Effects of exposure to GSM mobile phone base station signals on salivary cortisol, alpha-amylase, and immunoglobulin A.
OBJECTIVE
The present study aimed to test whether exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) emitted by mobile phone base stations may have effects on salivary alpha-amylase, immunoglobulin A (IgA), and cortisol levels.


METHODS
Fifty seven participants were randomly allocated to one of three different experimental scenarios (22 participants to scenario 1, 26 to scenario 2, and 9 to scenario 3). Each participant went through five 50-minute exposure sessions. The main RF-EMF source was a GSM-900-MHz antenna located at the outer wall of the building. In scenarios 1 and 2, the first, third, and fifth sessions were "low" (median power flux density 5.2 microW/m(2)) exposure. The second session was "high" (2126.8 microW/m(2)), and the fourth session was "medium" (153.6 microW/m(2)) in scenario 1, and vice versa in scenario 2. Scenario 3 had four "low" exposure conditions, followed by a "high" exposure condition. Biomedical parameters were collected by saliva samples three times a session. Exposure levels were created by shielding curtains.


RESULTS
In scenario 3 from session 4 to session 5 (from "low" to "high" exposure), an increase of cortisol was detected, while in scenarios 1 and 2, a higher concentration of alpha-amylase related to the baseline was identified as compared to that in scenario 3. IgA concentration was not significantly related to the exposure.


CONCLUSIONS
RF-EMF in considerably lower field densities than ICNIRP-guidelines may influence certain psychobiological stress markers.
Augner
Christoph
C
IGGMB-Research Institute for Frontier Questions of Medicine and Biotechnology, Salzburg Federal Hospital-University Clinics of the Paracelsus Medical Private University, Salzburg Federal Clinics (SALK), Salzburg, Austria. c.augner@salk.at
Hacker
Gerhard W
GW
Oberfeld
Gerd
G
Florian
Matthias
M
Hitzl
Wolfgang
W
Hutter
Jörg
J
Pauser
Gernot
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D040421:Cell Phone; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis*; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D055815:Young Adult; D000516:alpha-Amylases / Q000032:analysis*
D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D000516:alpha-Amylases; D006854:Hydrocortisone