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A possible effect of electromagnetic radiation from mobile phone base stations on the number of breeding house sparrows (Passer domesticus)

Bioeffects Seen

Authors not listed · 2007

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House sparrow populations declined significantly near cell towers, with fewer birds found in areas with stronger GSM radiation.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Belgian researchers studied house sparrows near cell phone towers and found significantly fewer male birds in areas with stronger electromagnetic radiation from GSM base stations. The study examined 150 locations across six residential districts and found the negative relationship was consistent across all areas, suggesting long-term EMF exposure may reduce bird populations or alter their behavior.

Why This Matters

This field study provides compelling evidence that wildlife populations are declining in areas with higher cell tower radiation levels. The researchers found a clear dose-response relationship: the stronger the electromagnetic fields from 900 and 1800 MHz base stations, the fewer male house sparrows were observed during breeding season. What makes this particularly significant is that the effect was consistent across all six study areas despite varying baseline bird populations and radiation levels.

The sparrows in this study were exposed to the same frequencies your cell phone uses to communicate with towers, though at much lower power levels than what you experience during a call. Yet even these relatively low exposures correlated with measurable population effects. This adds to growing evidence that chronic, low-level EMF exposure may have biological consequences that current safety standards don't account for.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 900 MHz, 1800 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 900 MHz, 1800 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Cite This Study
Unknown (2007). A possible effect of electromagnetic radiation from mobile phone base stations on the number of breeding house sparrows (Passer domesticus).
Show BibTeX
@article{a_possible_effect_of_electromagnetic_radiation_from_mobile_phone_base_stations_on_the_number_of_breeding_house_sparrows_passer_domesticus_ce1198,
  author = {Unknown},
  title = {A possible effect of electromagnetic radiation from mobile phone base stations on the number of breeding house sparrows (Passer domesticus)},
  year = {2007},
  doi = {10.1080/15368370701205693},
  
}
DOI: 10.1080/15368370701205693PubMed: 17454083

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, this Belgian study found significantly fewer male house sparrows during breeding season in areas with stronger electromagnetic radiation from GSM cell phone base stations, suggesting population-level impacts from chronic EMF exposure.
Both 900 MHz and 1800 MHz downlink frequencies from cell towers showed negative correlations with sparrow numbers. The combined effect of both frequency bands was also statistically significant across all study areas.
The negative relationship between EMF strength and sparrow numbers was highly similar across all six residential districts studied, despite differences in baseline bird populations and radiation levels between areas.
The study measured actual bird counts rather than behavior, finding fewer male sparrows at locations with higher electric field strength. Researchers suggest this could reflect either reduced abundance or behavioral avoidance.
Researchers sampled 150 point locations across six Belgian residential districts to examine the relationship between house sparrow male counts and electromagnetic radiation strength from nearby cell phone base stations.