14 DAY TRIAL // Mobile phones have been considered for some time now to be responsible for health discomforts and even illnesses, due to radiation. Telecommunication masts are even more feared, as the signal is even greater in these areas.
Results of several studies have failed in reaching a definite conclusion, as many of them state opposing conclusions. The University of Essex has conducted another study, in order to settle this situation. Their conclusion reveals the fact that in many cases, people are rather suffering from the placebo effect and not because of real illnesses.
The research team switched on and off a mobile phone mast only to see that heart rate, blood pressure and skin conductance were not affected by this process. Moreover, at one stage of the testing, the participants were not told when the mast was switched on or off. Their discomfort and state of well-being did not match with the moments when the mast was working, which leaves out the possibility of making a relation between the two.
"'It is clear that sensitive individuals are suffering real symptoms and often have a poor quality of life. It is now important to determine what other factors could be causing these symptoms, so appropriate research studies and treatment strategies can be developed", observed Professor Elaine Fox, principal investigator.
"The Essex study is one of the largest and most detailed of these experiments and its findings, that mobile phone signals are not responsible for the symptoms that some people describe, are in line with those from most other previous experiments. This should be reassuring news for anyone who is concerned about the possible short-term health effects of masts", considers Dr James Rubin, of the Mobile Phones Research Unit at Kings College London.
The study received fundings from the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR) programme. It was conducted over a period of three years, on 44 people who had previously experienced symptoms thought to come from mobile phone technology and 114 people who had not reported such effects.