Review date
June 2023
Article publication date
April 2023
Summary
This cross-sectional study investigated associations between short-term mobile phone use and the subsequent radiofrequency electromagnetic energy (RF EME) exposure with cognitive performance, stress and sleep quality. This study recruited 121 adults (aged 18 – 70) from Basel, Switzerland and Besancon, France who regularly used a smartphone and had a laptop/computer with internet access. Participants were required to complete 10 daily assessments over a 2-week period (no assessments on weekends). Exposure was assessed in these daily assessments via a questionnaire which gathered data on participants mobile phone call time and their total mobile phone screen time which served as a proxy for RF EME exposure. Cognitive performance was also assessed daily by a cognitive test battery available via laptop or computer, while sleep quality was assessed using a Fitbit Inspire activity tracker and stress via the questionnaire. The study found no consistent association with mobile phone use and cognitive function despite some sporadic results which were likely chance findings. Sleep quality was also not associated with mobile phone use, however, there was a significant association between stress and mobile phone screen time with stress increasing in relation to a 10-min increase in mobile phone screen time. The authors suggest that due to the low amount of RF EME exposure caused during mobile phone screen time that is unlikely that the increase in stress is due to RF EME exposure but instead due to a non-biophysical mechanism.
Link to
Published in
Environmental Research
ARPANSA commentary
The results for cognitive performance and sleep are consistent with other studies (Cabre’-Riera et al. Verrender et al. Eggert et al.) which found no association with RF EME exposure. The association found between stress and mobile phone screen time is likely due to behavioural factors associated with increased mobile phone use as suggested by the authors. The results of this study provide further evidence that the limits set within the ARPANSA RF Safety Standard (RPS S-1) are appropriate for protecting people from the known harmful effects of exposure to RF EME. It is the assessment of ARPANSA and other health authorities, including the World Health Organization and International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, that there is no substantiated scientific evidence that mobile phones cause any adverse health effect.
