Radiofrequency radiation from nearby base stations gives high levels in an apartment in Stockholm, Sweden: A case report.

2018 · Unclear · Very low evidence

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UnclearVery low evidencePaper 2095

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2018

Study typecase_report

Reported directionUnclear

Evidence ratingVery low

Abstract

Radiofrequency radiation from nearby base stations gives high levels in an apartment in Stockholm, Sweden: A case report. Hardell L, Carlberg M, Hedendahl LK. Radiofrequency radiation from nearby base stations gives high levels in an apartment in Stockholm, Sweden: A case report. Oncol Lett. 15(5):7871-7883. 2018 May. doi: 10.3892/ol.2018.8285. Abstract Exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation was classified in 2011 as a possible human carcinogen, Group 2B, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organisation. Evidence of the risk of cancer risk has since strengthened. Exposure is changing due to the rapid development of technology resulting in increased ambient radiation. RF radiation of sufficient intensity heats tissues, but the energy is insufficient to cause ionization, hence it is called non-ionizing radiation. These non-thermal exposure levels have resulted in biological effects in humans, animals and cells, including an increased cancer risk. In the present study, the levels of RF radiation were measured in an apartment close to two groups of mobile phone base stations on the roof. A total of 74,531 measurements were made corresponding to ~83 h of recording. The total mean RF radiation level was 3,811 µW/m2 (range 15.2-112,318 µW/m2) for the measurement of the whole apartment, including balconies. Particularly high levels were measured on three balconies and 3 of 4 bedrooms. The total mean RF radiation level decreased by 98% when the measured down-links from the base stations for 2, 3 and 4 G were disregarded. The results are discussed in relation to the detrimental health effects of non-thermal RF radiation. Due to the current high RF radiation, the apartment is not suitable for long-term living, particularly for children who may be more sensitive than adults. For a definitive conclusion regarding the effect of RF radiation from nearby base stations, one option would be to turn them off and repeat the measurements. However, the simplest and safest solution would be to turn them off and dismantle them. Open access paper: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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 typecase_report

Effect directionunclear

PopulationNot supplied

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureRF · ~83 h of recording

Evidence strengthVery lowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

RF radiation was measured in an apartment close to two groups of mobile phone base stations on the roof, with 74,531 measurements over ~83 h. The total mean RF level was 3,811 µW/m2 (range 15.2–112,318 µW/m2) across the apartment including balconies; high levels were reported on three balconies and in 3 of 4 bedrooms. The total mean RF level decreased by 98% when measured down-links from 2G/3G/4G base stations were disregarded.

Outcomes measured

RF radiation levels (µW/m2) in an apartment near base stations

Limitations

Single-apartment case report; generalizability is limited
No health outcomes measured; discussion of health effects is not based on measured clinical endpoints in this report
Frequency details and measurement instrumentation/method specifics not provided in the abstract
Causal attribution to specific sources is not definitively tested (authors suggest turning off base stations and repeating measurements)

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "case_report",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile phone base station",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "~83 h of recording"
  },
  "population": null,
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "RF radiation levels (µW/m2) in an apartment near base stations"
  ],
  "main_findings": "RF radiation was measured in an apartment close to two groups of mobile phone base stations on the roof, with 74,531 measurements over ~83 h. The total mean RF level was 3,811 µW/m2 (range 15.2–112,318 µW/m2) across the apartment including balconies; high levels were reported on three balconies and in 3 of 4 bedrooms. The total mean RF level decreased by 98% when measured down-links from 2G/3G/4G base stations were disregarded.",
  "effect_direction": "unclear",
  "limitations": [
    "Single-apartment case report; generalizability is limited",
    "No health outcomes measured; discussion of health effects is not based on measured clinical endpoints in this report",
    "Frequency details and measurement instrumentation/method specifics not provided in the abstract",
    "Causal attribution to specific sources is not definitively tested (authors suggest turning off base stations and repeating measurements)"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "very_low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "radiofrequency",
    "RF radiation",
    "base stations",
    "mobile phone",
    "apartment",
    "exposure measurement",
    "Stockholm",
    "2G",
    "3G",
    "4G",
    "µW/m2"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "occupational-exposure",
      "weight": 0.1,
      "reason": "Not occupational; primarily an environmental exposure assessment in a residence (included only weakly)."
    }
  ]
}

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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: 10.3892/ol.2018.8285
PubMed: Not supplied

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