The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields exposure on tinnitus, migraine and non-specific symptoms in the general and working population: A protocol for a systematic review on human observational studies

The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields exposure on tinnitus, migraine and non-specific symptoms in the general and working population: A systematic review and meta-analysis on human observational studies

BACKGROUND

Applications emitting radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF; 100 kHz to 300 GHz) are widely used for communication (e.g. mobile phones), in medicine (diathermy) and in industry (RF heaters).

OBJECTIVES

The objective is to systematically review the effects of longer-term or repeated local and whole human body radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure on the occurrence of symptoms. Primary hypotheses were tinnitus, migraine and headaches in relation to RF-EMF exposure of the brain, sleep disturbances and composite symptom scores in relation to whole-body RF-EMF exposure.

METHODS

Eligibility criteria: We included case-control and prospective cohort studies in the general population or workers estimating local or whole-body RF-EMF exposure for at least one week.

INFORMATION SOURCES

We conducted a systematic literature search in various databases including Web of Science and Medline. Risk of bias: We used the Risk of Bias (RoB) tool developed by OHAT adapted to the topic of this review.

SYNTHESIS OF RESULTS

We synthesized studies using random effects meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Included studies: We included 13 papers from eight distinct cohort and one case-control studies with a total of 486,558 participants conducted exclusively in Europe. Tinnitus is addressed in three papers, migraine in one, headaches in six, sleep disturbances in five, and composite symptom scores in five papers. Only one study addressed occupational exposure.

SYNTHESIS OF RESULTS

For all five priority hypotheses, available research suggests that RF-EMF exposure below guideline values does not cause symptoms, but the evidence is very uncertain. The very low certainty evidence is due the low number of studies, possible risk of bias in some studies, inconsistencies, indirectness, and imprecision. In terms of non-priority hypotheses numerous exposure-outcome combinations were addressed in the 13 eligible papers without indication for an association related to a specific symptom or exposure source.

DISCUSSION

Limitations of evidence: This review topic includes various challenges related to confounding control and exposure assessment. Many of these aspects are inherently present and not easy to be solved in future research. Since near-field exposure from wireless communication devices is related to lifestyle, a particular challenge is to differentiate between potential biophysical effects and other potential effects from extensive use of wireless communication devices that may compete with healthy behaviour such as sleeping or physical activity. Future research needs novel and innovative methods to differentiate between these two hypothetical mechanisms.

INTERPRETATION

This is currently the best available evidence to underpin safety of RF-EMF. There is no indication that RF-EMF below guideline values causes symptoms. However, inherent limitations of the research results in substantial uncertainty.

OTHER

Funding: This review was partially funded by the WHO radioprotection programme.

REGISTRATION

The protocol for this review has been registered in Prospero (reg no CRD42021239432) and published in Environment International (Röösli et al., 2021).

The association between real-life markers of phone use and cognitive performance, health-related quality of life and sleep

INTRODUCTION

The real-life short-term implications of electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) on cognitive performance and health-related quality of life have not been well studied. The SPUTNIC study (Study Panel on Upcoming Technologies to study Non-Ionizing radiation and Cognition) aimed to investigate possible correlations between mobile phone radiation and human health, including cognition, health-related quality of life and sleep.

METHODS

Adult participants tracked various daily markers of RF-EMF exposures (cordless calls, mobile calls, and mobile screen time 4 h prior to each assessment) as well as three health outcomes over ten study days: 1) cognitive performance, 2) health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and 3) sleep duration and quality. Cognitive performance was measured through six "game-like" tests, assessing verbal and visuo-spatial performance repeatedly. HRQoL was assessed as fatigue, mood and stress on a Likert-scale (1-10). Sleep duration and efficiency was measured using activity trackers. We fitted mixed models with random intercepts per participant on cognitive, HRQoL and sleep scores. Possible time-varying confounders were assessed at daily intervals by questionnaire and used for model adjustment.

RESULTS

A total of 121 participants ultimately took part in the SPUTNIC study, including 63 from Besancon and 58 from Basel. Self-reported wireless phone use and screen time were sporadically associated with visuo-spatial and verbal cognitive performance, compatible with chance findings. We found a small but robust significant increase in stress 0.03 (0.00-0.06; on a 1-10 Likert-scale) in relation to a 10-min increase in mobile phone screen time. Sleep duration and quality were not associated with either cordless or mobile phone calls, or with screen time.

DISCUSSION

The study did not find associations between short-term RF-EMF markers and cognitive performance, HRQoL, or sleep duration and quality. The most consistent finding was increased stress in relation to more screen time, but no association with cordless or mobile phone call time.

