Changes in tympanic temperature during the exposure to electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phone

Objective: Mobile phones generate microwave radiation which is absorbed by exposed tissue and converted into heat. It may cause detrimental health effects. The aim of the experiment was to check if exposure to EMF emitted by mobile phone influenced the tympanic temperature. Material and Methods: Human volunteer study was performed on ten healthy young men, aged 22.1±4.7 years, examined three times: 1. on a day with 2×60 min of no exposure (sham day), 2. on a day with continuous, 60 min exposure and 60 min of no exposure, 3. on a day with intermittent exposure (4×15 min “on” and 4×15 min “off”). Exposure was generated by mobile phone (frequency 900 MHz, SAR 1.23 W/kg). The study was double-blind, performed under controlled conditions (at 24°C and 70% humidity). The tympanic temperature (Tty) was monitored every 10 sec by a thermistor probe placed close to the aural canal membrane in the ear opposite the one in contact with mobile phone (contralateral position). Multivariate repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to calculate the results. Results: The mean Tty in the whole group during continuous exposure was significantly higher than during sham exposure (p = 0.0001). During intermittent exposure the temperature was lower than during sham day (difference was up to 0.11°C). Within an hour after continuous exposure, Tty was higher by 0.03°C and after intermittent exposure Tty was lower by 0.18°C in comparison with sham day. Two hours after exposure Tty was significantly lower (p = 0.0001) than after sham exposure (0.06°C and 0.26°C respectively). The trends in Tty during experiment differed significantly in relation to exposure conditions (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results of this analysis indicate that the physiological response to EMF exposure from mobile phone was mostly related to type of exposure (continuous or intermittent).