{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,17]],"date-time":"2026-03-17T04:54:12Z","timestamp":1773723252862,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2015,11,6]],"date-time":"2015-11-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1446768000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The presented survey investigates risk and exposure perceptions of radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) associated with base stations, mobile phones and other sources, the key issue being the interaction between both sets of perceptions.  The study is based on a cross-sectional design, and conducted with an online sample of  838 citizens from Portugal. The results indicate that respondents\u2019 intuitive exposure perception differs from the actual exposure levels. Furthermore, exposure and risk perceptions are found to be highly correlated. Respondents\u2019 beliefs  about exposure factors, which might influence possible health risks, is appropriate. A regression analysis between exposure characteristics, as predictor variables, and RF EMF risk perception, as the response variable, indicates that people seem to use simple heuristics to form their perceptions. What is bigger, more frequent and longer lasting is seen as riskier. Moreover, the quality of exposure knowledge is not an indicator for amplified EMF risk perception. These findings show that exposure perception is key to future risk communication.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph121114177","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2015,11,6]],"date-time":"2015-11-06T11:12:15Z","timestamp":1446808335000},"page":"14177-14191","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":18,"title":["Exposure Knowledge and Perception of Wireless Communication Technologies"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Frederik","family":"Freudenstein","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Berlin 10178, Germany"}]},{"given":"Luis","family":"Correia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Superior T\u00e9cnico\/INOV-INESC, University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Carla","family":"Oliveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Superior T\u00e9cnico\/INOV-INESC, University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Daniel","family":"Sebasti\u00e3o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto Superior T\u00e9cnico\/INOV-INESC, University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1000-029, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Peter","family":"Wiedemann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2522, New South Wales, Australia"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2015,11,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"ITU ICT Facts and Figures 2015. Available online: http:\/\/www.itu.int\/en\/ITU-D\/Statistics\/Pages\/default.aspx."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"WHO Electromagnetic Fields and Public Health: Mobile Phones. Available online: http:\/\/www.who.int\/mediacentre\/factsheets\/fs193\/en\/."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"IARC IARC Classifies Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields As Possibility Carcinogenic to Humans. Available online: http:\/\/www.iarc.fr\/en\/media-centre\/pr\/2011\/pdfs\/pr208_E.pdf."},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"SCENIHR Opinion on Potential Health Effects of Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (EMF). Available online: http:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/health\/scientific_committees\/emerging\/docs\/scenihr_o_041.pdf."},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"IARC (1991). IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans Coffee, Tea, Mate, Methylxanthines and Methylglyoxa, IARC."},{"key":"ref_6","unstructured":"IARC IARC Monographs. Available online: http:\/\/monographs.iarc.fr\/ENG\/Classification."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1788","DOI":"10.1111\/risa.12034","article-title":"When Precaution Creates Misunderstandings: The Unintended Effects of Precautionary Information on Perceived Risks, the EMF Case","volume":"33","author":"Wiedemann","year":"2013","journal-title":"Risk Anal."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"240","DOI":"10.1016\/j.healthpol.2006.10.002","article-title":"Public responses to precautionary information from the Department of Health (UK) about possible health risks from mobile phones","volume":"82","author":"Barnett","year":"2007","journal-title":"Health Policy"},{"key":"ref_9","unstructured":"LEXNET Low EMF Exposure Future Networks. Available online http:\/\/www.lexnet-project.eu."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20","DOI":"10.1109\/MVT.2014.2312272","article-title":"Wireless networks and EMF\u2014Paving the way for low-EMF networks of the future: The LEXNET project","volume":"9","author":"Tesanovic","year":"2014","journal-title":"IEEE Vehic. Technol. Mag."},{"key":"ref_11","unstructured":"Eurobarometer TNS Opinion and Social Electromagnetic Fields. Available online: http:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/public_opinion\/archives\/ebs\/ebs_347_en.pdf."