Brain currents

May 1 , 2005

Cell phone base stations change brain currents and cause unwellness

Research in Austria

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 spherics (electrical discharges in the atmosphere,
possibly causing radiation).

During the second phase the parameters of all the currents in the
brain, 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).

Sources in German:
http://www.salzburg.com/cgi?bin/sn/printArticle.pl?xm=1524270
http://www.salzburg.gv.at/themen/gs/gesundheit/umweltmedizin.htm