Effects of radiation emitted by WCDMA mobile phones on electromagnetic hypersensitive subjects

In this double-blind study, two volunteer groups of 17 EHS and 20 non-EHS subjects were simultaneously investigated for physiological changes (heart rate, heart rate variability, and respiration rate), eight subjective symptoms, and perception of RF-EMFs during real and sham exposure sessions. Experiments were conducted using a dummy phone containing a WCDMA module (average power, 24 dBm at 1950？MHz; specific absorption rate, 1.57？W/kg) within a headset placed on the head for 32？min.WCDMA RF-EMFs generated no physiological changes or subjective symptoms in either group. There was no evidence that EHS subjects perceived RF-EMFs better than non-EHS subjects.Considering the analyzed physiological data, the subjective symptoms surveyed, and the percentages of those who believed they were being exposed, 32？min of RF radiation emitted by WCDMA mobile phones demonstrated no effects in either EHS or non-EHS subjects.With the increasing use of third generation (3？G) mobile phones, social concerns have arisen concerning the possible health effects of radio frequency-electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) emitted by mobile phones in humans [1]. On the basis of limited evidence from both human and animal studies, the World Health Organization has classified RF-EMFs as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) [2]. A number of people have self-reported electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), characterized by a variety of non-specific symptoms that differ from individual to individual. Cross-sectional survey studies in different countries have reported that EHS subjects experience non-specific subjective symptoms (e.g., headache, dizziness, fatigue, sleep disorder) associated with EMF exposure: 1.5% in Sweden [3], 3.2% in California [4], and 5% in Switzerland [5]. For some individuals, the symptoms can have lifestyle-changing consequences [6].Although numerous studies have examined the effects of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) on humans between EHS and non-EHS groups, o