{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,19]],"date-time":"2026-01-19T12:54:42Z","timestamp":1768827282479,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,12,30]],"date-time":"2019-12-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1577664000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The aim is to evaluate specific absorption rate (SAR) values from exposure near handheld ultra-high frequency radiofrequency identification readers (UHF RFID guns\u2014small electronic devices, or even portable computers with relevant accessories\u2014emitting up to several watts of electromagnetic field (EMF) to search for RFID sensors (tags) attached to marked objects), in order to test the hypothesis that they have an insignificant environmental influence. Simulations of SAR in adult male and female models in seven exposure scenarios (gun near the head, arm, chest, hip\/thigh of the operator searching for tags, or near to the chest and arm of the scanned person or a bystander). The results showed EMF exposure compliant with SAR limits for general public exposure (ICNIRP\/European Recommendation 1999\/519\/EC) at emissions up to 1 W (reading range 3.5\u201311 m, depending on tag sensitivity). In the worst-case scenario, guns with a reading range exceeding 5 m (&gt;2 W emission) may cause an SAR exceeding the general public limits in the palm of the user and the torso of the user, a bystander, or a scanned person; occupational exposure limits may be exceeded when emission &gt;5 W. Users of electronic medical implants and pregnant women should be treated as individuals at particular risk in close proximity to guns, even at emissions of 1 W. Only UHF RFID guns emitting below 1 W may be considered as environmentally insignificant EMF sources.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s20010202","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,1,3]],"date-time":"2020-01-03T03:28:53Z","timestamp":1578022133000},"page":"202","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["An Evaluation of Electromagnetic Exposure While Using Ultra-High Frequency Radiofrequency Identification (UHF RFID) Guns"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8094-0761","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Patryk","family":"Zradzi\u0144ski","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Electromagnetic Hazards, Central Institute for Labour Protection\u2014National Research Institute (CIOP-PIB), ul. Czerniakowska 16, 00-701 Warszawa, Poland"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2547-2728","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jolanta","family":"Karpowicz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Electromagnetic Hazards, Central Institute for Labour Protection\u2014National Research Institute (CIOP-PIB), ul. Czerniakowska 16, 00-701 Warszawa, Poland"}]},{"given":"Krzysztof","family":"Gryz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Electromagnetic Hazards, Central Institute for Labour Protection\u2014National Research Institute (CIOP-PIB), ul. Czerniakowska 16, 00-701 Warszawa, Poland"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8776-4489","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Victoria","family":"Ramos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Telemedicine and e-Health Research Unit, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28025 Madrid, Spain"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,12,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Finkenzeller, K. (2010). RFID Handbook. Fundamentals and Applications in Contactless Smart Cards, Radio Frequency Identification and Near-Field Communication, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.. [3rd ed.].","DOI":"10.1002\/9780470665121"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"24","article-title":"The State of RFID Applications in Libraries","volume":"25","author":"Sing","year":"2006","journal-title":"Infor. Technol. Libr."},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"164","article-title":"Radio Frequency Identification: An Introduction for Library Professionals","volume":"19","author":"Butters","year":"2006","journal-title":"Australas. Public Libr. Inf. Serv."},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"(2019, October 29). RFID Frequently Asked Questions. Available online: https:\/\/www.rfidjournal.com."},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"(2019, October 29). Group Health Reinvents Patient Care With RTLS. Available online: https:\/\/www.rfidjournal.com."},{"key":"ref_6","unstructured":"Chaffin, D.B., and Anderson, G.B.J. (1991). Occupational Biomechanic, Wiley-Interscience. [2nd ed.]."},{"key":"ref_7","unstructured":"Koradecka, D. (1997). Zasady ergonomii w optymalizacji czynno\u015bci roboczych [Egonomic principles in the optimization of working activities]. Bezpiecz\u0144stwo Pracy i Ergonomia [Occupational Safety and Ergonomics], Centralny Instytut Ochrony Pracy."},{"key":"ref_8","unstructured":"International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) (1998). Guidelines for limiting exposure to time-varying electric, Magnetic, and electromagnetic fields (up to 300 GHz). Health Phys., 74, 494\u2013522."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7227","DOI":"10.1088\/0031-9155\/54\/23\/013","article-title":"The correlation between mass-averaged SAR and temperature elevation in the human head model exposed to RF near-fields from 1 to 6 GHz","volume":"54","author":"Hirata","year":"2009","journal-title":"Phys. Med. Biol."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"531","DOI":"10.1097\/01.HP.0000250620.32459.4c","article-title":"Assessment of complex EMF exposure situations including inhomogeneous field distribution","volume":"92","author":"Jokela","year":"2007","journal-title":"Health Phys."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"333","DOI":"10.1097\/00004032-200209000-00003","article-title":"Human body exposure to power lines: Relation of induced quantities to external magnetic field","volume":"83","author":"Stuchly","year":"2002","journal-title":"Health Phys."