The study was designed as a follow-up study to clarify the reliability of the so-called TNO study (see publication 12820). 117 healthysubjects (33 self-reported sensitive, 84 non-sensitive subjects) participated.
Distance between exposed object and exposure source
2 m
Chamber
Exposure took place in two identical but separate rooms with constant temperature and light conditions. Each room included a one-side-open exposure chamber (2.45 m x 2.3 m x 2.14 m) shielded with RF absorbers on walls and ceiling.
Setup
The antenna, tilted 45° from vertical, was located at a height of 1.5 m and a distance of 2 m from the subject. The antenna had a beam width of approximately 75° in horizontal and vertical directions, resulting in a uniform E-field distribution that was verified with a field probe. The electric field was incident with a polarization of 45° from the left back side of the subject, with an angle of 25° with respect to the ear-to-earvertical plane.
Each subject attended three experimental sessions at 1-week intervals in a randomized, double-blind crossover design. Pairs of subjects were randomly assigned to one of six possible sequences of the three exposure conditions (sham, 1 V/m and 10 V/m).
± 1.6 mW/kg and 44% uncertainty; peak value for brain
Reference articles
Zwamborn APM et al.
(2003):
Effects of Global Communication system radio-frequency fields on Well Being and Cognitive Functions of human subjects with and without subjective complaints.
Kuster N et al.
(2000):
Recommended minimal requirements and development guidelines for exposure setups of bio-experiments addressing the health risk concern of wireless communications.
In both groups, well being and perceived field strength were not associated with actual exposure levels. No consistent condition-induced changes in cognitive performance except for two marginal effects were revealed: At 10 V/m, a slight effect on speed in one of six tasks in the sensitive subjects and an effect on accuracy in another task in non-sensitive subjects was found. Both effects disappeared after multiple endpoint adjustment. In contrast to the previous study, the authors could not confirm a short-term effect of UMTSbase station-like exposure on well being. The reported effects on brain functioning were marginal and may have occurred by chance. Regarding the implications for public health due to widespread exposure in the living environment, no conclusions about long-term effects of UMTSbase station-like electromagnetic fields can be drawn from this study, as only a short-term exposure was applied.
Forschungsstiftung Mobilkommunikation (FSM; Research Foundation on Mobile Communication; at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH)), Switzerland
Related articles
Malek F et al.
(2015):
Effect of short-term mobile phone base station exposure on cognitive performance, body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure of Malaysians.
Sauter C et al.
(2011):
Effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields emitted by GSM 900 and WCDMA mobile phones on cognitive function in young male subjects.
Riddervold IS et al.
(2010):
No effect of TETRA hand portable transmission signals on human cognitive function and symptoms.
Breckenkamp J et al.
(2010):
[Results of a cross-sectional study on the association of electromagnetic fields emitted from mobile phone base stations and health complaints].
Mohler E et al.
(2010):
Effects of everyday radiofrequency electromagnetic-field exposure on sleep quality: a cross-sectional study.
Eger H et al.
(2010):
[Specific symptoms and radiation from mobile basis stations in Selbitz, Bavaria, Germany: evidence for a dose-effect relationship].
Blettner M et al.
(2009):
Mobile phone base stations and adverse health effects: phase 1 of a population-based, cross-sectional study in Germany.
Berg-Beckhoff G et al.
(2009):
Mobile phone base stations and adverse health effects: phase 2 of a cross-sectional study with measured radio frequency electromagnetic fields.
Nam KC et al.
(2009):
Hypersensitivity to RF fields emitted from CDMA cellular phones: a provocation study.
Eltiti S et al.
(2009):
Short-term exposure to mobile phone base station signals does not affect cognitive functioning or physiological measures in individuals who report sensitivity to electromagnetic fields and controls.
Furubayashi T et al.
(2009):
Effects of short-term W-CDMA mobile phone base station exposure on women with or without mobile phone related symptoms.
Hillert L et al.
(2008):
The effects of 884 MHz GSM wireless communication signals on headache and other symptoms: an experimental provocation study.
Riddervold IS et al.
(2008):
Cognitive Function and Symptoms in Adults and Adolescents in Relation to RF Radiation from UMTS Base Stations.
Unterlechner M et al.
(2008):
No effect of an UMTS mobile phone-like electromagnetic field of 1.97 GHz on human attention and reaction time.
Thomas S et al.
(2008):
Personal exposure to mobile phone frequencies and well-being in adults: a cross-sectional study based on dosimetry.
Kleinlogel H et al.
(2008):
Effects of weak mobile phone - electromagnetic fields (GSM, UMTS) on well-being and resting EEG.
Regel SJ et al.
(2007):
Pulsed radio frequency radiation affects cognitive performance and the waking electroencephalogram.
Wiholm C et al.
(2007):
The Effects of 884 MHz GSM Wireless Communication Signals on Spatial Memory Performance: An Experimental Provocation Study.
Heinrich S et al.
(2007):
[Electromagnetic fields of a UMTS mobile phone base station and possible effects on health - results from an experimental field study].
Eltiti S et al.
(2007):
Does short-term exposure to mobile phone base station signals increase symptoms in individuals who report sensitivity to electromagnetic fields? A double-blind randomized provocation study.
Schüz J et al.
(2006):
The "Mainzer EMF-Wachhund": results from a watchdog project on self-reported health complaints attributed to exposure to electromagnetic fields.
Lass J et al.
(2006):
Are there modulated Electromagnetic Field Effects on Human Conscious Perception during Attentional Blink Test?
Gezondheidsraad
(2004):
TNO study on the effects of GSM andUMTS signals on well-being and cognition.
Zwamborn APM et al.
(2003):
Effects of Global Communication system radio-frequency fields on Well Being and Cognitive Functions of human subjects with and without subjective complaints.
This website uses cookies to provide you the best browsing experience. By continuing to use this website you accept our use of cookies.
