Electromagnetic Fields: Annual Update 2006

UMTS and DECT are systems for mobile communication. Some people wonder whether exposure to the radio waves of UMTS antennae or DECT base stations and handsets used at home may cause health problems. Recent research does not give any indications for this, however. This is the message of the Health Council of the Netherlands in its fourth Annual Update on Electromagnetic Fields, that has been published today. Especially important are the results of a recent Swiss UMTS study that does not confirm previous results obtained by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research TNO. In the TNO study, the first of its kind, exposure of people to UMTS seemed to lead to a decrease in well-being. This has not been observed in the Swiss study. In view of the improved study design, more weight has to be given to this Swiss study. No data are available at present that indicate adverse health effects of exposure to DECT signals.