Denny-Bas V, Zmirou-Navier D, De Tychey C, Briançon S. · 2014
Researchers surveyed people about their perceptions of health risks from cell phones and cell towers compared to smoking. While people rated smoking as more dangerous overall, those with higher anxiety levels were more certain that cell phones posed health risks and believed these risks could lead to health catastrophes. The study reveals how psychological factors influence how we perceive emerging technology risks when scientific evidence remains uncertain.
Chiu CT, Chang YH, Chen CC, Ko MC, Li CY. · 2014
Researchers surveyed over 2,000 Taiwanese children aged 11-15 to examine whether mobile phone use was linked to health symptoms. They found that children who used mobile phones had 42% higher odds of experiencing headaches and migraines, and 84% higher odds of skin itching compared to non-users. Parents also reported that regular phone users had worse overall health compared to the previous year.
Liu H et al. · 2014
Researchers studied 854 electric power plant workers in China to examine how workplace electromagnetic field exposure affects sleep quality. They found that workers with longer daily EMF exposure had significantly worse sleep quality, with those in the highest exposure group being 68% more likely to experience poor sleep compared to the lowest exposure group. This suggests that occupational EMF exposure specifically disrupts sleep quality rather than sleep duration.
Hässig M et al. · 2014
Swiss researchers exposed dairy cows to radiofrequency radiation from cell tower base stations and measured changes in their blood enzymes that help protect cells from damage. They found that the radiation altered these protective enzyme systems in some cows but not others, with individual animals showing different sensitivity patterns. This suggests that RF radiation from cell towers can disrupt cellular protective mechanisms, though sensitivity varies significantly between individuals.
De Luca C et al. · 2014
Italian researchers analyzed blood samples from 153 people with electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) and found distinctive metabolic changes including increased oxidative stress and specific genetic variations. These blood markers could potentially serve as diagnostic tools to identify EHS as a legitimate medical condition.
Monazzam MR et al. · 2014
Researchers studied 40 petrochemical workers exposed to extremely low frequency magnetic fields from electrical equipment. They found 61% had sleep disorders and 28% had poor health, compared to just 4.5% with sleep problems in unexposed workers, suggesting workplace EMF exposure may harm health.
Liu H et al. · 2014
Researchers studied 854 power plant workers in China to examine how workplace electromagnetic field exposure affects sleep quality. Workers with longer daily EMF exposure had 68% higher odds of poor sleep quality compared to those with shorter exposure times. The study suggests that EMF exposure specifically damages sleep quality rather than sleep duration.
Frilot C 2nd, Carrubba S, Marino AA. · 2014
Researchers studied how the brain detects weak electromagnetic fields by examining brain waves in awake versus anesthetized rats. They found that rats could detect EMF signals when awake, but this ability was blocked by ketamine (an anesthetic that interferes with brain communication pathways) but not by xylazine (a different type of anesthetic). This suggests the brain has a previously unrecognized ability to sense electromagnetic fields through specific neural pathways.
Yogesh S, Abha S, Priyanka S. · 2014
Researchers studied 100 medical students to see if heavy mobile phone use affected their sleep quality. Students using phones more than 2 hours daily experienced significantly more sleep problems, including difficulty falling asleep, frequent nighttime awakenings, and daytime fatigue. The effects were particularly pronounced in female students and those who used phones in the evening.
Velayutham P, Govindasamy GK, Raman R, Prepageran N, Ng KH · 2014
Researchers compared hearing in 100 mobile phone users by testing the ear they typically hold their phone against versus their other ear. They found significant high-frequency hearing loss (above 8 kHz) in the dominant phone ear compared to the non-dominant ear. This suggests that chronic mobile phone use may cause measurable hearing damage at frequencies above normal hearing tests.
Pelletier A et al. · 2014
Researchers exposed young rats to cell phone-frequency radiation (900 MHz) for five weeks and found the animals developed altered sleep patterns and temperature preferences. The exposed rats slept 15.5% longer, preferred warmer environments, and had cooler tail temperatures, suggesting the radiation disrupted their normal body temperature regulation. This provides biological evidence that radiofrequency exposure can interfere with fundamental physiological processes like sleep and thermoregulation.
Salunke BP, Umathe SN, Chavan JG. · 2014
Researchers exposed mice to 50 Hz magnetic fields (the same frequency as household electricity) for up to 120 days and measured anxiety-like behaviors. The magnetic field exposure significantly increased anxiety in the animals, and the researchers identified that this effect occurred through changes in NMDA receptors in the brain. The study provides biological evidence that long-term exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields can alter brain chemistry and behavior.
Pelletier A et al. · 2014
French researchers exposed young rats to cell phone radiation (900 MHz) for five weeks. The exposed rats slept 15.5% longer and preferred warmer temperatures than unexposed rats, suggesting radiofrequency radiation disrupts natural temperature control and sleep patterns.
