MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS & HEALTH RESEARCH PROGRAMME

Press Release

RESEARCH INTO MOBILE PHONE BASE STATIONS ANNOUNCED

Funding has been announced today by the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme (MTHR) for two new projects:

A volunteer study to investigate whether emissions from mobile phone base stations can elicit a variety of symptoms in those exposed to them. (University of Essex; Project Director: Professor Elaine Fox)
A study to explore people’s understanding of the uncertain risks associated with mobile phones and base stations. (University of Surrey; Project Director: Dr Julie Barnett)

The volunteer study at the University of Essex should help to address public concern about a range of symptoms experienced by some people when near base stations. This study will be the largest of its kind and should consequently be capable of delivering more definitive answers than previous studies in this area. The research team will be seeking to recruit volunteers to participate in the study. For those wishing to get involved contact details for the research team are available from the MTHR web site (www.mthr.org.uk).

The risk perception study at the University of Surrey will examine the effect of communicating uncertain risks on people’s attitude and behaviour. The project is part funded by the Department of Health and will also evaluate the effectiveness of its leaflets on Mobile Phones and Health and Mobile Phone Base Stations.

Professor Lawrie Challis, Chairman of the MTHR Programme Management Committee, commented:

“ I am very pleased that the MTHR programme is responding in this way to public concern about possible health effects from base stations. The first project should help identify the cause of the symptoms felt by a number of people who live near to base stations. The second, by exploring people’s understanding of risk, should help in the development of more effective ways of explaining the possibility of adverse health effects from this technology.”

Mobile Phones and Health, the report of the Stewart Committee, called for a programme of new research into possible health effects of mobile phone technologies supported equally by Government and Industry. This recommendation led directly to the setting up of the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme, which was allocated funds of £7.4 million. An international committee of experts, chaired by Professor Lawrie Challis, manages the Programme and allocates funding. The first fifteen projects funded by the programme were announced in January 2002, with funding for a further two projects announced in March 2003. In addition, the DTI and the Home Office have between them funded a further four projects as adjuncts to the Programme