Study of the Cell Towers Radiation Levels in Residential Areas

The rapid development of cellular communication systems all over the world has caused the appearance of many hundreds of mobile telephone base stations in every city. Installation of base station antennas has produced concerns about health and in some cases has resulted in litigation in court. Independent researches and measurements on electromagnetic fields in areas close to base stations was discussed in many countries, as well as a comparison of the level of exposure of local populations and current exposure limits. Continuous exposure to microwave radiation from cell phone towers cause serious health problems over the years. Two of the most important factors in these measurements are the distance and the direct line of sight to the antenna site. In this study, measurements have been carried out at various places near the cell towers inside residential areas in Kirkuk-Iraq. It has been found that the radiation levels were above the recommended values. The results of this study show that the amount of power density is more than ten times greater than the recommended safety power density. KeywordsCell towers radiation levels, GSM base stations, Safety power density.