Reducing electromagnetic pollution by shrub lines supported by lattice structures

The use of rows of trees or shrubs, supported by lattice structures, as barriers to minimise electromagnetic pollution is proposed and tested by means of measurements within an anechoic chamber. The vegetation specie used was Ficus benjamina. The attenuation provided by six different supporting structures, and combined following six geometrical organisations, has been measured at GSM and UMTS bands at both horizontal and vertical polarisations. Results appear to show that the presence of the supporting lattice structure enhances the attenuation provided by the fence. Vertically polarised waves seem to suffer stronger attenuations than horizontally polarised waves. Besides, certain dependence on the lattice material and the density of the obstruction of the structure, as well as on the configuration of the barrier, have been highlighted by the measured results.