6,486 Studies Reviewed. 85.2% of Original Studies Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.

EMF Research Studies

Browse 6,486 peer-reviewed studies on electromagnetic field health effects from 4 research libraries.

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Showing 2,339 studies (Human Studies)

Symptoms & SensitivityNo Effects Found

Exposure to mobile phone electromagnetic fields and subjective symptoms: a double-blind study

Cinel C, Russo R, Boldini A, Fox E · 2008

Researchers exposed three groups of volunteers totaling 496 participants to mobile phone electromagnetic fields in one session and sham signals in another session, using a counterbalanced double-blind design. Participants were exposed to either GSM or unmodulated signals with the phone positioned on the left or right side of the head. Before and after each exposure, participants rated five symptoms, and changes after real exposure were compared with changes after sham exposure. For one group of 160 participants, dizziness was affected by GSM exposure, but this effect was not consistent across the other two groups, and no other significant effects were found.

Dialling and driving: factors influencing intentions to use a mobile phone while driving.

Walsh SP, White KM, Hyde MK, Watson B. · 2008

Attitudes consistently predicted intentions to drive while using a mobile phone, and pressure from significant others also determined some phone use intentions. Perceptions of control had less support as a predictor, and risk was not generally predictive of safer driving intentions. Different factors influenced each form of mobile phone use while driving, suggesting a multi-strategy approach is needed. The researchers examined predictors for calling and text messaging in four scenarios varying vehicle speed and time pressure.

Use of wireless telephones and self-reported health symptoms: a population-based study among Swedish adolescents aged 15-19 years.

Soderqvist F, Carlberg M, Hardell L. · 2008

The aim of the study was to assess wireless phone use and its relation to explanatory factors and self-reported health symptoms. A postal questionnaire with 27 questions and 75 items was sent to 2000 Swedish adolescents aged 15-19 years selected from the population registry using a stratified sampling scheme, and 63.5% of the study subjects answered it. Most participants reported access to a mobile phone (99.6%) and use increased with age; 55.6% of 15-year-olds and 82.2% of 19-year-olds were regular users, girls generally reported more frequent use than boys, and watching TV increased the odds ratio for wireless phone use adjusted for age and gender. Regular users of wireless phones had health symptoms more often and reported poorer perceived health than less frequent users.

Fetal and neonatal responses following maternal exposure to mobile phones.

Rezk AY, Abdulqawi K, Mustafa RM, Abo El-Azm TM, Al-Inany H · 2008

Researchers enrolled 90 pregnant women with uncomplicated pregnancies and 30 full-term newborns for the study. Pregnant women were exposed to mobile phone electromagnetic fields in dialing mode for 10 minutes, and fetal and neonatal heart rate and cardiac output were measured. Exposure significantly increased fetal and neonatal heart rate and decreased stroke volume and cardiac output, with these changes becoming less pronounced at higher gestational ages.

Anatomically realistic reference models of pregnant women for gestation ages of 13, 18, and 26 weeks.

Nagaoka T, Saito K, Takahashi M, Ito K, Watanabe S. · 2008

The paper outlines the development of pregnant woman models adjusted to reference physiological characteristics for gestation ages of 13, 18, and 26 weeks. The models are composed of voxels of 2 x 2 x 2 mm³ and include 56 tissue types. Basic specific absorption rate (SAR) characteristics for whole-body RF exposure were calculated using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method.

Occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields in physiotherapy departments.

Maccà I et al. · 2008

Researchers measured electromagnetic fields from 11 microwave, 4 short-wave diathermy, and 15 magneto therapy devices in eight physiotherapy departments. Levels in front of microwave applicators dropped quickly with distance and lower power, though metal furniture can reflect fields. Measurements at about 50 cm from microwave applicators and near diathermy units exceeded European and ACGIH exposure limits.

Cognitive and neurobiological alterations in electromagnetic hypersensitive patients: results of a case-control study.

Landgrebe M et al. · 2008

Researchers conducted a case-control study with 89 electromagnetic hypersensitive patients and 107 matched controls. They assessed health status, EMF-specific cognitions, perception thresholds, and cortical excitability using questionnaires and transcranial magnetic stimulation. Discrimination ability was significantly reduced in the hypersensitive group, while perception thresholds for real magnetic pulses were similar between groups. Intra-cortical facilitation was decreased in younger hypersensitive patients and increased in older hypersensitive patients. EMF-related cognitions such as rumination and symptom intolerance differentiated the hypersensitive patients from controls.

Harmful effects of 41 and 202 MHz radiations on some body parts and tissues.

Kumar V, Vats RP, Pathak PP. · 2008

The study examined effects of electromagnetic waves at 41 and 202 MHz from a TV tower on human skin, muscles, bone, and fat. Researchers used international SAR exposure limits to calculate safe distances from TV transmission towers for both frequencies. The authors recommended that transmission towers be located away from densely populated areas and that people keep away from towers because they emit radiation harmful to some body tissues.

