Sailo L et al. · 2025
Researchers gave a symptom questionnaire to 183 highly exposed and 126 reference residents matched on demographics in a hilly city in Mizoram, India. They measured RF-EMF levels in residents' lounge rooms and compared symptoms between those living closer than 300 meters and farther than 400 meters from base stations. Residents living closer reported more symptoms in all four health categories, and higher exposure levels were the only factor predicting the number of symptoms.
Köteles F, Witthöft M, Bräscher AK, Bailer J, Nordin S · 2025
Researchers used population-based survey data from Germany (n=2515), Sweden (n=3253), and Finland (n=1467) to report prevalence rates of five environmental sensitivities and compare three of them across countries. In the German sample, about 25% of participants reported mild reactions to sounds, chemicals, and buildings, and about 10% to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and wind turbines, with strong reactions at 1-2%. Data from Sweden and Finland showed consistent similarities, with prevalences exceeding 34% for mild reactions to chemicals and sounds and about 5% to EMFs, with strong reactions at 1-8%.
Ikeda K, Nakamura K. · 2018
The cross-sectional study included 2,785 high school students in Niigata, Japan. Mean mobile phone use was 24 hours per week with a median of 18 hours. Longer mobile phone use was associated with female students, no sports club participation, early mobile phone use, and fewer hours of sleep. Overall associations between hours of mobile phone use and mood scores were significant for depressed mood, tension and excitement, and fatigue.
Lozano-Soto E et al. · 2018
In a sham-controlled double-blind crossover study, tSMS was applied for 10 minutes with a cylindrical magnet on the occiput of 20 healthy subjects. Researchers assessed subjective discomfort induced by low-intensity and high-intensity visual stimuli in a dark room before, during and after tSMS or sham. Compared to sham, tSMS significantly reduced the discomfort induced by high-intensity light stimuli.
Schoeni A, Roser K, Röösli M. · 2017
Researchers conducted a prospective cohort study of 439 Swiss adolescents aged 12-17 years who completed questionnaires about mobile and cordless phone use and symptoms at baseline and one year later. Operator-recorded mobile phone data were obtained for a subgroup of 234 adolescents, and RF-EMF dose measures for the brain and whole body were computed. Data were analyzed using mixed-logistic cross-sectional and cohort models adjusted for confounders. Symptoms such as tiredness were more strongly associated with text message frequency (OR 1.81 cross-sectional, OR 1.87 cohort) than with call duration or RF-EMF dose measures. The pattern of stronger associations with device use than with RF-EMF dose does not support a causal effect of RF-EMF exposure on symptoms.
Andrianome S et al. · 2017
Researchers compared autonomic nervous system activity in 30 self-declared electrohypersensitive participants and 25 matched controls using heart rate variability and skin conductance. The electrohypersensitive group showed more skin conductance responses to auditory stimuli, while short-term heart rate variability did not differ between groups. In a double-blind, counterbalanced session, 10 electrohypersensitive volunteers were exposed to GSM 900, GSM 1800, DECT, and Wi-Fi at 1 V/m. No changes in heart rate variability or skin conductance were observed during or after exposure.
Wang J, Su H, Xie W, Yu S. · 2017
Researchers performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of 7 cross-sectional studies on MP use and headache. The pooled analysis found a 38% increased risk of headache in MP users versus non-MP users. Among MP users, longer daily call duration and higher daily call frequency were each associated with greater headache risk.
Martens AL et al. · 2017
Durusoy R, Hassoy H, Özkurt A, Karababa AO. · 2017
Headache, fatigue, and sleep disturbances were reported 1.90, 1.78, and 1.53 times more often among mobile phone users. Dose-response relationships were found for call frequency, call duration, text message frequency, phone position at night, and charging while calling with symptoms such as headache, concentration difficulties, fatigue, sleep disturbances, ear warming, and flushing. No association was found between school EMF levels and symptoms, while limited associations were seen for proximity to base stations. Data were collected via questionnaire and EMF measurements from November 2009 to April 2011 using an Aaronia Spectran HF-4060 device.
Bhagat S, Varshney S, Bist SS, Goel D, Mishra S, Jha VK · 2016
Each participant's phone-using ear was compared to the non-phone-using ear, and subjects were grouped by daily use duration of 60 minutes or less versus more than 60 minutes. No statistically significant differences were found in high-frequency pure-tone averages or brainstem evoked response audiometry interpeak latencies between phone-using and control ears, and no subjective symptoms were reported.
Medeiros LN, Sanchez TG. · 2016
Researchers performed a literature review using keywords including tinnitus, electromagnetic field, mobile phones, radio frequency, and electromagnetic hypersensitivity. They selected 165 articles considered clinically relevant to at least one of these subjects. The review notes that electromagnetic radiofrequency radiation can penetrate tissues and has proven thermogenic effects and potential biological and genotoxic effects. Some individuals are more sensitive to electromagnetic exposure, and there may be a common pathophysiology between this electrosensitivity and tinnitus. The authors state there are reasonable evidences to suggest caution for using mobile phones to prevent auditory damage and the onset or worsening of tinnitus.
