'Correlation found between mobile phone masts and sleep disturbances'

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 29 Apr 2005 - 17:00 PDT

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"We have found that people who are very electrosensitive in the evening, do not sleep well in the night". Prof. dr. Norbert Leitgeb of the Technical University of Graz in Austria told it to a journalist of the Grazer Woche. "This could indicate, that mobile phone masts and other sources of radiofrequent radiation indeed have a negative influence on the well being of many persons."

His saying refers just to the result of a pilotstudy, meant to verify the design of a larger investigation to come. Nevertheless the result is spectacular, Leitgeb confirms. Of nine testpersons the more electrosensitive appeared to sleep much better when protected from radiofrequent radiation. Leitgeb does not find this is proof yet. The upcoming research has to confirm the relationship between sleeping quality, electrosensitivity (50 Hz) and the load of radiofrequent radiation by GSM masts, DECT wireless telephones, WLAN wireless networks and other sources. The research will not take place in a laboratory, though at home with twenty people throughout Austria. Results are expected in the beginning of 2006.

Causal relationship

In an article in the magazine Bioelectromagnetics Leitgeb describes the existence of electrosensitivity. It is proven that some persons have a heightened sensitivity for electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields. "Though there has not been established a causal relationship yet, the symptoms of some persons are thus severe, that they leave their homes and jobs and try to find release in an environment with less 'electromagnetic pollution'. These persons have a serious problem and need to get help. To find proof of a causal relationship is not just a scientific interest, but the problem also has a socio-economic aspect", says Leitgeb.

UMTS mobile phone masts

In The Netherlands there is a growing stir about the placement of UMTS mobile phone masts. Also the GSM mobile phone masts, DECT wireless telephones and WLAN wireless networks are suspect of causing 'radiofrequent radiation sickness'. A symptom is the heightened electrosensitivity to low frequency electric and magnetic fields (50 Hz), but the sickness also would have other symptoms like sleeping disturbances, palpitations of the heart, high blood pressure, tinglings, concentration and remembrance distortions, dizziness, burning skin, tinnitus, eye problems, lack of energy and many more. In The Netherlands a study by TNO confirmed the correlation of cognitive functional deviations and the radiation of GSM and UMTS. Moreover, the radiation of UMTS appeared to cause tinglings and dizziness.

sources:

1. Grazer Woche, 'Studie: Handymast stört Schlaf' by Dieter Demmelmair
2. Elektrosmognews of 18 Jan. 2005
3. IZGMF Meldungen 'Epros Schlafstudie zwischen Sensation und Dementi', 21 Jan. 2005
4. Answers by N. Leitgeb to questions by Frans van Velden, e-mail, 21 Jan. 2005
5. Electrosensibility and Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity, Bioelectromagnetics 24:387-394 (2003)
Author: Frans van Velden