Smart Meters: Radio Frequency Radiation

Many public utilities, including those that supply drinking water to residents, are using a technology known as “smart meters,” which use radio signals to determine meter readings through mobile telecommunications.  Questions have come up about potential health effects associated with radio frequency radiation (RFR), the signals used in this technology.  RFR comes from many sources, including radio and television broadcasting, microwave ovens, radar, and mobile telephones with the latter now being the most common source.

A number of states and organizations have examined the issue and produced reports that may answer these questions:

• Vermont Department of Health – Radio Frequency Radiation and Health: Smart Meters (PDF)
• World Health Organization - Electromagnetic Fields and Public Health
• Federal Communications Commission – Radio Frequency Safety
• Health Physics Society – Mobile Telephones (PDF)