By David Meyer, 26 July 2007 08:53
NEWS
A three-year study into the possible short-term health effects of mobile base stations has found that base stations are not associated with ill health.
Some people have claimed that mobile phone masts cause symptoms like anxiety, fatigue and nausea.
The investigation took place at the Electromagnetics and Health Laboratory at the University of Essex, established three years ago, with a multi-disciplinary team including cognitive psychologists, electronic and biomedical engineers and a doctor.
Using a group of 'sensitive' individuals (44 people) and a control group (114 people), the study found that, in double-blind conditions (where neither the testers nor the tested knew whether the signal was on or off), the sensitive group reported increased symptoms regardless of whether a 3G or GSM signal was on or off.
This led the researchers to conclude that any physiological responses were unrelated to the signals.
Principal investigator Professor Elaine Fox said on Wednesday: "It is clear that sensitive individuals are suffering real symptoms and often have a poor quality of life. It is now important to determine what other factors could be causing these symptoms, so appropriate research studies and treatment strategies can be developed."
The findings were reviewed by the Mobile Phone Research Unit at King's College London.
Unit head James Rubin said on Wednesday that the Essex study was one of the largest and most detailed of its kind and its findings were in line with those from most similar experiments.
Mast Sanity, a pressure group which campaigns against the building of cellular base stations, issued a statement on Tuesday criticising the study for ignoring "the long-term effects, such as cancer and genetic damage, as has been highlighted in other research".
Its statement also accused the researchers of "unethical" behaviour in exposing their volunteers to harm and questioned the use of psychologists in the face of "evidence showing changes in the important mast cells in human skin upon exposure to microwaves".
David Meyer writes for ZDNet UK
Comments
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1. Richard
Odd how little such a survey persuades us:
This three-year study by Essex Academics will have very little effect:
People who fear mobile masts (but still use their own mobiles and their own wi-fi) will dismiss the study as flawed;
Other people will still view mobiles as "necessary evils."
The "un-afraid" will gain confidence.
Like so many supposedly scientific topics, the risks from mobile masts are a matter of "belief" rather than "fact."
2. Tony Norris
Three year study sounds impressive, however, it consisted of participants visiting the lab in Essex 4 times, for a period no longer than 60 minutes, apart from a sweat test and heart rate test, the study was 'subjective' effects experienced by the participants (i.e. how did they 'feel').
As scientific research goes, this might very well satisfy the scientific community, and headlines like "Three year study shows phones masts 'safe'" will help to appease the masses, but to me it doesn't really cut it.
The main issue is long periods of exposure 'could' be harmful (living next to a phone mast, keeping a mobile phone close to the body, using a mobile phone for long periods), so why aren't they testing that?
I've got a suggestion, if the research depts at Essex Uni and Kings College are happy to tell the world mobile phones and masts are safe, why don't they install a base station in their own homes and strap a mobile (on a call) to their head for 1 hour every day and keep the phone near them the rest of the time for 3 years and test their blood for any changes.
Seriously though, why do such basic tests, what's the point? The fact is mobile phone use is relevant to everyone in the country, so why not do a full and thorough long term study and finally put this to bed?