 295/2003.
The Black graph corresponds to the values ​recommended by the WHO /
ICNIRP.
 .
Regulation in Argentina
Although the regulation in Argentina follows the recommendation ​by the
WHO / ICNIRP, there is a problem of jurisdiction that has to be solved.
While services, radiofrequencies and the setting of standards for non-
ionizing radiation conform responsibilities of the Federal State, the
environmental aspects are competences of the provinces (which has its
own environmental agencies). Finally, the municipal level regulates the
civil works and the location of the antennas through local resolutions.
So there is a profuse legislation and heterogeneous situations among
the provinces, diversity of criteria and superposition of actions between
the provincial and local levels.
Official Approach. in Argentina
In the recent years, the ENACOM (Ente Nacional de las
Comunicaciones) has tried to organize and impulse the deployment of
the mobile communications.
The institution has driven a campaign called ‘ANTENAS AMIGABLES’
(friendly antennas), where the objectives are:
• Provide information about the regulation and how the antennas
work to the community.
• Show that the actual federal regulation is respected.
• Harmonize all the jurisdictional levels of regulation, mainly to the
municipal level.
Site: ANTENAS AMIGABLES
Official Approach. in Argentina
As part of the campaign,
ENACOM maintains a systematic
program of electromagnetic field
measurements for large areas.
The results of the measurements
are posted in the official website
in an easy way to understand it
and highlighting the compliance
of the regulation.
Official Approach. in Argentina
In order to harmonize criteria, the ENACOM try to encourage the municipality to
adequate their local regulation. They report on technical and environmental
aspects with the aim of bringing tranquility to the population and make
intelligent measurements of RNI and quality of service and advise neighbors and
local authorities on regulatory aspects.
Official Approach. in Argentina
Another important initiative is to use the terraces of public buildings to install
antennas. The objective is to facilitate the installation and development of
communications services.

Antennas in Public buildings

 The Carriers Role.
With the advantages of technology, some practices adopted by operators
contribute to improving the perception of the community regarding the antennas
and the potential damages to health. The use of smaller and less invasive
antennas and equipment contributes to not generate unjustified worries.
 The Carriers Role.
Beyond being able to use smaller antennas, which users often do not identify as
cellular telephony, the best 'publicity' that operators can do of themselves is the
quality of the service they offer.
Communications have radically changed people's way of life, and in many cases it
has greatly facilitated it. If users understand these benefits, it is much easier to
accept that non-ionizing radiation risky when the exposure limits are respected.
 .
Final Considerations
The problem of Non-Ionizing Radiation associated with mobile
telephony systems, require prudent and responsible management
by the specialists; in a context where there is a significant public
concern, an assertion misguided could be impossible to roll back. In
this context the human communication engineering happens to
have a more important role, sometimes, than the technical
engineering's own considerations.
So far, within the limits recommended by the World Health
Organization, there is no conclusive scientific evidence that confirm
that the non-ionizing radiation produces adverse effects on the
health of the population.
 .
Final Considerations
The normative framework of Argentina regarding the levels
of Maximum Population Exposure to Non-Ionizing Radiation
is based on the latest WHO recommendations.
Both the measurements made by Enacom and those
presented by the operators, give values ​much lower than
those required by Argentine regulations and by WHO.
It is important to communicate that as the number of
antennas increases, the level of Non-Ionizing Radiation in
the free space decreases.
Resources .
• GSMA Capacity Building Course – Radio Signals and Health
• Ente Nacional de Comunicaciones (ENACOM) - https://www.enacom.gob.ar
• ANTENAS AMIGABLES Program (ENACOM) -
http://enacom.gob.ar/antenasamigables
• Environmental regulation. The case of telecommunications antennas in
Argentina. Verónica L. Cáceres. -
http://www.actualidadjuridicaambiental.com/wp-
content/uploads/2016/08/2016_09_05_Caceres_Telecomunicaciones-
Argentina.pdf
• Electromagnetic fields and public health – WHO - http://www.who.int/peh-
emf/publications/facts/fs304/en/
• Introduction to the problem of Non-ionizing radiation from the mobile
telephony system. Ing. Anibal Aguirre.- https://www.cepetel.org.ar/wp-
content/uploads/2017/08/RNI-Seminario-Radiaciones-No-Ionizantes.pdf