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Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.

Brain & Nervous System

Effects of short-term W-CDMA mobile phone base station exposure on women with or without mobile phone related symptoms

No Effects Found

Authors not listed · 2008

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Women claiming mobile phone sensitivity couldn't detect 2.14 GHz base station EMF and showed no different responses than controls.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers tested 54 women (11 with self-reported mobile phone sensitivity and 43 controls) in a controlled lab setting using 2.14 GHz W-CDMA base station signals at 10 V/m for 30 minutes. Neither group could detect when EMF was actually present, and both groups showed identical psychological, cognitive, and autonomic responses to real versus fake exposure. The study found no evidence that people claiming EMF sensitivity actually respond differently to electromagnetic fields from cell towers.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 2.14 GHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 2.14 GHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale
Cite This Study
Unknown (2008). Effects of short-term W-CDMA mobile phone base station exposure on women with or without mobile phone related symptoms.
Show BibTeX
@article{effects_of_short_term_w_cdma_mobile_phone_base_station_exposure_on_women_with_or_without_mobile_phone_related_symptoms_ce1662,
  author = {Unknown},
  title = {Effects of short-term W-CDMA mobile phone base station exposure on women with or without mobile phone related symptoms},
  year = {2008},
  doi = {10.1002/bem.20446},
  
}
DOI: 10.1002/bem.20446PubMed: 18780296

Quick Questions About This Study

No, this study found that women claiming mobile phone sensitivity could not detect 2.14 GHz W-CDMA base station signals any better than control subjects. Both groups performed equally poorly at identifying when EMF was actually present versus sham exposure.
No measurable differences were found. Both electromagnetically sensitive women and controls showed identical psychological, cognitive, and autonomic responses to 10 V/m W-CDMA exposure. However, the sensitive group reported more discomfort regardless of actual EMF presence.
The researchers used 10 V/m exposure strength, which they acknowledged was higher than what people typically receive from actual base stations in daily life. This stronger signal was used to maximize the chance of detecting any effects.
Subjects underwent four different 30-minute exposure conditions: continuous EMF, intermittent EMF, and sham exposures with and without noise. Researchers measured psychological, cognitive parameters, and autonomic functions before and after each session in a shielded room.
No, the study found no significant changes in autonomic functions in either the electromagnetically sensitive group or controls during real or sham W-CDMA base station EMF exposure. Both groups showed identical autonomic responses throughout the experiment.