Radiation from mobile phone systems: Is it perceived as a threat to people's health?

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence, nature and determinants of concerns about mobile phone radiation. We used data from a 2006 telephone survey of 1004 people aged 15+ years in Denmark. Twenty-eight percent of the respondents were concerned about exposure to mobile phone radiation; radiation from masts was of concern to about 15%. In contrast, 82% were concerned about pollution. Nearly half of the respondents considered the mortality risk of 3G phones and masts to be of the same order of magnitude as being struck by lightning (0.1 fatalities per million people per year) while 7% thought it was equivalent to tobacco-induced lung cancer (approximately 500 fatalities per million per year). Among women, concerns about mobile phone radiation were positively associated with educational attainment, perceived mobile phone mortality risk and concerns about unknown consequences of new technologies. More than two thirds of the respondents felt that they had received inadequate public information about the 3G system. The results of the study indicate that the majority of the population has little concern about mobile phone radiation while a small minority is very concerned.

Risk and Benefit Perceptions of Mobile Phone and Base Station Technology in Bangladesh

“…This suggests that, in the Bangladeshi population surveyed, risk perceptions are primarily driven by perceptions of crime and annoyances, such as "teasing" and handset theft, rather than risks to health. As has been the case in other studies, risk perceptions associated with mobile phone use are higher among women than men, (8,27) an observation that aligns with the international risk perception literature in general. (50) Chen and Katz (51) argue that early studies of the adoption of mobile phone technology in developed countries showed that safety and accessibility were the primary reasons why people adopted the new technology, reflecting what might be described as its instrumental function.…”

“…(2,3) However, research into the risk perception of citizens in developed countries has indicated that many people have health concerns with regard to the use of both handsets and base stations. (4,5) To date, research focused on citizens' risk and benefit perceptions associated with mobile technology has primarily been conducted in developed countries, such as Austria, (6) Spain, (7) Denmark, (8) Australia, (9) France, (10) and the United Kingdom. (11,12) Due to cultural and economic differences, the extrapolation of the results of these studies in the developing world may not be straightforward, as little is understood about cultural preferences and perceptions associated with mobile communication technology.…”

Comparative international analysis of radiofrequency exposure surveys of mobile communication radio base stations

“…4 Risk perception studies show that some communities, members of the general public, academics and politicians have concerns about possible health effects of exposure to radiofrequency (RF) energy transmitted by mobile phones and wireless networks. 5 …”

A numerical coefficient for evaluation of the environmental impact of electromagnetic fields radiated by base stations for mobile communications

“…This is particularly true in urban areas, where these antennas are being deployed on rooftops, facades, high masts or even indoors. At the same time, a general public concern about possible health hazards caused by radiation from these systems has emerged in the last several years [Frick et al, 2002;Kristiansen et al, 2009]. In spite of the existence of limits to the allowed population exposure, there exist many examples of residents that oppose the installation of new antennas close to their buildings.…”