Measurement and analysis of microwave field intensity near cellular base stations

Mobile communications industry in Malaysia has experienced a tremendous growth over the past few years. The increased demand of its capacity has resulted an increased construction and existence of cellular base station facilities in public neighborhood. They are generally perceived as hazardous due to the electromagnetic radiation originating from these facilities. Concerns have been expressed regarding possible adverse health effects to public due to their long term exposure to microwave radiation. Thus, the objective of this paper is to present a preliminary measurement result and analysis of microwave exposure levels near the cellular base station facility of interest in Kuching Division. This analysis leads to the development of a simple simulation model that can be used to predict the microwave exposure levels, and provides a framework for future investigation. Nevertheless, the measured microwave exposure levels in the vicinity of the concerned cellular base station were indeed found to be in compliance with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) standard safety limit.