Adverse effects of excessive mobile phone use.

Khan MM. · 2008

Researchers surveyed medical students using a questionnaire about mobile phone use and health complaints. The response rate was 86.6% with 286 of 330 forms completed. Most students (83.57%) had some knowledge about adverse effects of mobile phone use. Daily mobile phone use was less than 30 minutes for 55.94% of students, 30-60 minutes for 27.97%, 60-90 minutes for 11.53%, and more than 90 minutes for 4.54%. Reported symptoms included headache (16.08%), fatigue (24.48%), impaired concentration (34.27%), memory disturbances (40.56%), sleeplessness (38.8%), hearing problems (23.07%), facial dermatitis (16.78%), and a sensation of warmth in the ear area (28.32%); 44.4% of the 286 subjects linked their symptoms to mobile phone use.

Source of funding and results of studies of health effects of mobile phone use: systematic review of experimental studies.

Huss A et al. · 2008

Researchers conducted a systematic review of 59 controlled-exposure studies of radiofrequency radiation with health-related outcomes. Industry-funded studies reported the most outcomes but had the lowest odds of a statistically significant association. The association persisted after adjusting for number of outcomes, study quality, and other factors.

Cancer & Tumors174 citations

Meta-analysis of long-term mobile phone use and the association with brain tumours.

Hardell L, Carlberg M, Söderqvist F, Hansson Mild K. · 2008

Researchers evaluated long-term mobile phone use and brain tumour risk in published case-control studies. Ten glioma studies showed an overall odds ratio of 0.9, but a latency of ten years or more gave an odds ratio of 1.2, and ipsilateral use gave an odds ratio of 2.0. Nine acoustic neuroma studies gave an overall odds ratio of 0.9, rising to 1.3 with ten-year latency and 2.4 for ipsilateral use. Seven meningioma studies yielded an overall odds ratio of 0.8, with ten-year latency giving 1.3 and ipsilateral use 1.7.

[Mutagenic, carcinogenic and teratogenic effects induced by radiofrequency electromagnetic field of mobile phone.]

Chen ZJ, He JL. · 2008

The study aimed to investigate mutagenic, carcinogenic, and teratogenic effects induced by radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from mobile phones. The authors noted that conflicting results exist in publications on these effects. They reported that overwhelming findings do not support the assumption that RF exposure may induce mutagenic, carcinogenic, or teratogenic effects. However, they stated that health effects from low-level RF exposure need further study.

Distribution of RF energy emitted by mobile phones in anatomical structures of the brain.

Cardis E et al. · 2008

Most energy (97-99%) appears to be absorbed in the brain hemisphere on the side where the phone is used, mainly (50-60%) in the temporal lobe. The average relative SAR is highest in the temporal lobe (6-15% of peak SAR) and cerebellum (2-10%), and decreases very rapidly with increasing depth, particularly at higher frequencies. The SAR distribution appears to be fairly similar across phone models, between older and newer phones, and between phones with different antenna types and positions.

Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields; male infertility and sex ratio of offspring.

Baste V, Riise T, Moen BE. · 2008

Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study among 10,497 military men in the Royal Norwegian Navy to assess work near radiofrequency-emitting equipment, infertility, and offspring sex ratio. Infertility increased significantly with increasing self-reported exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields. Adjusted odds ratios for infertility were 1.39 for low exposure, 1.52 for some exposure, 1.93 for high exposure, and 1.86 for very high exposure compared to no exposure. Higher paternal exposure was also associated with a lower ratio of boys to girls at birth. The number of children was not associated with exposure degree.

Cardiovascular100 citations

The influence of the call with a mobile phone on heart rate variability parameters in healthy volunteers.

Andrzejak R et al. · 2008

Researchers recorded ECG Holter monitoring in 32 healthy students before, during, and after a mobile phone call in the morning while seated. During the call, time-domain HRV parameters SDNN and SDANN increased significantly, and frequency-domain components VLF, LF, and HF were highest while LF/HF ratio was lowest. The authors concluded that the call may alter autonomic balance, though electromagnetic field effects could not be separated from the influence of speaking.

Reproductive Health526 citations

Effect of cell phone usage on semen analysis in men attending infertility clinic: an observational study.

Agarwal A, Deepinder F, Sharma RK, Ranga G, Li J. · 2008

Three hundred sixty-one men undergoing infertility evaluation were divided into four groups based on daily cell phone use: no use, less than 2 hours, 2 to 4 hours, and more than 4 hours. Comparisons of mean sperm count, motility, viability, and normal morphology among the four groups were statistically significant. The decrease in sperm parameters was dependent on the duration of daily exposure to cell phones and independent of the initial semen quality.

