1 French study (530 people)
2 Spanish study (101 people)
3 Austrian study (336 people)
4 Dutch study (72 people)
1 French study
Carried out on 530 people (270 males, 260 females). A questionnaire revealed the conditions of the subjects’ exposure to mobile telephony antennas.
The main results, published 1-2-3-4, reveal:
.Depending on the distance of the antennas and when compared to the control group, certain symptoms were revealed to be significantly more elevated:
- Fatigue up to 300 m,
- headaches, sleep disruptions, feeling of discomfort… up to 200 m,
- irritability, cardiovascular problems, difficulty in concentrating… up to 100m.
. Women are more sensitive than men to 7 symptoms: headaches, nausea, loss of appetite, sleep disruptions, depressive tendency, feeling of discomfort, visual disruption.
. Elder subjects are more sensitive than younger ones.
. Most harmful position was “facing the antennas”.
2 Spanish study
Using a questionnaire, it was carried out on 101 individuals: 47 living within 150 meters of the antennas, exposed to 0.11 + - 0.19 microW/cm2 (0.64 + - 0.84 V/m), and 54 living over 250 meters away from the antennas and exposed to 0.01 + - 0.04 microW/cm2 (0.19 + - 0.38 V/m), microwaves values measured in bedrooms5. It revealed that:
. Statistically, the group most heavily exposed was significantly more likely to complain of the following symptoms than the group the less seriously exposed:
- Headaches,
- sleep disruptions,
- cardiac disruptions,
- difficulties in concentrating,
- irritability,
- feeling of discomfort,
- fatigue.
3 Austrian study
Carried out using a questionnaire and computer tests (memory, reaction speed, multiple choices,). The subjects (336) were aged 18 to 91; 59% were females, 41% were males6.
Concerning the subjects’ level of exposure to microwaves (GSM 900 MHz), three symptoms were studied:
- Fatigue,
- digestion,
- cardiovascular.
Obtained results revealed:
. A significant increase in cardiovascular problems, as well as a change in reactions speed under tests.
4 Dutch study
The results of a Dutch governmental report7, financed by the Ministries of Economic Affairs, the Environment, and Health, were presented in September 2003. Two groups of 36 people were studied, one of them consisting of subjects self-identified as “electrosensitives”. Participants were submitted, under laboratory conditions, to a 45-minute broadcast of radiofrequencies of the type produced by relay antennas (GSM 900 MHz - DC 1800 MHz - UMTS 2100 MHz). The level of the electric microwave field received by the subjects was 0.7 V/m, with peaks of up to 1 V/m.
Specific tests were carried out to investigate the effects of microwaves on cognitive functions (memory, visual attention, reaction time…). Also, to further define the subjective effects of the radiofrequencies, the subjects answered a questionnaire bearing on symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, vertigo.
Main results obtained:
-Global decrease in “wellbeing” under UMTS.
-Modification of “hostility” feelings under GSM.
-Modification of reaction times under GSM, UMTS and in “double taskig” for the DCS.
-Modification of memorization under DCS and UMTS.
-Modification of visual attention under UMTS, and of vigilance under GSM.
-The results also revealed differences between the groups of “electrosensitive” and “electroinsensitive” subjects.
Comments
The results of this study, conducted under laboratory conditions (double blind, to eliminate the influence of psychological effects) on volunteers, reinforce the first 3 studies (above), involving people residing near relay antennas.
It bears stressing that the subjects of the Dutch study were only exposed to 0.7 V/m for 45 minutes, without ever exceeding 1 V/m!
Yet this was sufficient to find echoes of complaints expressed by people residing near relay stations!
.Références
1. SANTINI R. et al., « Symptômes exprimés par des riverains de stations relais de téléphonie mobile». La Presse Médicale. 2001.30: 1594.
2. SANTINI R. et al., « Enquête sur la santé de riverains de stations relais: I. Incidences de la distance et du sexe». Pathol. Biol. 2002. 50: 369-373.
3. SANTINI R. et al., « Enquête sur la santé de riverains de stations relais de téléphonie mobile. II/ Incidences de l'âge des sujets, de la durée de leur exposition et de leur position par rapport aux antennes et autres sources électromagnétiques». Pathol. Biol. 2003. 51: 412-415.
4. SANTINI R. et al., \ldblquote Survey study of people living in vicinity of cellular phone base stations». EIectromagnetic Biology And Medicine. 2003. 33: 41-49.
5. NAVARRO E. A. et al., \ldblquote The microwave syndrome: A preliminary study in Spain». Electromagnetic Biology and medicine. 2003. 22 :161-169
6. HUTTER H. P. et al., Mobile telephone base stations: effects on health and wellbeing. 2nd Int. Workshop. October 2002. Rhodes (Greece). Volume 1. Pages 344-352.
7. ZWAMBORN A. P. M. et al., Effects of Global Communication system radiofrequency fields on Well Being and Cognitive Functions of human subjects with and without subjective complaints. (TNO-report).
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