Eggeling-Böcker M et al. · 2026
Researchers randomly assigned 2169 participants to basic, simple precautionary, or conceptual precautionary information about reducing RF-EMF exposure from mobile phones. Simple precautionary messages increased general conditional risk perception only when participants assumed no precautions were taken, but did not affect affective risk perception, trust, or risk perception when precautions were assumed. Providing an elaborate explanation of the precaution-prevention distinction did not reduce risk perception or increase trust compared to simple precautionary information, and increased risk perception compared to basic information. Greek participants reported higher perceived risks and lower trust than German participants, and women expressed higher risk perception and less trust than men.
Sailo L et al. · 2025
Researchers gave a symptom questionnaire to 183 highly exposed and 126 reference residents matched on demographics in a hilly city in Mizoram, India. They measured RF-EMF levels in residents' lounge rooms and compared symptoms between those living closer than 300 meters and farther than 400 meters from base stations. Residents living closer reported more symptoms in all four health categories, and higher exposure levels were the only factor predicting the number of symptoms.
Köteles F, Witthöft M, Bräscher AK, Bailer J, Nordin S · 2025
Researchers used population-based survey data from Germany (n=2515), Sweden (n=3253), and Finland (n=1467) to report prevalence rates of five environmental sensitivities and compare three of them across countries. In the German sample, about 25% of participants reported mild reactions to sounds, chemicals, and buildings, and about 10% to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and wind turbines, with strong reactions at 1-2%. Data from Sweden and Finland showed consistent similarities, with prevalences exceeding 34% for mild reactions to chemicals and sounds and about 5% to EMFs, with strong reactions at 1-8%.
Ikeda K, Nakamura K. · 2018
The cross-sectional study included 2,785 high school students in Niigata, Japan. Mean mobile phone use was 24 hours per week with a median of 18 hours. Longer mobile phone use was associated with female students, no sports club participation, early mobile phone use, and fewer hours of sleep. Overall associations between hours of mobile phone use and mood scores were significant for depressed mood, tension and excitement, and fatigue.
Lozano-Soto E et al. · 2018
In a sham-controlled double-blind crossover study, tSMS was applied for 10 minutes with a cylindrical magnet on the occiput of 20 healthy subjects. Researchers assessed subjective discomfort induced by low-intensity and high-intensity visual stimuli in a dark room before, during and after tSMS or sham. Compared to sham, tSMS significantly reduced the discomfort induced by high-intensity light stimuli.
Unknown authors · 2017
Schoeni A, Roser K, Röösli M. · 2017
Researchers conducted a prospective cohort study of 439 Swiss adolescents aged 12-17 years who completed questionnaires about mobile and cordless phone use and symptoms at baseline and one year later. Operator-recorded mobile phone data were obtained for a subgroup of 234 adolescents, and RF-EMF dose measures for the brain and whole body were computed. Data were analyzed using mixed-logistic cross-sectional and cohort models adjusted for confounders. Symptoms such as tiredness were more strongly associated with text message frequency (OR 1.81 cross-sectional, OR 1.87 cohort) than with call duration or RF-EMF dose measures. The pattern of stronger associations with device use than with RF-EMF dose does not support a causal effect of RF-EMF exposure on symptoms.
Andrianome S et al. · 2017
Researchers compared autonomic nervous system activity in 30 self-declared electrohypersensitive participants and 25 matched controls using heart rate variability and skin conductance. The electrohypersensitive group showed more skin conductance responses to auditory stimuli, while short-term heart rate variability did not differ between groups. In a double-blind, counterbalanced session, 10 electrohypersensitive volunteers were exposed to GSM 900, GSM 1800, DECT, and Wi-Fi at 1 V/m. No changes in heart rate variability or skin conductance were observed during or after exposure.
Wang J, Su H, Xie W, Yu S. · 2017
Researchers performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of 7 cross-sectional studies on MP use and headache. The pooled analysis found a 38% increased risk of headache in MP users versus non-MP users. Among MP users, longer daily call duration and higher daily call frequency were each associated with greater headache risk.
Martens AL et al. · 2017
Durusoy R, Hassoy H, Özkurt A, Karababa AO. · 2017
Headache, fatigue, and sleep disturbances were reported 1.90, 1.78, and 1.53 times more often among mobile phone users. Dose-response relationships were found for call frequency, call duration, text message frequency, phone position at night, and charging while calling with symptoms such as headache, concentration difficulties, fatigue, sleep disturbances, ear warming, and flushing. No association was found between school EMF levels and symptoms, while limited associations were seen for proximity to base stations. Data were collected via questionnaire and EMF measurements from November 2009 to April 2011 using an Aaronia Spectran HF-4060 device.
Das S, Chakraborty S, Mahanta B. · 2017
Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study among medical students who had used mobile phones for the past 5 years. They assessed the effect of mobile phones on pure tone audiometry thresholds in the exposed ear and the non-exposed ear. The study found a significant difference in average air conduction and bone conduction hearing thresholds between the exposed and non-exposed ears. A significant rise in both air and bone conduction thresholds at individual frequencies between the exposed and non-exposed ears was also noted.
Ayoobi F, Shamsizadeh A, Shafiei SA. · 2017
This study investigated the impact of local extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) on sleep and drowsiness in healthy young adults. Minimum reaction time after exposure increased significantly compared to before exposure (P = 0.03), while the mean of the SSS scores was no different compared to that before exposure.
