Abstract

There are about 8.9 billion mobile phone subscriptions globally, and most subscriptions in developing countries still use 2G and 3G mobile standards. The impact of electromagnetic radiation from these devices on humans is of major concern. There is a need to assess the level of radiofrequency radiation in the immediate environment of common mobile phones in real-life exposure scenarios. Electric field intensity (E) in around 60 common 2G and 3G mobile phones was assessed using a standardised hand spectrum analyser and a broadband meter. The highest value of E at about 10 cm from the selected 3G and 2G mobile phones during spectral measurements was 0.20 V/m and 0.33 V/m, with an average value of 0.11 V/m and 0.17 V/m, accordingly.