},{"key":"#cr-split#-ref_12.1","unstructured":"EU (2013). Directive 2013\/35\/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (electromagnetic fields) (20th individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16"},{"key":"#cr-split#-ref_12.2","unstructured":"(1) of Directive 89\/391\/EEC) and repealing Directive 2004\/40\/EC. Off. J. Eur. Union, L 179\/1, 1-21."},{"key":"ref_13","unstructured":"European Recommendation (1999). Council of the European Union Recommendation on the limitation of exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300 GHz), 1999\/519\/EC. Off. J. Eur. Community, L 199, 59\u201370."},{"key":"ref_14","unstructured":"EU (2014). Directive 2014\/53\/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 16, 2014 on the harmonization of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment and repealing Directive 1999\/5\/EC Text with EEA relevance. Off. J. Eur. Union, L 153, 62\u2013106."},{"key":"#cr-split#-ref_15.1","unstructured":"European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) EN 302-208 V3.1.1:2016 (2016). Radio Frequency Identification Equipment Operating in the Band 865 MHz to 868 MHz with Power Levels up to 2 W and in the Band 915 MHz to 921 MHz with Power Levels up to 4 W"},{"key":"#cr-split#-ref_15.2","unstructured":"Harmonised Standard Covering the Essential Requirements of Article 3.2 of the Directive 2014\/53\/EU, ETSI."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"443","DOI":"10.1002\/bem.21789","article-title":"SAR Exposure from UHF RFID Reader in Adult, Child, Pregnant Woman, and Fetus Anatomical Models","volume":"34","author":"Fiocchi","year":"2013","journal-title":"Bioelectromagnetics"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"781","DOI":"10.13075\/ijomeh.1896.00342","article-title":"Examination of virtual phantoms with respect to their possible use in assessing compliance with the electromagnetic field exposure limits specified by Directive 2013\/35\/EU","volume":"28","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int. J. Occup. Med. Environ. Health."},{"key":"ref_18","first-page":"26","article-title":"The properties of human body phantoms used in calculations of electromagnetic fields exposure by wireless communication handsets or hand-operated industrial devices","volume":"32","year":"2013","journal-title":"Electromagn. Biol. Med."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zradzi\u0144ski, P., Karpowicz, J., and Gryz, K. (2019). Electromagnetic Energy Absorption in a Head Approaching a Radiofrequency Identification (RFID) Reader Operating at 13.56 MHz in Users of Hearing Implants Versus Non-Users. Sensors, 19.","DOI":"10.3390\/s19173724"},{"key":"ref_20","unstructured":"Taflowe, A., and Hagness, S.C. (2015). Computational Electrodynamics: The Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method, Artech House. [3rd ed.]."},{"key":"ref_21","unstructured":"International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)\/Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 62704-1:2017 (2017). Determining the Peak Spatial-Average Specific Ab-Sorption Rate (SAR) in the Human Body from Wireless Communications Devices, 30 MHz to 6 GHz\u2014Part 1: General Requirements for Using the Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) Method for SAR Calculations, IEC."},{"key":"ref_22","unstructured":"International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62232-2011 (2011). Determination of RF Field Strength and SAR in the Vicinity of Radiocommunication Base Stations for the Purpose of Evaluating Human Exposure, IEC."},{"key":"ref_23","unstructured":"European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) EN 50413:2008 (2008). Basic Standard on Measurement and Calculation Procedures for Human Exposure to Electric, Magnetic and Electromagnetic Fields (0 Hz\u2013300 GHz), CENELEC."},{"key":"ref_24","unstructured":"(2019, October 29). Handheld with Lithium-Ion BatteryPD-IDENT-UHF-S2D-RWBTA-865-868 Specification. Available online: https:\/\/www.turck.de\/datasheet\/_en\/edb_7030637_gbr_en.pdf."},{"key":"ref_25","unstructured":"(2019, October 29). 1128-Bluetooth-Handheld-UHF-Reader-Datasheet. Available online: https:\/\/www.tsl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1128-Bluetooth-Handheld-UHF-Reader-Datasheet.pdf."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nikitin, P.V., and Rao, K.V.S. (2008, January 16\u201317). Antennas and Propagation in UHF RFID Systems. Proceedings of the 2008 IEEE International Conference on RFID (Frequency Identification), Las Vegas, NV, USA.","DOI":"10.1109\/RFID.2008.4519368"},{"key":"ref_27","unstructured":"Federal Communications Commission (FCC) (2010). Title 47\u2014Telecommunication, Part 15\u2014Radiofrequency Devices, Section 15.247\u2014Operation within the Bands 902\u2013928 MHz, 2400\u20132483.5 MHz, and 5725\u20135850 MHz, Federal Communications Commission."},{"key":"ref_28","unstructured":"European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) EN 50527-1:2016 (2016). Procedure for the Assessment of the Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields of Workers Bearing Active Implantable Medical Devices\u2014Part 1: General, CENELEC."},{"key":"ref_29","unstructured":"European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) EN 60601-1-2:2015 (2015). Medical Electrical Equipment\u2014Part 1\u20132: General Requirements for Basic Safety and Essential Performance\u2014Collateral Standard: Electromagnetic Disturbances\u2014Requirements and Tests, CENELEC."},{"key":"ref_30","unstructured":"International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 7010:2011 (2011). Graphical Symbols\u2014Safety Colours and Safety Signs\u2014Registered Safety Signs, ISO."}],"container-title":["Sensors"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/20\/1\/202\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T13:46:43Z","timestamp":1760190403000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/20\/1\/202"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2019,12,30]]},"references-count":32,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,1]]}},"alternative-id":["s20010202"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/s20010202","relation":{},"ISSN":["1424-8220"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1424-8220","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2019,12,30]]}}}