Unknown authors · 2016
This case study of a Wisconsin dairy farm documents how to establish permanent monitoring of ground current and how to determine and remediate both on-farm and off-farm sources. On-farm sources included lighting, variable speed frequency drives on motors, and a radio frequency identification system, while off-farm sources were due to a poor primary neutral return on the utility side. The study found that a step-potential threshold of 1 V RMS at 60 Hz is inadequate to protect dairy cows, as decreases of a few mV peak-peak at higher frequencies increased milk production, reduced milking time, and improved cow comfort.
Andrianome S et al. · 2016
Researchers compared melatonin levels in 30 individuals with IEI-EMF and 25 controls without electromagnetic exposure. The IEI-EMF group had significantly lower sleep scores than controls. Saliva melatonin and urine aMT6s levels did not differ between groups. Three questionnaires evaluated sleep quality and quantity, melatonin was quantified in saliva and its metabolite aMT6s in urine, and levels were compared by two-way ANOVA at various times.
Roser K, Schoeni A, Röösli M · 2016
The HERMES study sample consisted of 439 Swiss adolescents aged 12–17 years. Researchers assessed behavioral problems with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and concentration capacity with a standardized computerized cognitive test named FAKT. Cross-sectional analyses showed behavioral problems associated with self-reported wireless device use but not operator-recorded mobile phone use, while concentration capacity was associated with both self-reported and operator-recorded exposures. Longitudinal analyses found no consistent associations between RF-EMF exposure measures and either outcome. The authors suggest information bias and reverse causality likely explain the cross-sectional findings.
Bhagat S, Varshney S, Bist SS, Goel D, Mishra S, Jha VK · 2016
Each participant's phone-using ear was compared to the non-phone-using ear, and subjects were grouped by daily use duration of 60 minutes or less versus more than 60 minutes. No statistically significant differences were found in high-frequency pure-tone averages or brainstem evoked response audiometry interpeak latencies between phone-using and control ears, and no subjective symptoms were reported.
Medeiros LN, Sanchez TG. · 2016
Researchers performed a literature review using keywords including tinnitus, electromagnetic field, mobile phones, radio frequency, and electromagnetic hypersensitivity. They selected 165 articles considered clinically relevant to at least one of these subjects. The review notes that electromagnetic radiofrequency radiation can penetrate tissues and has proven thermogenic effects and potential biological and genotoxic effects. Some individuals are more sensitive to electromagnetic exposure, and there may be a common pathophysiology between this electrosensitivity and tinnitus. The authors state there are reasonable evidences to suggest caution for using mobile phones to prevent auditory damage and the onset or worsening of tinnitus.
Singh K et al. · 2016
The study aimed to compare health complaints and salivary flow rates between populations living near and far from mobile phone base stations in Jaipur, India. Sleep disturbances were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and other health problems were recorded via questionnaire. A majority of residents near the base stations reported sleep disturbances, headache, dizziness, irritability, concentration difficulties, and hypertension. Stimulated salivary secretion was significantly lower in the exposed group compared to controls (P < 0.01). The authors concluded that prolonged exposure effects cannot be ruled out and further studies are warranted.
Boehmert C, Wiedemann P, Pye J, Croft R. · 2016
Researchers surveyed 298 university students after they read either a basic text about RF-EMFs or a text with precautionary information. Linear multiple regression with interactions showed that the effect of precautionary messages on threat perception varied with trait anxiety and gender. Precautionary information did not increase state anxiety compared to the basic text. Personal need for structure and personal fear of invalidity were mostly unrelated to the effects.
Unknown authors · 2015
Unknown authors · 2015
Researchers used a quasi-experimental design with two pretests before and two posttests after a new high-voltage power line began operation. Residents living within 300 meters, 300-500 meters, and 500-2000 meters of the line participated. Symptom reports and causal beliefs increased significantly more in the closest group compared to those farther away. At baseline, symptom reports were similar across groups, but belief that power lines cause symptoms was already stronger among nearby residents.
Freudenstein F et al · 2015
The study evaluated respondents' risk perception of different RF EMF sources and their subjective knowledge about exposure characteristics. Results showed participants were more concerned about base stations than all other RF EMF sources. A linear regression indicated that exposure characteristics except distance influence general RF EMF risk perception. Better exposure knowledge tended to lead to higher risk perception, especially for mobile phones.
Eltiti S et al · 2015
Researchers aggregated data from two previous double-blind provocation studies to test whether base station EMF exposure affects well-being in people with IEI-EMF and controls. In open provocation trials, 102 IEI-EMF and 237 control participants took part, and 88 IEI-EMF and 231 controls completed double-blind trials with GSM/UMTS or TETRA signals and a sham condition. IEI-EMF participants reported lower well-being during real versus sham exposure in open provocation but not in double-blind trials, and well-being was lower in high-load versus low-load trials regardless of EMF exposure.
Schoeni A, Roser K, Röösli M. · 2015
In a cross-sectional study, 439 adolescents completed questionnaires about mobile phone use at night and health, and 233 provided operator-recorded use data. Standardized computerized cognitive tests assessed memory and concentration capacity. Adolescents who reported being awakened at least once a month had higher odds of daytime tiredness (OR 1.86) and rapid exhaustibility (OR 2.28). Similar associations were seen with objective operator-recorded data for tiredness (OR 1.63) and rapid exhaustibility (OR 2.32). Cognitive test performance was not related to nighttime mobile phone use.
