In Australia, wireless devices are regulated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Suppliers are required by law to demonstrate that their wireless device complies with ACMA’s requirements for Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM). One such requirement for a wireless transmitting device is to comply with the Electromagnetic Energy (EME) also known as Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) rules set by the ACMA.
What RF transmitters require AMCA EME assessment?
An important point to note is that the EME rules are not only for 5G, 4G or 3G devices. ACMA’s EME rules apply to every device that transmits Radio Frequency (RF) signals. Whether it be a 5G device, a baby monitor placed near a baby, or a garage door opener.
Another point of note is that these RF signals are a form of non-ionizing electromagnetic energy. Unlike X-rays and Gamma rays, non-ionising electromagnetic waves do not have enough energy to displace electrons from the molecules that makeup the human body. And have only been scientifically proven to cause heating of the body.
What are the AMCA RF exposure limits?
ACMA’s EME rules are about the physics of the transfer of the non-ionising electromagnetic energy and the exposure levels of that energy for the human body including children. ACMA’s EME rules invoke the RF exposure limits set by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) standard RPS3.
The metric of measurement for the mandatory limits of the RF fields is called the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). It is defined as the power absorbed per mass of body tissue (W/kg). Usually, SAR is measured over a small volume. The ARPSNSA RPS3 standard and the equivalent European standard prescribe an averaging mass of 10 g of body tissue. Whereas the USA and Canada SAR standards prescribe an averaging mass of 1 g. Such SAR testing involves the use of liquid phantoms representing human body tissues within a manikin. And a precision robotic arm SAR probe measuring the SAR levels within the liquid phantom. EMC Technologies is the only Australian testing laboratory that has SAR testing capability and is NATA accredited for SAR testing.
RF exposure measurements?
However, such SAR measurements are expensive and often impractical to measure a wide range of devices. Hence, the ARPANSA RPS3 standard defines reference levels that are a measure of RF electromagnetic field intensity (W/m2) incident on the human body. The reference levels are conservatively formulated and compliance to these levels ensures compliance with the mandatory SAR limits. Relatively simple RF field probes (EMR meters) can be used to do such measurements. In Australia, EMC Technologies has unparalleled experience in this type of measurements and has a wide scope of NATA accreditations for the testing.
Although field intensity measurements to show compliance to the reference levels are desirable, the physics of RF antennas does not allow meaningful measurements to be done at distances closer than 20 cm. Therefore, for applications such as mobile phone devices that are held against the human ear, the SAR measurement technique described earlier is the only way to demonstrate compliance. ACMA’s EME rules mandate SAR testing for wireless transmitting devices used less than 20 cm from a human body unless otherwise exempted due to low transmission powers.
In conclusion, the advent of the current sub 6 GHz roll-out of 5G does not change the physics of the non-ionising electromagnetic waves. All RF exposure compliance requirements remain as they have been for decades. EMC Technologies has been a pioneer in the area of RF Exposure & EMR measurements. We are here to serve Australians.
Written by:
Shabbir Ahmed, PhD
Technical Director of EMC Technologies Pty Ltd
Take a closer look at our SAR testing lab!
Credit: ABC Four Corners, The truth about 5G (Aired Mon 3 Aug 2020, 8.30pm)
Statement on 5G exposure
On 30 June 2020, the Society for Radiological Protection and the Association of University Radiation Protection Officers got together to publish the “Position Statement on 5G Exposure”1 in the light of public concern over the potential health effects of this technology. According to the statement, the use of 5G does not pose a risk to human health below ICNIRP exposure guidance levels and there is no evidence it is linked to any biological viruses.
1 The Position Statement can be downloaded from https://tinyurl.com/y9q4yhof