ID Number		1825
Study Type		Epidemiology
Model		German feasibility study for prospective cohort study of mobile phone and occupational RF exposure and health effects
Details		The German population was assessed regarding the feasibility of a prospective long-term study of RF exposure and health effects. The objective of the study was to identify suitable exposed occupational groups and make recommendations for a study protocol, the course of study, relevant endpoints for investigation and determination of high frequency fields. After excluding several groups that could not meet basic criteria (regularity, duration and determination), three occupational groups remained for potential study (plastic welding machine workers, engineers / technicians of short wave tranmitters, and radio hams). Further evaluation of these 3 groups suggested a cohort study protocol could not be defined that would allow an unbiased estimate of health risks due to exposure (due to low cohort size, incommensurable control groups of non-exposed persons, a large number of non-controllable other risk factors including mixed exposure and added chemical burden, difficulties with the retrospective exposure assessment and the lack of relevance for exposure conditions typical of mobile telecommunication). On the basis of this feasibility study, the Federal Office of Radiation Protection (BfS) decided not to carry out any cohort studies on occupationally exposed individuals. While mobile phone studies among the general public may result in lower RF exposures, a very large cohort would be necessary if such studies were performed. This would only be possible by participation in an international cohort study of mobile phone users or occupationally exposed individuals.
Findings		No Effects
Status		Completed With Publication
Principal Investigator		University of Bielefeld, University of Mainz, Germ - juergen.breckenkamp@uni-bielefeld.de
Funding Agency		FGF, Germany, BfS, Germany, DMF, Germany
Country		GERMANY
References		Breckenkamp, J et al. Environ Health., (2009) 8:23-9 pages
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