CLM-1298 - Energy Aperture

In plain terms

In 1982 the US limit at SBSP frequencies was halved, from 10 to 5 mW/cm2, and for the first time it was meant to cover the general public as well as workers. The 1978 beam centre of 230 W/m2 is 4.6 times this limit.

The claim as recorded

ANSI C95.1-1982, approved on 30 July 1982 as the revision of C95.1-1974, sets the radio frequency protection guide at 5.0 mW/cm2 (50 W/m2) from 1500 MHz to 100 GHz, which covers both 2.45 and 5.8 GHz. Power density is averaged over any 0.1 hour, and the guide applies to non-occupational as well as occupational exposure. Below 1500 MHz the guide falls to f/300 mW/cm2 (f in MHz) and to 1.0 mW/cm2 at 30-300 MHz, the whole-body resonance band.

T1 measured result, peer reviewed · high confidence · as of 1982-07-30 · past review · VER-1978 CONFIRMED 2026-10-02 · XC01

Evidence behind this: T2-the standard read directly.

Scope and limits

230/50 = 4.6 times is my arithmetic, and it equals the ICNIRP 2020 occupational ratio in CLM-0014 limits. This record does not claim lineage between the two. Table 1 also gives E^2 20 000 V2/m2 and H^2 0.125 A2/m2 above 1500 MHz; E^2/377 = 53 W/m2, consistent with 5.0 mW/cm2 within rounding. Exclusions allow the guide to be exceeded if whole-body SAR stays below 0.4 W/kg and spatial peak below 8 W/kg per gram (PDF p.10). A screening level, not a harm finding (QST-001). Later IEEE revisions are not held.

What it assumes

No assumptions are recorded against this claim.

Where it comes from

SRC-659 ANSI C95.1-1982: American National Standard Safety Levels with Respect to Human Exposure to...

PDF p.1: "Approved July 30, 1982". PDF p.7: recommendations apply to non-occupational "as well as to occupational" exposures (paraphrase outside the quote). PDF p.10 (Table 1, render): 0.3-3 MHz 100; 3-30 MHz 900/f^2; 30-300 MHz 1.0; 300-1500 MHz f/300; 1500-100 000 MHz 5.0 mW/cm2. Section 4.3: averaged over any 0.1 h period (paraphrase). PDF p.14: above 1.5 GHz "1.5 GHz the curve is assumed to be flat".

Basis: mW/cm2 plane-wave equivalent power density, averaged over any 0.1 h

Related records

Answers question: QST-001 not published in this release

Cite this

energyaperture.com/c/clm-1298

CLM-1298, Energy Aperture, as of 1982-07-30.

Connected records

Other published records linked to this one. A list, not a judgement.

Also from SRC-659: CLM-1299The 1982 US limit was set by taking the lowest dose at which animals' trained behaviour was disrupted, about 4 W/kg, and dividing by ten...