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Brain & Nervous System

Cognitive and physiological responses in humans exposed to a TETRA base station signal in relation to perceived electromagnetic hypersensitivity.

No Effects Found

Wallace D, Eltiti S, Ridgewell A, Garner K, Russo R, Sepulveda F, Walker S, Quinlan T, Dudley S, Maung S, Deeble R, Fox E · 2012

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TETRA emergency radio signals showed no immediate effects on thinking or physical responses, even in electromagnetically sensitive individuals.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers tested whether exposure to TETRA radio signals (used by emergency services) affects thinking ability and physical responses in people who consider themselves sensitive to electromagnetic fields. After exposing 183 participants to real and fake TETRA signals in a controlled study, they found no differences in memory, attention, heart rate, or other measured responses. This adds to evidence that radio frequency exposure at these levels doesn't produce detectable immediate effects on cognitive function or basic physiological responses.

Why This Matters

This study addresses an important gap in EMF research by examining TETRA signals, which operate at 420 MHz and are used extensively by police, fire departments, and emergency medical services. The power density tested (10 mW/m²) represents typical exposure levels near TETRA base stations. What makes this research particularly valuable is its inclusion of people who report electromagnetic hypersensitivity, a group often overlooked in EMF studies. The negative findings align with most controlled studies of RF exposure and cognitive function. However, the reality is that this study only examined acute, short-term exposure effects. The absence of immediate detectable changes doesn't address potential long-term health impacts from chronic exposure, which remain largely unstudied for TETRA frequencies. The research demonstrates the challenge of studying EMF effects in controlled laboratory settings versus real-world exposure patterns.

Exposure Details

Power Density
0.001 mW/cm²
Source/Device
420 MHz TETRA

Exposure Context

This study used 0.001 mW/cm² for radio frequency:

Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.001 mW/cm²Extreme Concern - 1,000 µW/m²FCC Limit - 10M µW/m²Effects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 1,000 times higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 420 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 420 MHzPower lines50/60 HzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

The present study is the first to examine whether acute exposure to a TETRA base station signal has an impact on cognitive functioning and physiological responses.

Participants were exposed to a 420 MHz TETRA signal at a power flux density of 10 mW/m2 as well as s...

We observed no differences in cognitive performance between sham and TETRA exposure in either group;...

These findings are similar to previous double‐blind studies with other mobile phone signals (900–2100 MHz), which could not establish any clear evidence that mobile phone signals affect health or cognitive function.

Cite This Study
Wallace D, Eltiti S, Ridgewell A, Garner K, Russo R, Sepulveda F, Walker S, Quinlan T, Dudley S, Maung S, Deeble R, Fox E (2012). Cognitive and physiological responses in humans exposed to a TETRA base station signal in relation to perceived electromagnetic hypersensitivity. Bioelectromagnetics. 33(1):23-39, 2012.
Show BibTeX
@article{d_2012_cognitive_and_physiological_responses_2818,
  author = {Wallace D and Eltiti S and Ridgewell A and Garner K and Russo R and Sepulveda F and Walker S and Quinlan T and Dudley S and Maung S and Deeble R and Fox E},
  title = {Cognitive and physiological responses in humans exposed to a TETRA base station signal in relation to perceived electromagnetic hypersensitivity.},
  year = {2012},
  doi = {10.1002/bem.20681},
  url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bem.20681},
}
DOI: 10.1002/bem.20681

Cited By (32 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

No, TETRA radio signals at 420 MHz do not affect cognitive performance. A 2012 study tested 183 people who considered themselves electromagnetic hypersensitive and found no differences in memory or attention between real and fake TETRA exposure conditions.
No, 420 MHz TETRA signals do not cause measurable physical symptoms. Research found no differences in heart rate or other physiological responses between real TETRA exposure and sham conditions, even in people who believe they're electromagnetic hypersensitive.
Current evidence suggests TETRA radio radiation is not harmful to health. A controlled study of 183 participants found no significant effects on cognitive function or physiological responses from 420 MHz TETRA signals used by emergency services.
People may believe they feel symptoms, but controlled testing shows no measurable effects. A 2012 double-blind study found no differences in cognitive performance or physical responses between real and fake TETRA signal exposure conditions.
TETRA 420 MHz shows similar results to cell phone studies - no clear health effects. Research found no cognitive or physiological impacts from TETRA exposure, matching findings from previous double-blind studies with mobile phone signals at 900-2100 MHz.