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The launch of the
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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A synopsis of the day’s events The new Electromagnetics and Health Laboratory at the University of Essex in Colchester was launched on the 29th November 2004. The lab was officially opened by Sir William Stewart, who is the Chairman of the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) which recently released a new report on Mobile Phones and Health. This review updates an earlier report published in 2000 by the UK Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones and Health, which was also chaired by Sir William. The launch of the laboratory was very successful with an opening address by the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Ivor Crewe. Professor Crewe introduced the work of the new lab as a truly multi-disciplinary project with world-class experts in engineering, computer and biomedical science, behavioural science and medicine working collaboratively to establish whether or not the electromagnetic fields produced by mobile phone masts have an impact on the health and well being in members of the general public. The Director of the new lab, Professor Elaine Fox went on to describe how we would go about studying this issue in more detail: The study will test 132 people who report sensitivity to electromagnetic fields (a condition often called "electromagnetic hypersensitivity" (EHS) as well as 132 people who do not report any particular problems with electromagnetic fields. Everyone taking part in the study will participate in 4 different sessions. The first session will allow the researchers to gather as much information as possible from each person about the history of their illness and what factors appear to make it worse. People will then be exposed to brief periods of a GSM and a UMTS (3G) mobile phone mast signal and asked to report any symptoms they experience. A wide variety of physiological and cognitive measures will also be taken (e.g., blood pressure, heart-rate, memory, concentration, etc…) during this session. The next 3 sessions will take place around 1 week apart and will involve people being tested for approximately an hour and a half in each session. During this period physiological functions will be continuously monitored from small sensors place on the fingers of one hand; cognitive functions will be assessed by simple tests of memory and concentration, and people will also be asked to report any symptoms they experience (e.g., headaches, fatigue, etc…) at any time during the session. Each session will consist of just a single exposure which will either be sham (i.e., the base station is not turned on), a GSM signal and a UMTS (3G) signal. The order of the particular exposures will vary for each individual and neither the participant nor the experimenter will know which exposure is being presented in each session. This "double-blind" control is critical for scientific validity. In order to ensure that any potential carry-over effects are minimised and in consideration of the strain of testing on our participants, people will be tested on four separate occasions at least one week apart. The new Electromagnetics and Health Laboratory is a purpose-built suite of fully electrically screened rooms provided by the National Physics Laboratory that is designed to enable us to test what effects base station signals might have on health and well-being in a well-controlled environment. Click here for more information. Professor Simon Saunders of Cellular Design Services Ltd (CDS) who designed the exposure system then went on to talk about the technical aspects of the base station signals: He said that the role of CDS was to develop a system that closely resembled the type of exposure likely to occur in the environs of a normal base station (mast). The base station is to be housed in a specially designed room which will allow participants in the research project to be tested under minutely controlled conditions, to second and third generation (GSM and UMTS) electromagnetic fields as might be experienced in the environs of a base station. The software supplied by CDS is critical to our study, because it is responsible for not only guaranteeing that the signal emitted by the mobile phone base station mimics those in the natural environment, but also guarantees that the study is fully double blind (i.e. neither the experimenter nor the participant know when the base station is ‘on’ or ‘off’) and the exact order of the exposure conditions (GSM, UMTS, and Sham) are completely counter-balanced across all of the participants. The reason why this is so important is so that neither the experimenter nor the participant can influence the results of the study. Furthermore, this design eliminates any potential order effects which have been problematic in previous research in this area. Sir William then declared the new lab officially open. In his speech he congratulated the University of Essex on establishing a "unique multidisciplinary laboratory". He said that this research will help determine whether or not the electromagnetic fields produced by mobile phone masts impact on the health and well-being of some members of the population. Put simply---- can exposure to non-ionising radiation from mobile phone masts make some people feel ill? He also had this to say about the research into the potential health effects of mobile phone masts: "I have always been convinced that the way to find out the answers about masts is to involve people directly… invite volunteers to participate in the tests, carry out careful, well designed, scientifically robust studies using reliable and proven techniques… and get straight to the point: are people directly affected or not?" The EMH lab is the only one of its kind in the UK and our hope is that the results of this study will help to fill the gaps in current knowledge about the possible negative health effects of mobile phone base stations under short-term exposure conditions. Throughout our study we have consulted with various Action and Support Groups and have had in-depth discussions with many individuals who experience negative health effects from mobile phone technology. Alasdair Phillips of PowerWatch felt that this was the "best facility of it’s kind that he had seen" and was "excited about the results of the study". Now, with the help of members from the general public we hope to gain a better understanding of the effects of this mobile phone technology on measures of health and well being. |
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