Mobile phone base stations and adverse health effects: Phase 1: A population-based cross-sectional study in Germany.
Blettner M, Schlehofer B, Breckenkamp J, Kowall B, Schmiedel S, Reis U, Potthoff P, Schuez J, Berg-Beckhoff G. · 2009
View Original AbstractLiving within 500 meters of cell towers was linked to more health complaints in 30,000 Germans, even after accounting for people's concerns about the towers.
Plain English Summary
German researchers surveyed over 30,000 people to see if living near cell phone towers was linked to health complaints. They found that people living within 500 meters of a cell tower reported slightly more health problems than those living farther away. Importantly, this increase couldn't be fully explained by people's concerns or beliefs about the towers, suggesting the proximity itself may play a role.
Why This Matters
This large German study adds important evidence to the growing body of research linking cell tower proximity to health effects. What makes this research particularly compelling is its size - over 30,000 participants - and the fact that it controlled for people's beliefs and concerns about the towers. The reality is that many studies on this topic get dismissed because researchers assume health complaints are purely psychological. But when nearly 20% of the German population expresses concern about cell tower health effects, and proximity shows an association with symptoms even after accounting for those concerns, we need to take notice. The 500-meter distance studied here is significant because many people live much closer to cell towers than this. What this means for you is that the science continues to support the precautionary principle when it comes to wireless infrastructure placement near homes and schools.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
The aim of this first phase of a cross-sectional study from Germany was to investigate whether proximity of residence to mobile phone base stations as well as risk perception is associated with health complaints.
The researchers conducted a population-based, multi-phase, cross-sectional study within the context ...
Of the 30,047 participants (response rate 58.6%), 18.7% of participants were concerned about adverse...
A substantial proportion of the German population is concerned about adverse health effects caused by exposure from mobile phone base stations. The observed slightly higher prevalence of health complaints near base stations can not however be fully explained by attributions or concerns.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2009_mobile_phone_base_stations_1912,
author = {Blettner M and Schlehofer B and Breckenkamp J and Kowall B and Schmiedel S and Reis U and Potthoff P and Schuez J and Berg-Beckhoff G.},
title = {Mobile phone base stations and adverse health effects: Phase 1: A population-based cross-sectional study in Germany.},
year = {2009},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19017702/},
}