

Project Overview



Sound exposure and risk assessment of wireless network devices (SEAWIND)


GA Number:



SEAWIND at a Glance

The SEAWIND project is an EU funded collaborative under the 7th Framework Program aimed at broadening the scientific basis for assessing the potential adverse health risks of electromagnetic field exposure due to the ubiquitous presence of network devices in everyday life.


SEAWIND will address the entire scientific spectrum from dosimetry to biology. The first step of the initiative is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the incident field exposure of installed wireless local area networks (WLAN or WiFi) or wireless metropolitan area networks (WMAN or WiMAX), body-mounted and body-worn wireless personal area networks (WPAN) and WLAN devices, and specific wireless applications in industry, e.g., novel RFID logistic applications, in typical residential and occupational scenarios, such as in homes, offices and classrooms. Using high-resolution anatomically MRI based surface models that represent a wide spectrum of the human population, the induced fields in the human body will be numerically determined. After screening for potential biological sensitivities at the molecular, developmental and functional levels in cells, these specific data combined with the current body of literature on biological interactions of EMF covering the entire radio-frequency spectrum will be evaluated with respect to the safety and risks of the investigated technologies. A comparison to other exposures, such as cellular mobile devices, base stations, TV, Radio, etc will also be included.


This three-year initiative started at Dec 1, 2009 and is implemented by eight world-renowned expert groups representing a wide range of expertise ranging from engineering to biology from five European countries, including Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Greece, and Denmark.