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PROJECT DETAILS

Project Type
Faculty-Initiated Research
Project Dates
07/01/2015 - 03/30/2017
Project Status
Complete

The proliferation of wireless-based sensors, each of which is transmitting electromagnetic energy at a certain Power Density, and new protocols such a Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and cellular Long-Term Evolution (LTE), and new Wi-Fi standards (802.11n, 802.11a) continue to be added to the radiated Radio Frequency (RF) Spectrum. Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Field (RF-EMF) exposure certainly occurs from the use of these additional protocols from the use of various RF-enabled sensors, e.g., the New Jersey Department of Transportation has Bluetooth devices used to collect data for travel times on state roadway systems and these data are used to transmit accurate real-time information to the motoring public. During the repair of these Bluetooth transmitters, the specific questions are: (1) What are the health risks to the employee? (2) What steps can be taken to mitigate any risks from RF transmitted sources? New research beyond the second generation (2G) and 3G cellular risks need to be performed related to these two questions as Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE, and other 801.11 standards are in production. Therefore, there is a need to understand the effects of this exposure on worker health and safety and how to mitigate any negative effects it may have.