ID Number		1650
Study Type		In Vivo
Model		Evaluation of wildlife (birds, reptiles and insects) near mobile phone base station towers and other EMF sources.
Details		White stork nesting sites were evaluated in terms of their proximity to mobile phone base stations in Valladolid Spain. The authors report total productivity in nests within 200 meters (estimated max 2.36 +/- 0.82 V/m) was 0.86 +/- 0.16 as compared with 1.6 +/- 0.14 for nests greater than 300 meters away (sstimated max 0.53 +/- 0.82). THis comparison had a p value of p = 0.001. Of the nests closer than 200 meters, 40% did not have any chicks, while only 3.3 % of the nexts > 300 meters had no chicks. Other comparisons did not reach statistical significance. AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT: Balmori 2010 (IEEE #6181): An experiment has been made exposing eggs and tadpoles of the common frog (Rana temporaria) to electromagnetic radiation from several mobile (cell) phone antennae located at a distance of 140 meters. The experiment lasted two months, from the egg phase until an advanced phase of tadpole prior to metamorphosis. Measurements of electric field intensity (radiofrequencies and microwaves) in V/m obtained with three different devices were 1.8 to 3.5 V/m. In the exposed group (n = 70), low coordination of movements, an asynchronous growth, resulting in both big and small tadpoles, and a high mortality (90%) was observed. Regarding the control group (n = 70) under the same conditions but inside a Faraday cage, the coordination of movements was normal, the development was synchronous, and a mortality of 4.2% was obtained. These results indicate that radiation emitted by phone masts in a real situation may affect the development and may cause an increase in mortality of exposed tadpoles. This research may have huge implications for the natural world, which is now exposed to high microwave radiation levels from a multitude of phone masts. AUTHORS' ABSTRACT: Balmori and Hallberg 2007 (IEEE #3208): During recent decades, there has been a marked decline of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) population in the United Kingdom and in several western European countries. The aims of this study were to determine whether the population is also declining in Spain and to evaluate the hypothesis that electromagnetic radiation (microwaves) from phone antennae is correlated with the decline in the sparrow population. Between October 2002 and May 2006, point transect sampling was performed at 30 points during 40 visits to Valladolid, Spain. At each point, we carried out counts of sparrows and measured the mean electric field strength (radiofrequencies and microwaves: 1 MHz-3 GHz range). Significant declines (P = 0.0037) were observed in the mean bird density over time, and significantly low bird density was observed in areas with high electric field strength. The logarithmic regression of the mean bird density vs. field strength groups (considering field strength in 0.1 V/m increments) was R = -0.87 (P = 0.0001). The results of this article support the hypothesis that electromagnetic signals are associated with the observed decline in the sparrow population. We conclude that electromagnetic pollution may be responsible, either by itself or in combination with other factors, for the observed decline of the species in European cities during recent years. The appearently strong dependence between bird density and field strength according to this work could be used for a more controlled study to test the hypothesis. AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT: Balmori 2015 (IEEE #6185): The rate of scientific activity regarding the effects of anthropogenic electromagnetic radiation in the radiofrequency (RF) range on animals and plants has been small despite the fact that this topic is relevant to the fields of experimental biology, ecology and conservation due to its remarkable expansion over the past 20 years. Current evidence indicates that exposure at levels that are found in the environment (in urban areas and near base stations) may particularly alter the receptor organs to orient in the magnetic field of the earth. These results could have important implications for migratory birds and insects, especially in urban areas, but could also apply to birds and insects in natural and protected areas where there are powerful base station emitters of radiofrequencies. Therefore, more research on the effects of electromagnetic radiation in nature is needed to investigate this emerging threat.
Findings		Effects
Status		Completed With Publication
Principal Investigator		Conserjeria de Medio Ambiente, Junta de Castilla y - balmaral@jcyl.es
Funding Agency		Nat'l Res Prog, Spain
Country		SPAIN
References		Balmori, A Electromagn Biol Med, (2005) 24:109-119 Balmori, A Electromagn Biol Med., (2010) 29:31-35 Balmori, A et al. Electromagn Biol Med., (2007) 26:141-151 Balmori, A Sci Total Environ., (2015) 518-519:58-60 Balmori, A Science of The Total Environment., (2021) 767:144913- Balmori, A The Science of the total environment. 2016;543(Pt A):662-9., (2016) 543:662-669 Balmori, A Electromagn Biol Med. , (2022) 41:174-176 Balmori, A Toxicological & Environmental Chemistry., (2006) 88:287-299
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