The ecologists of Rennes metropolitan area are sounding the alarm and are calling for the shutdown of the 3G / 4G network in the metro. The reason: Electromagnetic waves too powerful. False meets the metropolis. The thresholds recorded remain well below the national recommendations.
Polemic
It is the ecologists of Rennes Métropole who have just thrown a pavement in the pond! Following the results of the first meteorological radiation analysis campaigns in the metro after the commissioning of 3G and 4G on October 1, they are asking to suspend this network immediately. "Measurements on levels of exposure to electromagnetic radiation since the commissioning of 3G / 4G antennas are worrying," they said in a statement released yesterday.
The limit set at 3 volts per meter exceeded
They note that "out of the 13 stations, 9 exceed 3 Volts per meter (V / m) and two even exceed 13 V / m. At the level of the trains, the average rate is 1.23 V / m. According to the 2016 legislation concerning the protection of electronic equipment including medical devices, the threshold limit of exposure is set at 3 V / m maximum. Environmentalists believe, therefore, that especially for people with pacemakers and insulin pumps, their devices could malfunction in the subway of Rennes. " This potential risk to public health must alert us. They also note that before the implementation of the 4G network, the electromagnetic radiation was 0.43 V / m.
But far below national recommendations
So are they right? Yes and no. "Rennes Métropole was indeed committed to the fact that the electromagnetic radiation rate does not exceed 3 volts per meter in the metro" confirms Eric Diserbeau, director mobility and transport in Rennes metropolis. "But the standard in force in France recommends not to exceed thresholds ranging from 28 V / m to 61 V / m. We are so far below. Ten to twenty times lower. "
He also recalls that in the metro in Paris, the standard is 5 V / m and 6 in the subway in Brussels. It also recognizes that in 9 stations out of 13, the rates exceed 3 V / m and the 6 at Kennedy (16.2 V / m) and Villejean University (13.5). "But even at these levels, it does not represent a health hazard and we always stay at thresholds much lower than the recommendations. But we asked TDF to intervene to respect our commitment to 3 V / m. The operator TDF has already made very significant improvements and continues its work in this direction.
No danger to health
And the dangers on Pacemakers carriers. "Environmentalists are talking about standards for private spaces like housing where you can spend several hours. They are not applicable in public areas such as the metro. There is no danger to their health. Remember also that, on average, we stay six minutes in the subway. "The measurements were also made as close as possible to the transmitting antennas. The intensity of the radiation decreases very strongly with distance, " says Eric Diserbeau.
So why Rennes metropolis is it fixed a rate as low and as binding? No concrete answer.
New electromagnetic radiation analysis campaigns will have to be carried out. In the meantime, there is no question of closing the network.