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No effects of pulsed radio frequency electromagnetic fields on melatonin, cortisol, and selected markers of the immune system in man
Author(s) -
Radon K.,
Parera D.,
Rose D.M.,
Jung D.,
Vollrath L.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
bioelectromagnetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.435
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-186X
pISSN - 0197-8462
DOI - 10.1002/bem.51
Subject(s) - melatonin , electromagnetic field , medicine , radio frequency , extremely low frequency , physics , endocrinology , telecommunications , computer science , quantum mechanics
Abstract There is growing public concern that radio frequency electromagnetic fields may have adverse biological effects. In the present study eight healthy male students were tested to see whether or not radio frequency electromagnetic fields as used in modern digital wireless telecommunication (GSM standard) have noticeable effects on salivary melatonin, cortisol, neopterin, and immunoglobulin A (sIgA) levels during and several hours after exposure. In a specifically designed, shielded experimental chamber, the circularly polarized electromagnetic field applied was transmitted by an antenna positioned 10 cm behind the head of upright sitting test persons. The carrier frequency of 900 MHz was pulsed with 217 Hz (average power flux density 1 W/m 2 ). In double blind trials, each test person underwent a total of 20 randomly allotted 4 hour periods of exposure and sham exposure, equally distributed at day and night. The results obtained show that the salivary concentrations of melatonin, cortisol, neopterin and sIgA did not differ significantly between exposure and sham exposure. Bioelectromagnetics 22:280–287, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.