Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.
Eltiti S et al, (February 2015) Aggregated data from two double-blind base station provocation studies comparing individuals with idiopathic environmental intolerance with attribution to electromagnetic fields and controls, Bioelectromagnetics. 2015 Feb;36(2):96-107. doi: 10.1002/bem.21892
No Effects Found
Authors not listed · 2015
Cell tower radiation doesn't cause symptoms in electromagnetically sensitive people when they don't know they're exposed.
Plain English Summary
Summary written for general audiences
Researchers tested whether cell tower radiation affects people who claim electromagnetic sensitivity, comparing them to healthy controls in both open and blinded conditions. While sensitive individuals reported symptoms when they knew they were exposed, they showed no reaction during blinded testing when they couldn't tell real from fake exposure. This suggests psychological rather than physiological responses to cell tower EMF.
Cite This Study
Unknown (2015). Eltiti S et al, (February 2015) Aggregated data from two double-blind base station provocation studies comparing individuals with idiopathic environmental intolerance with attribution to electromagnetic fields and controls, Bioelectromagnetics. 2015 Feb;36(2):96-107. doi: 10.1002/bem.21892.
Show BibTeX
@article{eltiti_s_et_al_february_2015_aggregated_data_from_two_double_blind_base_station_provocation_studies_comparing_individuals_with_idiopathic_environmental_intolerance_with_attribution_to_electromagnetic_ce1631,
author = {Unknown},
title = {Eltiti S et al, (February 2015) Aggregated data from two double-blind base station provocation studies comparing individuals with idiopathic environmental intolerance with attribution to electromagnetic fields and controls, Bioelectromagnetics. 2015 Feb;36(2):96-107. doi: 10.1002/bem.21892},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1002/bem.21892},
}Quick Questions About This Study
When tested under blinded conditions, people claiming electromagnetic sensitivity showed no physical response to cell tower radiation. They only reported symptoms when they knew they were being exposed, suggesting psychological rather than biological effects.
In double-blind testing, neither participants nor researchers know when real EMF exposure occurs. Under these conditions, electromagnetically sensitive individuals cannot distinguish between real cell tower radiation and fake exposure, indicating no genuine physiological detection.
This study found that people claiming EMF sensitivity cannot actually detect cell tower radiation when they don't know it's present. Their symptoms appear only during open trials when exposure is obvious, not during blinded testing.
The study included 102 people claiming electromagnetic sensitivity and 237 healthy controls. Both groups were exposed to actual cell tower radiation including GSM, UMTS, and TETRA signals versus sham conditions in controlled laboratory settings.
The evidence suggests symptoms stem from awareness of potential EMF exposure rather than the electromagnetic fields themselves. Real symptoms occur during open exposure but disappear completely when people cannot tell if radiation is present.