Lennart Hardell

Background The increasing use of wireless communication technologies has substantially changed the radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) environment. Public transportation systems represent complex RF-EMF exposure environments, but there is limited information regarding maximum environmental RF-EMF levels during routine travel across different transportation settings. Objectives This study aimed to characterize maximum environmental RF-EMF power density in Swedish transportation environments, including the Arlanda Express, Stockholm Central Railway Station, the Stockholm subway system, and intercity railway travel between Stockholm and Örebro. Methods Broadband RF-EMF measurements were performed using a Safe and Sound Pro II exposimeter for at least 2 minutes at each measured point. Results RF-EMF exposure showed substantial spatial and temporal variability across all investigated environments. The highest maximum power densities were consistently recorded at Stockholm Central Railway Station, where repeated measurements at ground level exceeded the instrument's upper measurement limit (>2,500,000 µW/m²). Subway measurements showed considerable variability, with localized maximum values exceeding 200,000 µW/m². Lower levels were generally observed during railway travel between stations, although high RF-EMF power density occurred on some railway sections. Exposure levels during travel varied according to location, network conditions, and transportation environment. Conclusions Public transportation environments, particularly major railway stations, can represent locations with high maximum power density levels. The measured levels were below current exposure limits recommended by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), which are based on protection against established thermal effects and do not incorporate non-thermal biological effects. However, the measured levels substantially exceeded the precautionary exposure levels recommended in the EUROPAEM EMF guideline 2016 for Wi-Fi exposure during daytime of 10 µW/m2, for nighttime 1 µW/m2, and for sensitive persons 0.1 µW/m2 to protect against non-thermal effects. Future studies combining broadband measurements, frequency-selective analyses, and personal dosimetry are needed to better characterize individual exposure during modern daily travel.

Objectives: This study investigated sleeping problems in the Swedish population based on the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s national patient register on numbers of patients in specialized outpatient care diagnosed with codes for sleeping problems. Methods: Numbers of patients per year and per 100,000 inhabitants in various age groups: 0–4, 5–19, 20–39, 40–59, and 60+ years diagnosed each year between 2001 and 2024 with the ICD codes G47 (sleep disorders) or F51 (non-organic sleep disorders) as main diagnosis were assessed. Results: The highest increase for sleep disorders was seen among children, adolescents, and young adults. All results are given per 100,000 persons. In the age group 0–4 years, the numbers of sleep disorders (G47) increased from 41.5 in 2001 to 215.8 in 2024. The corresponding results in the age group 5–19 years were 13.8 and 235.6, respectively. In the age group 20–39 years, 40.4 were diagnosed in 2001 and 220.9 in 2024. For subjects aged 40–59 years, 169.5 were diagnosed in 2001 and 362.8 in 2024, and for persons aged 60+ years, 116.4 were diagnosed in 2001 and 322.9 in 2024. No major changes in the numbers of persons with F51, non-organic sleep disorders, were observed. Conclusions: Sleeping problems can be caused by several factors; however, the rapid increase in recent years has temporally coincided with an increase in the public’s exposure to microwave radiofrequency (RF) radiation and increasing use of screens. RF radiation and use of screens may negatively impact sleep.

During recent years there is an on-going deployment of 5G base stations for radiofrequency (RF) communication in Sweden as well in many other countries. This is made without investigations on risks to human health and the environment. Since 2016 we have made several measurements of environmental exposure to RF radiation in Stockholm, Sweden, including previous generations and now also 5G. In the current study, performed in October 2023, the broadband meter Narda-550 with the probe EF-1891 was used. It gives results in the root mean square (RMS) mode, thus not peak levels. Both the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) base their guidelines on RMS levels of RF radiation. Measurements were made in similar city areas as in our previous studies. Results show that the RF radiation has increased substantially. High maximum levels were found at e.g. the Central Railway Station (3 637 191 µW/m2), and popular walking streets such as Mäster Samuelsgatan (11 613 976 µW/m2), and Drottninggatan (5 271 555 µW/m2). The peak values would be much higher. These levels are in the same magnitude or even higher than those measured in homes of persons that rapidly developed symptoms of the microwave syndrome after installation of 5G, usually in combination with 4G+, in the neighborhood. They are also substantially higher than levels that have previously been linked to cancer and the microwave syndrome in studies of people living near base stations and masts from previous generations of telecommunications.

In the 1990s, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) restricted its risk assessment for human exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RFR) in seven ways: (1) Inappropriate focus on heat, ignoring sub-thermal effects. (2) Reliance on exposure experiments performed over very short times. (3) Overlooking time/amplitude characteristics of RFR signals. (4) Ignoring carcinogenicity, hypersensitivity, and other health conditions connected with RFR. (5) Measuring cellphone Specific Absorption Rates (SAR) at arbitrary distances from the head. (6) Averaging SAR doses at volumetric/mass scales irrelevant to health. (7) Using unrealistic simulations for cell phone SAR estimations. Low-cost software and hardware modifications are proposed here for cellular phone RFR exposure mitigation: (1) inhibiting RFR emissions in contact with the body, (2) use of antenna patterns reducing the Percent of Power absorbed in the Head (PPHead) and body and increasing the Percent of Power Radiated for communications (PPR), and (3) automated protocol-based reductions of the number of RFR emissions, their duration, or integrated dose. These inexpensive measures do not fundamentally alter cell phone functions or communications quality. A health threat is scientifically documented at many levels and acknowledged by industries. Yet mitigation of RFR exposures to users does not appear as a priority with most cell phone manufacturers.

