Exposure to mobile telecommunication networks assessed using personal dosimetry and well-being in children and adolescents: the German MobilEe-study

Background: Despite the increase of mobile phone use in the last
decade and the growing concern whether mobile telecommunication
networks adversely affect health and well-being, only few studies
have been published that focussed on children and adolescents.
Especially children and adolescents are important in the discussion
of adverse health effects because of their possibly higher
vulnerability to radio frequency electromagnetic fields. Methods:
We investigated a possible association between exposure to mobile
telecommunication networks and wellbeing in children and
adolescents using personal dosimetry. A population-based sample of
1.498 children and 1.524 adolescents was assembled for the study
(response 52%). Participants were randomly selected from the
population registries of four Bavarian (South of Germany) cities
and towns with different population sizes. During a Computer
Assisted Personal Interview data on participants' well-being,
socio-demographic characteristics and potential confounder were
collected. Acute symptoms were assessed three times during the
study day (morning, noon, evening). Using a dosimeter (ESM-140
Maschek Electronics), we obtained an exposure profile over 24 hours
for three mobile phone frequency ranges (measurement interval 1
second, limit of determination 0.05 V/ m) for each of the
participants. Exposure levels over waking hours were summed up and
expressed as mean percentage of the ICNIRP (International
Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) reference level.
Results: In comparison to non-participants, parents and adolescents
with a higher level of education who possessed a mobile phone and
were interested in the topic of possible adverse health effects
caused by mobile telecommunication network frequencies were more
willing to participate in the study. The median exposure to radio
frequency electromagnetic fields of children and adolescents was
0.18% and 0.19% of the ICNIRP reference level respectively.
Conclusion: In comparison to previous studies this is one of the
first to assess the individual level of exposure to mobile
telecommunication networks using personal dosimetry, enabling
objective assessment of exposure from all sources and longer
measurement periods. In total, personal dosimetry was proofed to be
a well accepted tool to study exposure to mobile phone frequencies
in epidemiologic studies including health effects on children and
adolescents.