BASE STATIONS ON OR NEAR SCHOOLS

Although the exposure from base stations will be many times lower than from using a mobile phone, the Stewart Group acknowledged that there was some public concern about base stations located on or near schools. The pattern of radio waves emitted is generally even, but there is a zone within each cell where the concentration of waves will be slightly higher. The base station operator will be able to provide information about the pattern of radio wave emissions if a school or parents are concerned about the possibility that this zone includes a school or any part of its grounds.

Within the overall distribution of radio waves from base station across its cell, there is a zone where the concentration is higher than elsewhere.



At ground level, this zone is usually some distance from the base station. The radio waves within it are still far below the levels for safety specified in international guidelines.

National Audit
Radio waves above a certain level can cause heating effects to the body. International guidelines have been set to keep exposure to radio waves below that level.

Mobile phone network operators in the UK have agreed to comply with these international guidelines. Exposure to radio wave emissions from base stations has been calculated to be thousands of times lower than the maximum levels stipulated by the guidelines.

Some independent measurements have already been made which show compliance. However starting from Autumn 2000, a comprehensive audit of base stations is being carried out by the Radio-communications Agency. Base stations will be measured to confirm their compliance with guidelines on emission levels, and the results will be freely available from the Agency. The audit begins with base stations on school premises.

The information on these pages has been compiled from the guidance leaflets "Mobile Phones and Health" and "Mobile Phone Base Station and Health" which have been released by the Department of Health. The advice given in these leaflets is based on a report for the Government, published in May 2000, by a group of independent experts led by Sir William Stewart. The group looked at recent research, took evidence from scientists, and listened to the views of the public at open meetings around the UK.