ID Number		1626
Study Type		Human / Provocation
Model		900, 1800 Mhz (GSM) base station exposure and analysis of subjective symptoms, sleep, and cognitive performance
Details		Human subjects (n = 365) living near 10 different mobile phone base stations were assessed for a variety of subjective and cognitive endpoints. Power density measurements in the bedrooms of 336 of these households were reported to be far below existing limits (limit = 4.1 mW/m2) with average rural (0.05 mW/m2) being somewhat higher than average urban (0.02 mW/m2) values. The authors report a significant correlation between measured power density and headaches, fatigue, and difficulty in concentration. There was also a non-significant trend with power density of increased perceptual speed on one cognitive test and decreased accuracy on another cognitive test. There was no significant correlation with sleep quality. The authors suggest, even at low levels, RF effects on wellbeing and performance cannot be ruled out, although mechanisms of action at are unknown. Prior studies by the same group reported that people perceive a possible risk from mobile base stations comparable to smoking, air travel and vehicle exhaust, with "a general feeling of uncertainty over possible health effects"
Findings		Effects
Status		Completed With Publication
Principal Investigator		Medical Univ Vienna, Austria - hutter@univie.ac.at
Funding Agency		Private/Instit.
Country		AUSTRIA
References		Hutter, HP et al. Occup Environ Med, (2006) 63:307-313 Coggon, D Occup Environ Med, (2006) 63:298-299
Comments		The associated Commentary by Coggan concludes: '& the suspicion of a toxic effect is relatively low, and there may be disadvantages in over- recaution...by distorting perceptions of risk, disproportionate precaution might paradoxically lead to illness that would not otherwise occur.' Due to the large number of endpoints, chance is a possibility with regard to significant findings. Further bias cannot be ruled out, since the prior studies demonstrated a significant percieved risk of BTS sites.