The association between pesticide exposure and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) including hairy cell leukemia (HCL) was analyzed in a pooled study of three case-control studies. Results on exposure to pesticides were based on 1,425 cases and 2,157 controls participating in the studies. Exposures were assessed by self-administered questionnaires completed as needed by phone. In the pooled univariate analyses adjusted by age, gender and year of diagnosis, exposure to herbicides of the phenoxyacetic acid type yielded statistically significant increased risk with odds ratio (OR) = 1.9, 95% confidence interval CI) = 1.4–2.5. The herbicide glyphosate gave OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.3–3.8. Impregnating agents increased the risk. No clear dose-response effect was seen. OR was highest in the >10–20 years latency group for herbicides and impregnating agents. In the multivariate analysis including main pesticide groups, statistically significant increased risk was found for herbicides, OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.2–2.1 and impregnating agents with OR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.1–1.8. This analysis confirmed an association between NHL including HCL and exposure to certain herbicides.

The MOBI-Kids case-control study on wireless phone use and brain tumor risk in childhood and adolescence included the age group 10–24 years diagnosed between 2010 and 2015. Overall no increased risk was found although for brain tumors in the temporal region an increased risk was found in the age groups 10–14 and 20–24 years. Most odds ratios (ORs) in MOBI-Kids were <1.0, some statistically significant, suggestive of a preventive effect from RF radiation; however, this is in contrast to current knowledge about radiofrequency (RF) carcinogenesis. The MOBI-Kids results are not biologically plausible and indicate that the study was flawed due to methodological problems. For example, not all brain tumor cases were included since central localization was excluded. Instead, all brain tumor cases should have been included regardless of histopathology and anatomical localization. Only surgical controls with appendicitis were used instead of population-based controls from the same geographical area as for the cases. In fact, increased incidence of appendicitis has been postulated to be associated with RF radiation which makes selection of control group in MOBI-Kids questionable. Start of wireless phone use up to 10 years before diagnosis was in some analyses included in the unexposed group. Thus, any important results demonstrating late carcinogenesis, a promoter effect, have been omitted from analysis and may underestimate true risks. Linear trend was in some analyses statistically significant in the calculation of RF-specific energy and extremely low frequency (ELF)-induced current in the center of gravity of the tumor. Additional case-case analysis should have been performed. The data from this study should be reanalyzed using unconditional regression analysis adjusted for potential confounding factors to increase statistical power. Then all responding cases and controls could be included in the analyses. In sum, we believe the results as reported in this paper seem uninterpretable and should be dismissed.

The present study aimed to characterize the wireless infrastructure and public exposure to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields, including the sub‑millimeter wave 5G, in the city center of Columbia, SC, USA. A downtown measurement route was designed to cover popular outdoor areas, including business, recreational and shopping areas. The route was measured five times during different days and times. An exposimeter, was used to cover all the main civilian wireless broadcasting and downlink sources in frequencies 88‑5,850 MHz. The measurement route at the streets and squares calculated 1.240 V/m as a mean exposure (total as a sum of all frequency bands) and 6.867 V/m as all times maximum. The most common contributors to the exposure budget were bands FM US, 14DL, 27DL, 25DL and 66DL - mainly indicating 4G. The exposure levels were found to be 12‑16% lower during weekends as compared to business hours (P<0.001). The spatial analysis of the field distribution revealed 15‑20 hotspot areas. A number of hotspots were found where cell phone base station antennas were mounted on top of the utility poles and therefore positioned at low levels, close to street level. On the whole, the findings of the present study suggest that cell phone base station antennas should be distinct and noticeable, as this would assist individuals who need to limit their exposure by distancing themselves from RF sources.

A previously healthy worker developed symptoms assigned to electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) after moving to an office with exposure to high levels of anthropogenic electromagnetic fields (EMFs). These symptoms consisted of e.g. headache, arthralgia, tinnitus, dizziness, memory loss, fatique, insomnia, transitory cardiovascular abnormalities, and skin lesions. Most of the symptoms were alleviated after 2 weeks sick leave. The highest radiofrequency (RF) field level at the working place was 1.72 V/m (7,852 μW/m²). Maximum value for extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) from electric power at 50 Hz was measured to 285 nT (mean 241 nT). For electric train ELF-EMF at 16.7 Hz was measured to 383 nT (mean 76 nT). Exposure to EMFs at the working place could be the cause for developing EHS related symptoms. The association was strengthened by the symptom reduction outside the working place.

Clinical research aiming at objectively identifying and characterizing diseases via clinical observations and biological and radiological findings is a critical initial research step when establishing objective diagnostic criteria and treatments. Failure to first define such diagnostic criteria may lead research on pathogenesis and etiology to serious confounding biases and erroneous medical interpretations. This is particularly the case for electrohypersensitivity (EHS) and more particularly for the so-called “provocation tests”, which do not investigate the causal origin of EHS but rather the EHS-associated particular environmental intolerance state with hypersensitivity to man-made electromagnetic fields (EMF). However, because those tests depend on multiple EMF-associated physical and biological parameters and have been conducted in patients without having first defined EHS objectively and/or endpoints adequately, they cannot presently be considered to be valid pathogenesis research methodologies. Consequently, the negative results obtained by these tests do not preclude a role of EMF exposure as a symptomatic trigger in EHS patients. Moreover, there is no proof that EHS symptoms or EHS itself are caused by psychosomatic or nocebo effects. This international consensus report pleads for the acknowledgement of EHS as a distinct neuropathological disorder and for its inclusion in the WHO International Classification of Diseases.