Modelling of daily radiofrequency electromagnetic field dose for a prospective adolescent cohort

INTRODUCTION

Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields originate from a variety of wireless communication sources operating near and far from the body, making it challenging to quantify daily absorbed dose. In the framework of the prospective cohort SCAMP (Study of Cognition, Adolescents and Mobile Phones), we aimed to characterize RF-EMF dose over a 2-year period.

METHODS

The SCAMP cohort included 6605 children from greater London, UK at baseline (age 12.1 years; 2014-2016) and 5194 at follow-up (age 14.2; 2016-2018). We estimated the daily dose of RF-EMF to eight tissues including the whole body and whole brain, using dosimetric algorithms for the specific absorption rate transfer into the body. We considered RF-EMF dose from 12 common usage scenarios such as mobile phone calls or data transmission. We evaluated the association between sociodemographic factors (gender, ethnicity, phone ownership and socio-economic status), and the dose change between baseline and follow-up.

RESULTS

Whole body dose was estimated at an average of 170 mJ/kg/day at baseline and 178 mJ/kg/day at follow-up. Among the eight tissues considered, the right temporal lobe received the highest daily dose (baseline 1150 mJ/kg/day, follow-up 1520 mJ/kg/day). Estimated daily dose [mJ/kg/day] increased between baseline and follow-up for head and brain related tissues, but remained stable for the whole body and heart. Doses estimated at baseline and follow-up showed low correlation among the 3384 children who completed both assessments. Asian ethnicity (compared to white) and owning a bar phone or no phone (as opposed to a smartphone) were associated with lower estimated whole-body and whole-brain RF-EMF dose, while black ethnicity, a moderate/low socio-economic status (compared to high), and increasing age (at baseline) were associated with higher estimated RF-EMF dose.

CONCLUSION

This study describes the first longitudinal exposure assessment for children in a critical period of development. Dose estimations will be used in further epidemiological analyses for the SCAMP study.

Comparison of mobile phone usage and physical activity on glycemic status, body composition & lifestyle in male Saudi mobile phone users

Background

&Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effects of mobile phone usage and physical activity on HbA1c, body composition, and lifestyle among male Saudi Arabian mobile phone users.

Methods

The study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from July 2020 to July 2021. The study sample consisted of 203 non-smoker male Saudi participants aged from 20 to 60 years who used mobile phones. Personal information was obtained through interviews using a proforma. The participants were divided into three groups according to their daily mobile phone usage: Group (1): less than 2 h, Group (2): 2–3 h, and Group (3): more than 3 h, and according to their physical activities: Group (1): sedentary, Group (2): average, and Group (3): athletes. Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c), Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA), and (SF) 36- items survey was performed.

Results

The mean age of 203 Saudi male adult participants was 28.0 ± 10.4 years. Mobile phone usage in the less than 2 h group was (33.5%), between 2-3 h (22.7%), and more than 3 h (43.8%) respectively. The mean age of Group (3), who used mobile phones for more than 3 h, was the lowest (23.9 ± 5.7). The results showed that HbA1C levels were almost equal in all three groups (5.8 ± 0.4, 5.7 ± 0.4, and 5.7 ± 0.3 respectively). In addition, emotional well-being and social functioning showed insignificant decreases in the more than 3 h group compared to other groups of mobile phone usage (69.3 ± 15.7, 70.9 ± 15.5, 65.2 ± 16.0, p = .091 and 82.9 ± 201, 81.2 ± 18.7, 77.6 ± 21.6, p = .267) respectively. No effect was detected between groups regarding various body compositions. Regarding physical activity classifications: the sedentary group constituted (36%) of the sample, whereas the average and athlete groups represented (53.7%) and (10.3%) of the total sample respectively. There was a significant decrease in BMI (29.6 ± 7.8, 25.3 ± 5.1,24.7 ± 5.6, p = .000), fat mass (24.7 ± 15.0, 17.1 ± 9.1, 15.3 ± 10.6, p = .000), and free fat mass (64.0 ± 10.2, 56.8 ± 8.7, 57.5 ± 8.0, p = .000) in the average and the athletic groups compared to the sedentary group. No significant difference was found in HbA1c between physical activity groups (5.8 ± 0.4, 5.7 ± 0.4, 5.7 ± 0.4, p = .218).

Conclusions

Mobile phone usage does not affect HbA1c and body composition parameters. Furthermore, we found the youngers used mobile phones longer than others. Insignificant decrease in emotional well-being and social functioning parameters of the style of life due to long mobile phone usage which needs more attention.

