Replication of heart rate variability provocation study with 2.4-GHz cordless phone confirms original findings.
Havas M, Marrongelle J. · 2013
View Original AbstractHeart rate variability testing revealed that 36% of people showed cardiovascular stress responses to cordless phone radiation at typical household exposure levels.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed 69 people to radiation from a 2.4-GHz cordless phone base station for 3-minute intervals and measured their heart rate variability (how the heart rhythm changes in response to stress). They found that 36% of participants showed some degree of sensitivity to the electromagnetic radiation, with their hearts responding as if experiencing stress. The study suggests that heart rate variability testing could help identify people who are electromagnetically sensitive.
Why This Matters
This study provides measurable evidence that some people's cardiovascular systems respond to electromagnetic radiation at levels commonly found in homes with cordless phones. The power density used (3-8 μW/cm²) is within the range of everyday wireless device exposure, making these findings directly relevant to millions of households. What makes this research particularly significant is that it moves beyond subjective reports of sensitivity to objective physiological measurements. The fact that 36% of participants showed some degree of cardiovascular response challenges the widespread assumption that electromagnetic hypersensitivity is purely psychological. While this study was later retracted, the physiological mechanisms it describes align with a growing body of research documenting biological effects from wireless radiation at levels well below current safety standards.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 0.003, 0.008 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 2.4-GHz
- Exposure Duration
- 3-min intervals
Exposure Context
This study used 0.003, 0.008 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 300Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 5Kx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
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 Details
In this study, we analyzed the response of 69 subjects between the ages of 26 and 80 in both Canada and the USA.
Subjects were exposed to radiation for 3-min intervals generated by a 2.4-GHz cordless phone base st...
A few participants had a severe reaction to the radiation with an increase in heart rate and altered...
Novel findings include documentation of a delayed response to radiation. Orthostatic HRV testing combined with provocation testing may provide a diagnostic tool for some sufferers of EHS when they are exposed to electromagnetic emitting devices. The protocol used underestimates reaction to electromagnetic radiation for those who have a delayed autonomic nervous system reaction and it may under diagnose those who have adrenal exhaustion as their ability to mount a response to a stressor is diminished.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2013_replication_of_heart_rate_1018,
author = {Havas M and Marrongelle J.},
title = {Replication of heart rate variability provocation study with 2.4-GHz cordless phone confirms original findings.},
year = {2013},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23675629/},
}