title: Health effects of living near mobile phone base transceiver station (BTS) antennae: a report from Isfahan, Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In recent years, by tremendous use of mobile phone telecommunication, a growing concern about the possible health hazards has increased greatly among public and scientists. The mobile phone exposure has been shown to have many effects upon the immune functions, stimulating hormones, mammalian brain, sperm motility and morphology, and neurological pathologies syndrome. The aim of this study was to find out the psychological and psychobiological reactions of the people who are living near mobile phone base transceiver stations (BTS) antenna, in Isfahan, Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study on 250 randomly selected inhabitants (133 women and 117 men) was performed in October 2012 till November 2012. The inhabitants were requested to complete a standardized questionnaire that focused on the relevant psychological and psychobiological reactions parameters. A computer program (SPSS version16.0, Chicago, IL) was used for statistical analysis using the Chi-square test with Yates correction. All the data were tested using a criterion level of p = 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that most of the symptoms such as nausea, headache, dizziness, irritability, discomfort, nervousness, depression, sleep disturbance, memory loss and lowering of libido were statistically significant in the inhabitants living near the BTS antenna (<300 m distances) compared to those living far from the BTS antenna (>300 m).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is suggested that cellular phone BTS antenna should not be sited closer than 300 m to populations to minimize exposure of neighbors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Medical Engineering, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences , Isfahan , Iran.
authors.forename: Daryoush
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shahbazi-Gahrouei
authors.forename: Mojtaba
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karbalae
authors.forename: Habib Allah
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Moradi
authors.forename: Milad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baradaran-Ghahfarokhi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D040421:Cell Phone / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Electromagnetic field; health effects; microwave radiation; mobile phone BTS