Medical/biological study (experimental study)

EEG changes due to experimentally induced 3G mobile phone radiation med./bio.

By: Roggeveen S, van Os J, Viechtbauer W, Lousberg R

Published in: PLoS One 2015; 10 (6): e0129496

Aim of study (acc. to author)

The effects of an acute exposure of human subjects to a 3G mobile phone electromagnetic field on the EEG should be investigated.

Background/further details

31 young, female subjects were exposed on two different days within a 1-hour test session, respectively. On one day, the mobile phone was placed at the subject's ear and on the other day it was placed on the subject's chest (cardiac region). In each session, 15 minutes of sham exposure as pre-exposure condition, then 15 minutes of exposure and finally 15 minutes of sham exposure as post-exposure condition were recorded. Additionally, 15 minutes at the beginning or at the end of each session were randomly chosen for sham exposure without EEG recording to ensure blinding.

Endpoint

effects on the neurological system: changes in the EEG

Exposure

- 1.9291–1.9397 GHz
- mobile communications
- mobile phone
- UMTS

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: 1.9291–1.9397 GHz Exposure duration: continuous for 15 minutes exposure of ear	SAR: 0.69 W/kg (for head, value according to manufacturer)
Exposure 2: 1.9291–1.9397 GHz Exposure duration: continuous for 15 minutes exposure of chest	SAR: 0.69 W/kg (for head, value according to manufacturer)

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	1.9291–1.9397 GHz
Type	electromagnetic field
Exposure duration	continuous for 15 minutes
Additional info	exposure of ear
Additional info	phone was in dialing mode during exposure

Exposure setup

Exposure source	cellular phone
Chamber	an electrically non-shielded room
Setup	a dialing mobile phone was fixed to the left ear (comparable to a typical dialing position at an angle of approximately 45 degrees) with an elastic band; the experimenter entered the room after each 15-minutes (sham) exposure session and changed the phone
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.
Additional info	non-functioning mobile phone replicas were used for sham exposure

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
SAR	0.69 W/kg	-	-	partial body	for head, value according to manufacturer

Additional parameter details

the radiation peak next to the ear equalled a power of approximately 10 dbm

Exposure 2

Main characteristics

Frequency	1.9291–1.9397 GHz
Type	electromagnetic field
Exposure duration	continuous for 15 minutes
Additional info	exposure of chest
Additional info	phone was in dialing mode during exposure

Exposure setup

Exposure source	cellular phone
Chamber	an electrically non-shielded room
Setup	a dialing mobile phone was fixed to the chest (adjacent to the left side of the sternum, bordering the sternoclavicular joint) with an elastic band; the experimenter entered the room after each 15-minutes (sham) exposure session and changed the phone
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.
Additional info	non-functioning mobile phone replicas were used for sham exposure

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
SAR	0.69 W/kg	-	-	partial body	for head, value according to manufacturer

Additional parameter details

the radiation peak next to the ear equalled a power of approximately 10 dbm

Exposed system:

human
partial body: ear or chest

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

effects on the neurological system: changes in the EEG (record of delta waves, theta waves, alpha waves, slow beta waves, fast beta waves and gamma waves; EEG with shielded electrodes); eye movement (electrooculography)

Investigated system:

investigation on living organism

Investigated organ system:

brain/CNS

Time of investigation:

before exposure
during exposure
after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

The multilevel random regression analysis showed that exposure of the chest did not result in significant changes in the EEG compared to the sham exposures, probably due to the distance between the chest and the brain. However, the activity of all brain waves, except for delta waves, changed significantly due to exposure of the ear in comparison to the sham exposures, with stronger effects on the ipsilateral side of exposure.
The authors conclude that an acute exposure of human subjects to a 3G mobile phone electromagnetic field could have an effect on the EEG with an increased activity in the alpha wave, beta wave and gamma wave bands.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study
single blind study, crossover study

Study funded by

not stated/no funding

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EEG changes due to experimentally induced 3G mobile phone radiation med./bio.

Aim of study (acc. to author)

Background/further details

Endpoint

Exposure

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Exposure setup

Parameters

Additional parameter details

Exposure 2

Main characteristics

Exposure setup

Parameters

Additional parameter details

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Study funded by

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