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"331","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheh.2015.02.001","article-title":"Actual and perceived exposure to electromagnetic fields and non-specific physical symptoms: An epidemiological study based on self-reported data and electronic medical records","volume":"218","author":"Baliatsas","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"649","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1539-6924.1999.tb00435.x","article-title":"\u201cHow exposed is exposed enough?\u201d Lay inferences about chemical exposure","volume":"19","author":"MacGregor","year":"1999","journal-title":"Risk Anal."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Freudenstein, F., Wiedemann, P.M., and Brown, T.W.C. (2015). Exposure perception as a key indicator of risk perception and acceptance of sources of radio frequency electromagnetic fields. J. Environ. Publ. Health, 2015.","DOI":"10.1155\/2015\/198272"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"599","DOI":"10.1080\/13669870903236751","article-title":"Risk perception of mobile communication: A mental models approach","volume":"13","author":"Cousin","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Risk Res."},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"Freudenstein, F., Wiedemann, P.M., Pejanovi\u0107-Djuri\u0161i\u0107, M., Koprivica, M., and Ne\u0161kovi\u0107, A. (2014). Telecommunications Forum Telfor (TELFOR), IEEE."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Freudenstein, F., Wiedemann, P.M., and Varsier, N. (2015). Exposure knowledge and risk perception of RF EMF. Front. Publ. Health, 2.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2014.00289"},{"key":"ref_18","unstructured":"Bornkessel, C., and Wuschek, M. Bestimmung der Realen Feldverteilung von Hochfrequenten Elektromagnetischen Feldern in der Umgebung von UMTS-Sendeanlagen. Available online: http:\/\/www.bmub.bund.de\/fileadmin\/bmuimport\/files\/pdfs\/allgemein\/application\/pdf\/schriftenreihe_rs703.pdf."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Interphone Study Group (2010). Brain tumour risk in relation to mobile telephone use: Results of the Interphone international case-control study. Int. J. Epidemiol., 39, 675\u2013694.","DOI":"10.1093\/ije\/dyq079"},{"key":"ref_20","unstructured":"SSK Vergleichende Bewertung der Evidenz von Krebsrisiken Durch Elektromagnetische Felder und Strahlungen. Available online: http:\/\/www.ssk.de\/SharedDocs\/Beratungsergebnisse_PDF\/2011\/2011_06.pdf?__blob=publicationFile."},{"key":"ref_21","unstructured":"CORDIS D2.5 Risk and Exposure Perception I and II. Available online: http:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/docs\/projects\/cnect\/3\/318273\/080\/deliverables\/001LEXNETWP2D25RiskandexposureperceptionV2Ares20159686.pdf."},{"key":"ref_22","unstructured":"ESS ESS Round 6 Source Questionnaire. Available online: http:\/\/www.europeansocialsurvey.org."},{"key":"ref_23","unstructured":"Oliveira, C., Sebastiao, D., Ladeira, D., Antunes, M., and Correia, L.M. (2011, January 18\u201320). Electromagnetic fields measurements in Portuguese Schools. Proceedings of ICNIRP International Conference on Non-Ionizing Radiation and Children\u2019s Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia."},{"key":"ref_24","unstructured":"IT\u2019IS Foundation Development of Procedures for the Assessment of Human Exposure to EMF from Wireless Devices in Home and Office Environments. Available online: http:\/\/www.bag.admin.ch\/themen\/strahlung\/00053\/00921\/00922\/index.html?lang=en&download=NHzLpZeg7t,lnp6I0NTU042l2Z6ln1ad1IZn4Z2qZpnO2Yuq2Z6gpJCDdHx2gmym162epYbg2c_JjKbNoKSn6A."},{"key":"ref_25","unstructured":"ICNIRP (1998). ICNIRP guidelines for limiting exposure to time-varying electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields (up to 300 GHz). Health Phys., 74, 494\u2013522."},{"key":"ref_26","unstructured":"Krimsky, S., and Golding, D. (1992). Social Theories of Risk, Praeger."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"259","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1539-6924.1993.tb01077.x","article-title":"Perceived Risk, Dread, and Benefits","volume":"13","author":"Gregory","year":"1993","journal-title":"Risk Anal."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"322","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-8721.2006.00461.x","article-title":"Risk perception and affect","volume":"15","author":"Slovic","year":"2006","journal-title":"Curr. Dir. Psychol. Sci."}],"container-title":["International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/12\/11\/14177\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T20:51:35Z","timestamp":1760215895000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/12\/11\/14177"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2015,11,6]]},"references-count":28,"journal-issue":{"issue":"11","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2015,11]]}},"alternative-id":["ijerph121114177"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph121114177","relation":{},"ISSN":["1660-4601"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1660-4601","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2015,11,6]]}}}