Effects of UMTS radiation on cerebral blood circulation assessed by near infrared imaging
Background Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, or UMTS, will become the new widespread standard in mobile communication within the coming years. Only a few studies on the potential physiological effects of UMTS are available to date. Therefore, it is important to generate scientific evidence on the effects of UMTS. Near infrared imaging (NIRI) uses near infrared light and is employed in this study, because it is non-invasive, harmless, and highly sensitive, detecting even small changes in blood circulation and oxygenation of the brain. In addition, also rapid changes can be observed. Since light is not influenced by electromagnetic fields (EMF), NIRI is able to assess physiological effects even during exposure.
Aim The aim of this project is to apply NIRI to study potential physiological effects of UMTS EMF, typical for a handheld mobile phone, on blood circulation and oxygenation of the brain in human volunteers.
The NIRI technique will be specially adapted for the EMF exposure studies. Healthy volunteers will be exposed to UMTS EMF at different intensities. There will also be control measurements without EMF. Effects of normal functional activity on blood circulation will be assessed in the same participants and compared in size to potential effects of UMTS EMF.
Significance The NIRI set-up developed in this project will be ideally suited for other EMF exposure studies in humans and is not limited to UMTS EMF. NIRI has a great potential to become one of the standard tools to study physiological effects of EMF non-invasively and efficiently and with a high sensitivity. This will become increasingly important in the future, because mobile communication is a rapidly developing field. Therefore, innovative and efficient ways to assure its biological safety will be crucial.
Duration: 36 months
Grant: CHF 277’060.--
PD Dr. Martin Peter Wolf
Clinic of Neonatology
University Hospital Zurich Frauenklinikstrasse 10
CH-8091 Zurich martin.wolf@usz.ch
