Health risks from mobile phone base stations
- Correspondence to: Prof. D Coggon MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; dnc{at}mrc.soton.ac.uk
- base station
- cognitive performance
- microwaves
- mobile telecommunication
- sleep quality
- subjective symptoms
Commentary on the paper by Hutter et al (see page 307)
Concerns about possible adverse health effects of mobile telephony have focused mainly on the risk of brain tumours in users of mobile phones, but other types of illness have also been linked with the technology. In particular, several epidemiological surveys have suggested associations with non-specific complaints such as headache, tiredness, sleep disturbance, loss of memory, and dizziness. These findings, which echo reports of illness associated with other types of radiofrequency (RF) radiation,1 relate not only to use of mobile phones,2–4 but also to residence near to mobile phone base stations.5
Further evidence on the latter is provided in a paper by Hutter et al in this issue.6 They found that symptoms such as headache, fatigue, and difficulty in concentration were more common in people with higher potential exposures to radiation from nearby base stations, and that the association remained significant after adjustment for various possible confounding factors, including regular personal use of mobile phones.
Given these …