Júnior LC et al. · 2014
Brazilian researchers exposed rats to cell phone radiation (1.8 GHz) for three days using simulated phone calls and then tested their behavior and memory. While the rats showed no memory problems or anxiety, they did exhibit stress-related behaviors when exposed to the radiation. This suggests that even short-term cell phone radiation exposure may trigger stress responses in the brain, even when other cognitive functions appear normal.
Sudan M, Kheifets L, Arah OA, Olsen J. · 2013
Researchers followed over 52,000 Danish children to investigate whether cell phone use affects hearing. They found a weak association between cell phone use and hearing loss at age 7 - about 21-23% increased odds - but the researchers emphasized this finding could be due to various biases and isn't strong enough to conclude cell phones actually cause hearing problems.
Loughran SP et al. · 2013
Swiss researchers exposed 22 adolescents (ages 11-13) to mobile phone-like radiofrequency radiation at two different intensities and measured their brain activity and cognitive performance. They found no significant effects on brain waves or thinking abilities compared to sham exposure. This suggests that teenagers are not more sensitive to cell phone radiation than adults, contrary to some concerns about developing brains being more vulnerable.
Gómez-Perretta C, Navarro EA, Segura J, Portolés M. · 2013
Spanish researchers reanalyzed health data from 88 people living near cell phone towers to see if proximity to the towers correlated with health symptoms. They found that people living closer to cell towers were significantly more likely to report lack of appetite, concentration problems, irritability, and sleep troubles. Even when accounting for people's fears about the towers, the association between proximity and symptoms remained statistically significant.
Tseng MC, Lin YP, Hu FC, Cheng TJ. · 2013
Researchers surveyed 1,251 adults in Taiwan to understand how people perceive health risks from electromagnetic fields like power lines and cell towers. They found that over half the respondents believed these EMF sources significantly affect health, with women, married people, and those with higher education showing greater concern. The study revealed that people who report being sensitive to EMFs consistently perceive higher health risks, regardless of their mental health status.
Hassoy H, Durusoy R, Karababa AO. · 2013
Researchers surveyed 2,240 Turkish high school students to understand their risk perceptions about mobile phones and cell towers. They found that 65% of students perceived mobile phones as risky, while an even higher 87% viewed cell towers as dangerous. The study revealed significant differences in risk perception based on gender, education level, and whether students actually used mobile phones themselves.
Hagström M, Auranen J, Ekman R. · 2013
Researchers surveyed 206 Finnish people who believe they suffer from electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), a condition where individuals experience symptoms they attribute to EMF exposure from devices like computers and cell phones. The study found that 76% reported improvement when they reduced or avoided EMF exposure, with the most effective treatments being dietary changes, supplements, and exercise rather than conventional medical approaches. The findings suggest that people experiencing EHS symptoms may benefit more from EMF avoidance and lifestyle modifications than from standard psychiatric treatments.
Byun YH et al. · 2013
Researchers followed 2,422 Korean children for two years to study whether mobile phone use affects ADHD symptoms. They found that children who used mobile phones for voice calls showed increased ADHD symptoms, but only when they also had high levels of lead in their blood. This suggests that exposure to both lead and phone radiation together may worsen attention problems in children.
Alsanosi AA et al. · 2013
Researchers tested hearing function in people before and after 60 minutes of mobile phone use, measuring both hearing thresholds and inner ear responses. They found immediate hearing changes at specific frequencies (1000 Hz and 2000 Hz) and inner ear dysfunction, along with symptoms like heat and pain. This demonstrates that even short-term phone use can cause measurable, immediate effects on hearing.
Maestú C et al. · 2013
Spanish researchers tested whether very low-intensity 8 Hz magnetic fields could help women with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition. After eight weekly sessions, patients receiving real magnetic stimulation showed significant improvements in pain thresholds, daily functioning, chronic pain levels, and sleep quality compared to those receiving fake treatment. The benefits appeared quickly for pain relief but took six weeks to develop for other symptoms, suggesting magnetic fields may offer a safe treatment option for fibromyalgia patients.
Maestú C et al. · 2013
Spanish researchers tested whether very low-intensity magnetic field stimulation could help women with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition. After eight weekly sessions of 8 Hz pulsed magnetic fields, patients showed significant improvements in pain thresholds, daily functioning, sleep quality, and overall pain levels compared to those receiving fake treatment. The improvements began after just one session for pain relief, with other benefits appearing after six weeks of treatment.
Sudan M, Kheifets L, Arah OA, Olsen J. · 2013
Danish researchers followed over 52,000 children from birth to age 7, tracking their cell phone use and hearing ability. They found children who used cell phones had a 21-23% higher risk of hearing loss compared to non-users. This is the first large-scale study to examine whether cell phone radiation might affect children's hearing, though the researchers noted the findings need confirmation from other studies.
