Effect of acute exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields emitted by a mobile phone (GSM 900 MHz) on electrodermal responsiveness in healthy human

Abstract

Purpose: The present study aimed to determine the effect of acute exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by a mobile phone on electrodermal activity (EDA) in response to an auditory stimulus.

Materials and methods: The EDA of 28 young volunteers was recorded following 26 min of exposure to a GSM mobile phone (900 MHz). Palmar sensors enabled repeat recording of 2 min 45 s in the pre-exposure, exposure and post-exposure phases in response to sound stimuli.

Results: The latency, amplitude of skin conductance responses (SCRs), integral of skin conductance response and number of SCRs in response to the auditory stimuli were not modified by exposure. Skin conductance and tonic activity decomposition of the recorded signal were significantly different between the two sessions (p < .0001), but the changes could not be attributed to EMF exposure. There was also a tendency toward a fast reduction in the amplitude and number of electrodermal responses after placement of the mobile phone. In response to successive stimuli, there was a significant difference between the first response and subsequent responses for all variables except latency.

Conclusions: Our results showed a decrease in the number of responses and their amplitude as a result of placement of the mobile device and whether it was turned ‘on’ or ‘off’, but there were no changes associated with exposure to GSM radiofrequency waves in this group of volunteers.

Keywords:

• Electrodermal activity
• galvanic skin response
• mobile phone
• skin conductance response

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Jean-François Lambert for his precious advice.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was fully funded by Institut National de l’Environnement Industriel et des Risques (INERIS) and the program 190 ‘post-Grenelle’ for the ‘pôle applicatif en Toxicologie et Ecotoxicologie’ of the French Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development.

Notes on contributors

Brahim Selmaoui

Brahim Selmaoui is director of research at the Department of Toxicology, INERIS in Verneuil-en-Halatte, and senior researcher at the Peritox lab in the University of Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens.

Soafara Andrianome

Soafara Andrianome, past PhD student, Department of Toxicology, INERIS.

Rania Ghosn

Rania Ghosn, past PhD student, Department of Toxicology, INERIS.

René de Seze

René de Seze is senior researcher at the Department of Toxicology, INERIS and at the Peritox lab in the University of Picardie Jules Verne.