OBJECTIVES: This study investigated concerns that have been raised about past and future health effects caused by high power transmissions of high frequency (7-30 MHz) radio waves from military antenna systems at Akrotiri, Cyprus. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of three villages (two exposed, one unexposed) collected longitudinal and short-term radiofrequency measurements. Health data were collected using questionnaires containing information on demographic factors, specific illnesses, general health (SF-36 well-being questionnaire), reproductive history, childhood illnesses, risk perception and mortality. Analysis was with SPSS v11.5 using cross tabulations of non-parametric data and tests for significance. Key health outcomes were subjected to logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Field strengths within the two "exposed" villages were a maximum of 0.30 (Volts/Vm(-1) metre) from the 17.6 MHz military transmissions and up to 1.4 Vm(-1) from unspecified sources, mainly cell phone frequencies. The corresponding readings in the control village were <0.01 Vm(-1). Compared with the control village there were highly significant differences in the reporting of migraine (OR 2.7, p<0.001), headache (OR 3.7, p<0.001), and dizziness (OR 2.7, p<0.001). Residents of the exposed villages showed greater negative views of their health in all eight domains of the SF-36. There were also higher levels of perceived risk, particularly to noise and electromagnetic "pollution". All three villages reported higher values of risk perception than a UK population. There was no evidence of birth abnormalities or differences in gynaecological or obstetric history. Numbers of cancers were too small to show differences. CONCLUSION: It was clear that even this close (1-3 km) to powerful transmissions, the dominant sources of radiofrequency fields were cell phone and national broadcast systems. There was no excess of cancer, birth defects or obstetric problems. There was heightened risk perception and a considerable excess of migraine, headache and dizziness, which appears to share a gradient with radiofrequency exposure. The authors report this association but suggest this is unlikely to be an effect of radiofrequency and more likely to be antenna visibility or aircraft noise.
OBJECTIVES: This study investigated concerns that have been raised about past and future health effects caused by high power transmissions of high frequency (7-30 MHz) radio waves from military antenna systems at Akrotiri, Cyprus. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of three villages (two exposed, one unexposed) collected longitudinal and short-term radiofrequency measurements. Health data were collected using questionnaires containing information on demographic factors, specific illnesses, general health (SF-36 well-being questionnaire), reproductive history, childhood illnesses, risk perception and mortality. Analysis was with SPSS v11.5 using cross tabulations of non-parametric data and tests for significance. Key health outcomes were subjected to logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Field strengths within the two "exposed" villages were a maximum of 0.30 (Volts/Vm(-1) metre) from the 17.6 MHz military transmissions and up to 1.4 Vm(-1) from unspecified sources, mainly cell phone frequencies. The corresponding readings in the control village were <0.01 Vm(-1). Compared with the control village there were highly significant differences in the reporting of migraine (OR 2.7, p<0.001), headache (OR 3.7, p<0.001), and dizziness (OR 2.7, p<0.001). Residents of the exposed villages showed greater negative views of their health in all eight domains of the SF-36. There were also higher levels of perceived risk, particularly to noise and electromagnetic "pollution". All three villages reported higher values of risk perception than a UK population. There was no evidence of birth abnormalities or differences in gynaecological or obstetric history. Numbers of cancers were too small to show differences. CONCLUSION: It was clear that even this close (1-3 km) to powerful transmissions, the dominant sources of radiofrequency fields were cell phone and national broadcast systems. There was no excess of cancer, birth defects or obstetric problems. There was heightened risk perception and a considerable excess of migraine, headache and dizziness, which appears to share a gradient with radiofrequency exposure. The authors report this association but suggest this is unlikely to be an effect of radiofrequency and more likely to be antenna visibility or aircraft noise.
Authors: De-Kun Li; Roxana Odouli; Soora Wi; Teresa Janevic; Ira Golditch; T Dan Bracken; Russell Senior; Richard Rankin; Richard Iriye Journal: Epidemiology Date: 2002-01 Impact factor: 4.822
Authors: Martin Röösli; Mirjana Moser; Yvonne Baldinini; Martin Meier; Charlotte Braun-Fahrländer Journal: Int J Hyg Environ Health Date: 2004-02 Impact factor: 5.840
Authors: Yannis Tountas; Panayotes T H Demakakos; Yannis Yfantopoulos; Jenny Aga; Lambrini Houliara; Elpida Pavi Journal: Health Qual Life Outcomes Date: 2003-10-27 Impact factor: 3.186
Authors: Martin Röösli; Patrizia Frei; John Bolte; Georg Neubauer; Elisabeth Cardis; Maria Feychting; Peter Gajsek; Sabine Heinrich; Wout Joseph; Simon Mann; Luc Martens; Evelyn Mohler; Roger C Parslow; Aslak Harbo Poulsen; Katja Radon; Joachim Schüz; György Thuroczy; Jean-François Viel; Martine Vrijheid Journal: Environ Health Date: 2010-05-20 Impact factor: 5.984
Authors: Jarry T Porsius; Liesbeth Claassen; Tjabe Smid; Fred Woudenberg; Danielle R M Timmermans Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2014-03-07 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Pauline Duke; Marshall Godwin; Mandy Peach; Jacqueline Fortier; Stephen Bornstein; Sharon Buehler; Farah McCrate; Andrea Pike; Peizhong Peter Wang; Richard M Cullen Journal: J Environ Public Health Date: 2015-11-08