Numerical Analysis of Thermal Effects from Electromagnetic Pollution on an Inhomogeneous Child Model

This study investigates the effects of electromagnetic (EM) fields, generated by various sources, on the human body through computer simulations. The source of EM field used in the simulations was modeled as a traveling sinusoidal plane wave, assuming far-field exposure conditions. The frequency was selected based on radiofrequency (RF) field measurements conducted in the environment during the study. EM levels were measured directly, and in areas where elevated field strengths were observed, a spectrum analyzer was used to identify the dominant exposure frequency. The frequency identified, primarily 2.1 GHz, was then applied in the simulations to estimate the thermal effects of RF exposure on human tissue. The analysis was performed using the FDTDLab software package, a tool for mathematical modeling of EM exposure and subsequent thermal processes in heterogeneous media based on the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. To assess EMF exposure in a child model, the study calculated the SAR-specific absorption rate and evaluated the resulting temperature increase in body tissues due to dielectric heating. The SAR assessment included 1 g and 10 g mass-averaged values, as well as whole-body averaged SAR, while the thermal analysis examined temperature rises across the entire body and in specific regions. The results were compared with international safety standards to determine compliance with SAR and thermal effect limits.