Magnetic field effects in biology from the perspective of the radical pair mechanism

Hundreds of studies have found that weak magnetic fields can significantly influence various biological systems. However, the underlying mechanisms behind these phenomena remain elusive. Remarkably, the magnetic energies implicated in these effects are much smaller than thermal energies. Here, we review these observations, and we suggest an explanation based on the radical pair mechanism, which involves the quantum dynamics of the electron and nuclear spins of transient radical molecules. While the radical pair mechanism has been studied in detail in the context of avian magnetoreception, the studies reviewed here show that magnetosensitivity is widespread throughout biology. We review magnetic field effects on various physiological functions, discussing static, hypomagnetic and oscillating magnetic fields, as well as isotope effects. We then review the radical pair mechanism as a potential unifying model for the described magnetic field effects, and we discuss plausible candidate molecules for the radical pairs. We review recent studies proposing that the radical pair mechanism provides explanations for isotope effects in xenon anaesthesia and lithium treatment of hyperactivity, magnetic field effects on the circadian clock, and hypomagnetic field effects on neurogenesis and microtubule assembly. We conclude by discussing future lines of investigation in this exciting new area of quantum biology.

Global association between atmospheric particulate matter and obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Among various air pollutants, particulate matter (PM) is the most harmful and representative pollutant. Although several studies have shown a link between particulate pollution and obesity, the conclusions are still inconsistent.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to pool the effect of PM exposure on obesity. Five databases (including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane) were searched for relevant studies up to Jan 2022. Adjusted risk ratio (RR) with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were retrieved from individual studies and pooled with random effect models by STATA software. Besides, we tested the stability of results by Egger's test, Begg's test, funnel plot, and using the trim-and-fill method to modify the possible asymmetric funnel graph. The NTP-OHAT guidelines were followed to assess the risk of bias. Then the GRADE was used to evaluate the certainty of evidence.

RESULTS

26 studies were included in this meta-analysis. 19 studies have shown that PM_2.5 can increase the risk of obesity per 10 μg/m³ increment (RR: 1.159, 95% CI: 1.111-1.209), while 15 studies have indicated that PM₁₀ increase the risk of obesity per 10 μg/m³ increment (RR: 1.092, 95% CI: 1.070-1.116). Besides, 5 other articles with maternal exposure showed that PM_2.5 increases the risk of obesity in children (RR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.02-1.11). And we explored the source of heterogeneity by subgroup analysis, which suggested associations between PM and obesity tended to vary by region, age group, participants number, etc. The analysis results showed publication bias and other biases are well controlled, but most certainties of the evidence were low, and more research is required to reduce these uncertainties.

CONCLUSION

Exposure to PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ with per 10 μg/m³ increment could increase the risk of obesity in the global population.

The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields exposure on human self-reported symptoms: A protocol for a systematic review of human experimental studies

BACKGROUND

The technological applications of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) have been steadily increasing since the 1950s across multiple sectors exposing large proportions of the population. This fact has raised concerns related to the potential consequences to people's health. The World Health Organization (WHO) is assessing the potential health effects of exposure to RF-EMF and has carried out an international survey amongst experts, who have identified six priority topics to be further addressed through systematic reviews, whereof the effects on symptoms is one of them. We report here the systematic review protocol of experimental studies in humans assessing the effects of RF-EMF on symptoms.

OBJECTIVE

Our objectives are to assess the effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields (compared to no or lower exposure levels) on symptoms in human subjects. We will also assess the accuracy of perception of presence of exposure in volunteers with and without idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields (IEI-EMF).

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

We will search relevant literature sources (e.g. the Web of Science, Medline, Embase, Epistemonikos) for randomized trials (comparing at least two arms) and randomised crossover trials of RF-EMF exposure that have assessed the effects on symptoms. We will also include studies that have measured the accuracy of the perception of the presence or absence of exposure. We will include studies in any language.

STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS

Studies will be assessed against inclusion criteria by two independent reviewers. Data on study characteristics, participants, exposure, comparators and effects will be extracted using a specific template for this review, by two independent reviewers. Discrepancies will be solved by consensus. Risk of bias (ROB) will be assessed using the ROB Rating Tool for Human and Animal Studies and the level of confidence in the evidence of the exposure-outcome relations will be assessed using the GRADE approach. For the perception studies, we will use adapted versions of the ROB tool and GRADE assessment. Where appropriate, data will be combined using meta-analytical techniques.