A pulsing electric field (PEF) increases human chondrocyte proliferation through a transduction pathway involving nitric oxide signaling.

Fitzsimmons RJ, Gordon SL, Kronberg J, Ganey T, Pilla AA. · 2008

Researchers tested whether a pulsing electric field could directly affect chondrocytes in vitro. A 30-minute PEF treatment increased DNA content of chondrocyte monolayers by approximately 150% at 72 hours poststimulus. The PEF signal increased nitric oxide in the culture medium and cGMP in cell extracts within the 30-minute exposure period. The calcium/calmodulin inhibitor W7 prevented the PEF-stimulated increases in nitric oxide and cGMP; the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NAME prevented increases in nitric oxide, cGMP, and DNA content; and the guanylate cyclase inhibitor LY83583 blocked increases in cGMP and DNA content. A nitric oxide donor present for only 30 minutes increased DNA content at 72 hours.

The effect of GSM-like ELF radiation on the alpha band of the human resting EEG.

Perentos N, Croft RJ, McKenzie RJ, Cvetkovic D, Cosic I. · 2008

Researchers investigated the effect of GSM-like ELF radiation on the alpha band of the human resting EEG. The study used a fully counterbalanced, double-blind, cross-over design with 72 healthy volunteers. A decrease in the alpha frequency band was observed during 20 minutes of ELF exposure in the exposed hemisphere only.

. The spectral power coherence of the EEG under different EMF conditions.

Hountala CD et al. · 2008

Researchers introduced spectral power coherence as a measure of coordination among four EEG frequency bands at a specific brain location. They found that delta rhythm contributes less to this coordination than theta, alpha, and beta rhythms. Gender differences in overall spectral power coherence were observed without radiation, but these differences disappeared during 900 MHz exposure and reversed during 1800 MHz exposure. The measure was calculated from pre-stimulus EEG during an auditory memory task under 900 MHz and 1800 MHz electromagnetic field conditions.

Prenatal and Postnatal Exposure to Cell Phone Use and Behavioral Problems in Children

Divan HA, Kheifets L, Obel C, Olsen J · 2008

Mothers of 13,159 children completed a follow-up questionnaire reporting cell phone use during pregnancy and the child's current cell phone use. Greater odds ratios for behavioral problems were observed for children with possible prenatal or postnatal exposure to cell phone use. After adjustment for potential confounders, the odds ratio for a higher overall behavioral problems score was 1.80 (95% confidence interval = 1.45–2.23) in children with both prenatal and postnatal exposure. The authors noted that these associations may be noncausal and may be due to unmeasured confounding.

[Surface markers and functions of human dendritic cells exposed to mobile phone 1800 MHz electromagnetic fields.]

Zhou ZD et al. · 2008

Human dendritic cells were exposed to intermittent EMF at 4 W/kg SAR for 1, 12, or 24 hours. Surface markers were analyzed by flow cytometry, allo-MLR by CCK-8 assay, and cytokine secretion by ELISA. After exposure, HLA-DR, CD80, CD86, and CD40 expression declined, while CD11c did not. Allo-MLR stimulation ability decreased significantly in all exposure groups, most markedly at 24 hours. Secreted IL-12p70 and TNF-alpha levels remained unchanged across exposure groups.

Exposure to 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation induces caspase 3 activation in proliferating human lymphocytes

Palumbo R et al. · 2008

The study investigated apoptosis induction after 900 MHz GSM radiation by measuring caspase 3 activation in Jurkat cells and quiescent and proliferating human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Exposure was at 1.35 W/kg for one hour in a temperature-controlled dual wire patch cell system. Caspase 3 activity increased by 32.4% in Jurkat cells and 22% in proliferating lymphocytes 6 hours after exposure, but did not change in quiescent lymphocytes. Apoptosis and viability assessed 24 hours later were unaffected in both cell types. Cell cycle analysis of proliferating T cells also showed no differences between exposed and sham-exposed cultures.

SAR / Device Absorption
Not an original health-effects study

Proportion-corrected scaled voxel models for Japanese children and their application to the numerical dosimetry of specific absorption rate for frequencies from 30 MHz to 3 GHz

Nagaoka T, Kunieda E, Watanabe S · 2008

Researchers used an existing Japanese adult voxel model and three-dimensional deformation to create models representing average-size Japanese children at 3, 5, and 7 years old. The models consist of cubic voxels 2 mm on each side segmented into 51 tissues and organs. They calculated whole-body-averaged and tissue-averaged specific absorption rates for the child models exposed to plane waves from 30 MHz to 3 GHz and compared the results with scaled down adult models. They also determined the incident electric-field strength needed to produce a whole-body-averaged SAR of 0.08 W kg(-1), the ICNIRP basic restriction for general public exposure.

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