Does exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RFR) affect the circadian rhythm of rest-activity patterns and behavioral sleep variables in humans?

2022 · No effect · Low evidence

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No effectLow evidencePaper 586

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2022

Study typecross_sectional

Reported directionNo effect

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Does exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RFR) affect the circadian rhythm of rest-activity patterns and behavioral sleep variables in humans? Singh MM, Chandel P, Pati A, Parganiha A. (2022) Does exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RFR) affect the circadian rhythm of rest-activity patterns and behavioral sleep variables in humans? Biological Rhythm Research, 53:9, 1414-1438, doi: 10.1080/09291016.2021.1945788. Abstract We evaluated the effects of the exposure to radio-frequency radiation emanating from the base transceiver station (BTS) on the characteristics of circadian rest-activity rhythm and behavioral sleep variables in humans. We performed this exploratory field study in a sample of 89 healthy subjects randomly chosen out of 1434 individuals surveyed for the purpose. We divided 89 subjects into five groups, including the control, as a function of distance from the BTS. The E-field strength was higher in the groups of the inter-tower region and between 0 and 150 m away from the BTS. The E-field (distance) did not significantly affect the circadian rhythm parameters and behavioral sleep variables, except a marginal delay in the peak timings of the rest-activity rhythm of subjects in the inter-tower and 300–500 m groups. Notable secondary effects of the factor gender were noticed on circadian amplitude, sleep efficiency, dichotomy index, and wake after sleep onset. We concluded that exposure to radiation from the BTS did not modulate actigraphy-based behavioral sleep variables of people residing around BTS installations. We recommend more extensive field-based studies with rigorous longitudinal designs to validate the effects of radiation from the BTS in humans. tandfonline.com

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typecross_sectional

Effect directionno_effect

Population89 healthy subjects residing around base transceiver station (BTS) installations

Sample size89

ExposureRF

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

In this exploratory field study, E-field strength was higher in the inter-tower region and 0–150 m from the BTS. E-field (distance) did not significantly affect circadian rhythm parameters or behavioral sleep variables, except for a marginal delay in peak timing of the rest-activity rhythm in the inter-tower and 300–500 m groups. Secondary effects of gender were noted for circadian amplitude, sleep efficiency, dichotomy index, and wake after sleep onset.

Outcomes measured

Circadian rest-activity rhythm parameters
Actigraphy-based behavioral sleep variables
Peak timing of rest-activity rhythm
Circadian amplitude
Sleep efficiency
Dichotomy index
Wake after sleep onset

Limitations

Exploratory field study design
Distance from BTS used as exposure grouping; frequency and SAR not reported
Authors recommend more extensive field-based studies with rigorous longitudinal designs

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "cross_sectional",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "base station",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "89 healthy subjects residing around base transceiver station (BTS) installations",
  "sample_size": 89,
  "outcomes": [
    "Circadian rest-activity rhythm parameters",
    "Actigraphy-based behavioral sleep variables",
    "Peak timing of rest-activity rhythm",
    "Circadian amplitude",
    "Sleep efficiency",
    "Dichotomy index",
    "Wake after sleep onset"
  ],
  "main_findings": "In this exploratory field study, E-field strength was higher in the inter-tower region and 0–150 m from the BTS. E-field (distance) did not significantly affect circadian rhythm parameters or behavioral sleep variables, except for a marginal delay in peak timing of the rest-activity rhythm in the inter-tower and 300–500 m groups. Secondary effects of gender were noted for circadian amplitude, sleep efficiency, dichotomy index, and wake after sleep onset.",
  "effect_direction": "no_effect",
  "limitations": [
    "Exploratory field study design",
    "Distance from BTS used as exposure grouping; frequency and SAR not reported",
    "Authors recommend more extensive field-based studies with rigorous longitudinal designs"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "radiofrequency radiation",
    "RFR",
    "base transceiver station",
    "BTS",
    "E-field strength",
    "distance",
    "circadian rhythm",
    "rest-activity",
    "actigraphy",
    "sleep variables",
    "gender effects"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "who-icnirp",
      "weight": 0.35,
      "reason": "Study evaluates human health-related outcomes (sleep/circadian measures) in relation to RF exposure from a base station, relevant to RF exposure guideline discussions."
    }
  ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1080/09291016.2021.1945788
PubMed: Not supplied

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