Singh K et al. · 2016
The study aimed to compare health complaints and salivary flow rates between populations living near and far from mobile phone base stations in Jaipur, India. Sleep disturbances were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and other health problems were recorded via questionnaire. A majority of residents near the base stations reported sleep disturbances, headache, dizziness, irritability, concentration difficulties, and hypertension. Stimulated salivary secretion was significantly lower in the exposed group compared to controls (P < 0.01). The authors concluded that prolonged exposure effects cannot be ruled out and further studies are warranted.
Unknown authors · 2015
Unknown authors · 2015
Researchers used a quasi-experimental design with two pretests before and two posttests after a new high-voltage power line began operation. Residents living within 300 meters, 300-500 meters, and 500-2000 meters of the line participated. Symptom reports and causal beliefs increased significantly more in the closest group compared to those farther away. At baseline, symptom reports were similar across groups, but belief that power lines cause symptoms was already stronger among nearby residents.
Freudenstein F et al · 2015
The study evaluated respondents' risk perception of different RF EMF sources and their subjective knowledge about exposure characteristics. Results showed participants were more concerned about base stations than all other RF EMF sources. A linear regression indicated that exposure characteristics except distance influence general RF EMF risk perception. Better exposure knowledge tended to lead to higher risk perception, especially for mobile phones.
Schoeni A, Roser K, Röösli M. · 2015
In a cross-sectional study, 439 adolescents completed questionnaires about mobile phone use at night and health, and 233 provided operator-recorded use data. Standardized computerized cognitive tests assessed memory and concentration capacity. Adolescents who reported being awakened at least once a month had higher odds of daytime tiredness (OR 1.86) and rapid exhaustibility (OR 2.28). Similar associations were seen with objective operator-recorded data for tiredness (OR 1.63) and rapid exhaustibility (OR 2.32). Cognitive test performance was not related to nighttime mobile phone use.
Malek F, Rani KA, Rahim HA, Omar MH · 2015
The study aimed to determine whether short-term exposure at 1 V/m to typical GSM and UMTS signals affects cognitive performance and physiological parameters. The sample included 200 subjects, with 50.0% reporting idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields (IEI-EMF) and 50.0% non-IEI-EMF. No statistically significant differences were found between real exposure and sham exposure for cognitive performance or physiological effects in either group (P’s > 0.05).
Zheng F et al. · 2015
Fatigue was significantly associated with years of MP usage and daily duration of MP calls, while headache was significantly associated with daily duration of MP calls. After adjusting for confounders, only the association between fatigue and MP usage remained statistically significant, and no significant association was found between MP use and other physical symptoms.
Szyjkowska A, Gadzicka E, Szymczak W, Bortkiewicz A. · 2014
Most respondents used their phones daily or almost daily. Users who talked frequently and for long periods reported headaches (63.2%) and fatigue (45%) significantly more often than other users. Intensive users also reported warmth around the ear (47.3%) and at the auricle (44.6%) more frequently. Most symptoms appeared during or right after a call and disappeared within 2 hours, though 26% reported continuous headache lasting over 6 hours.
Nordin S, Neely G, Olsson D, Sandström M · 2014
This study assessed differences in odor and noise intolerance between persons with EHS and healthy controls using the Chemical Sensitivity Scale and Noise Sensitivity Scale. The EHS group scored significantly higher than controls on all CSS and NSS scales. Correlation coefficients between CSS and NSS scores ranged from 0.60 to 0.65 across measures. The findings suggest an association between EHS and odor and noise intolerance.
Chiu CT, Chang YH, Chen CC, Ko MC, Li CY. · 2014
De Luca C et al. · 2014
The study tested a panel of 12 metabolic blood redox-related parameters and selected drug-metabolizing-enzyme gene polymorphisms in 153 EHS, 147 MCS, and 132 control Italians. They found milder pro-oxidant and proinflammatory changes in the electromagnetic hypersensitivity group, including an increased plasma coenzyme-Q10 oxidation ratio. Genetic analysis showed altered distribution of CYP2C19 variants and a 9.7-fold higher risk of electromagnetic hypersensitivity for a combined GSTT1 and GSTM1 null haplotype.
Velayutham P, Govindasamy GK, Raman R, Prepageran N, Ng KH · 2014
The study was a prospective single-blinded study that used high-frequency audiometry. Researchers compared the dominant ear to the non-dominant ear in 100 subjects because they could not find enough non-users as a control group. Chronic mobile phone usage revealed high frequency hearing loss in the dominant ear compared to the non-dominant ear. The loss in the dominant ear was statistically significant (P < 0.05).
Gómez-Perretta C, Navarro EA, Segura J, Portolés M. · 2013
Researchers re-analyzed data from a 2003 study on health symptoms related to microwave exposure from mobile phone base stations. They used binary logistic regression with bootstrapping to model symptoms as a function of exposure. The symptoms most related to exposure were lack of appetite, lack of concentration, irritability, and trouble sleeping. Concerns about base stations were strongly related to trouble sleeping. The exposure variable remained statistically significant in multivariate analysis.
Tseng MC, Lin YP, Hu FC, Cheng TJ. · 2013
The study investigated perceived risks of EMFs and other environmental sources and their relationships with psychopathology and self-reported EMF sensitivity. A telephone survey of 1,251 adults found that higher EMF sensitivity, psychopathology, being female, married, more educated, or having a catastrophic illness were linked to higher perceived risks of EMF-related and all environmental sources. Psychopathology did not moderate the association between EMF sensitivity and risk perception.
