Limit values for high frequency fields

Since 1997, the Ordinance on electromagnetic fields, (26th BImSchV, amended in August 2013), has been in force in Germany. It was issued for protecting the population against health hazards from electromagnetic fields. The Ordinance and the included limit values are based on recommendations of the German Commission on Radiological Protection, the EU Council Recommendation and on the guidelines of the "International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection" (ICNIRP).

These recommendations are based on scientifically established health-relevant biological effects that may be triggered by exposure to the fields. The limits provide protection against the associated health risks.

The ordinance covers stationary radio installations which generate electromagnetic fields in the frequency range from 9 kHz to 300 GHz. This includes stationary mobile phone base stations, transmitter stations of public-service broadcasters, civil and military radar facilities as well as, e.g., amateur radio stations.

The 26th BImSchV does not apply to installations which generate broadband electromagnetic impulses and serve national defence purposes. Mobile terminals producing high-frequency electromagnetic fields as, e.g., handheld devices, are not covered by the Ordinance. The German Radio Installation Act (Funkanlagengesetz) which puts the European Directive on radio equipment into German legislation applies for such devices.

The limits are frequency-dependent

The limits of the 26th BImSchV conform to the reference values developed by ICNIRP and recommended by the EU. They are frequency-dependent. This is why different limit values apply to the various applications of high-frequency fields.