Environmental Impact of Radiofrequency Fields from Mobile Phone Base Stations

Abstract

This review examines the potential environmental impact of radiofrequency (RF) fields emitted by mobile phone base station antennas and other sources of RF radiation. Overall, many alarming investigations were found but most are characterised by severe methodological shortcomings. For this reason these studies do not provide any evidence that observed biological effects are associated with exposure to the electromagnetic fields. So far, the studies do not prove that environmental exposures to mobile phone base station radiation (and other environmental RF exposures) are harmful to wildlife.

KEY WORDS:

• biological effect
• environment
• mobile phone
• radiofrequency radiation

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author would like to sincerely thank Ir. Willy Pirard (ISSeP, Liège) for his numerous and valuable comments with respect to the technical aspects and critics formulated on many of the published works. The present review was only possible with his invaluable help.