Cell phone base stations change brain currents and cause unwellness

May 2 2005

The radiation of a cell phone base station at a distance of 80 metres causes significant changes of the electrical currents in the brains of testees (measured by electroencefalogram, EEG). All the testees said they felt unwell during the radiation, some of them seriously.

That is the result of an investigation by a team of Austrian scientists. They measured alpha 1 (8 to 10 Hz), alpha 2 (10 to 12 Hz) and beta waves (13 to 20 Hz). A small density of GSM 900 and GSM 1800 radiation already caused several significant changes in these three frequency ranges. This means the body is stressed - temporarily this may have some positive effect, in the long run however stress certainly reduces the quality of life, capacity for work and state of health.

The results of the research will be published in international scientific magazines and confirmed by replication. The research was financed by Land Salzburg in Austria. The testees were nine women and three men between 20 and 78, who considered themselves 'electrosensitive'. They were invited to sit in a chair, eyes covered and ears plugged. Of course they were not aware of the sequence of the tests.

The side of the room directed at the cell phone base station was shielded against radiation, except for a small part which could be (un)shielded easily. In the first phase, the radiation density near the head was 26 mikroWatt/m², in the second phase 3327 mikroWatt/m² and in the third phase 26 mikroWatt/m² again. Several other environmental parameters were measured to be sure they could not influence the results, such as radiation by television and FM-radio, noise, CO2, temperature, relative humidity, low frequency magnetic fields and soherics (electrical discharges in the atmosphere, possibly causing radiation).

During the second phase the parameters of all the brainwaves, measured by EEG, changed significantly. Afterwards the testees were asked to describe their experiences. All of them felt unwell during the second phase. They reported symptoms like buzzing in the head, palpitations of the heart, unwellness, lightheadedness, anxiety, breathlessness, respiratory problems, nervousness, agitation, headache, tinnitus, heat sensation and depression.

According to the scientists, this is the first worldwide proof of significant changes of the electrical currents in the brain by a cell phone base station at a distance of 80 metres. It has been scientifically established before that the radiation of cell phone base stations leads to unwellness and health complaints.

Cell phone base stations are not the only source of radiofrequent radiation. Also UMTS-videophones, DECT-telephones, WLAN- and WIFI-networks, C2000/TETRA-networks and many other digital wireless communication systems contribute to the level of radiation. In many houses and offices the densities by DECT and WLAN are higher than those by cell phone base stations.

The scientists involved were dr. med. Gerd Oberfeld (Land Salzburg, dept. of environmental medicin), dr. Hannes Schimke (Salzburg University, EEG-measurements, psychofysiology, statistics) and univ. prof. dr. Günther Bernatzky (Salzburg University, neurodynamics and neurosignalling). The research was supported by dr. med. univ. Gernot Luthringshausen (permanent member of the ethical commission of Land Salzburg, neurology and psychiatry).

http://www.salzburg.com