Radio-frequency radiation safety and health: Hypersensitivity to mobile phones and subjective symptoms

Several months ago, the summary of a Workshop on “Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity” was made available on the World Health Organization's EMF project Web site [1]. In addition to the World Health Organization, the meeting was cosponsored by the European Commission Coordinated Action EMF-NET, the European Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST 281), and the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic. The report concluded that electromagnetic hypersensitivity is “characterized by a variety of nonspecific symptoms that differ from individual to individual. The symptoms are certainly real and can vary widely in their severity. For some individuals the symptoms can change their lifestyle.” Moreover, it had suggested that there are also “some indications that these symptoms may be due to pre-existing psychiatric conditions as well as stress reactions as a result of worrying about believed electromagnetic health effects, rather than the electromagnetic exposure itself.”