Short description of the pilot study
Research project "Mastbruch"
(Mastbruch, part of Schloss Neuhaus/Sande, a district of the German town of Paderborn)
|
|
The nation-wide wireless access to all telecommunication services including high-speed internet requested by the German Government and ensured by the telecommunication industry requires the erection of more and more base stations. According to the guidelines of the German Federal Office for Radio Protection, the Government assumes that there is in no way a risk to the health of people, since their exposure is far below the safety limits valid for base stations. Nevertheless, concern is constantly growing in sections of the population that radiation emitted by these stations might damage their health.
The available scientific data regarding a potential health risk for the population through base stations are still extremely poor. To send an all-clear signal based on the current state of knowledge seems to be – after the evaluation of the international research results – not more justified than the statement that there is already proof of adverse health effects. Since obviously nobody cared to investigate possible biological effects of high frequency electromagnetic fields with the necessary accuracy before introducing this technology, that investigation is now urgently required.
We, a team of scientists, have been offered the unique opportunity to carefully examine the health status of the inhabitants of a residential area (Mastbruch, part of Schloss Neuhaus/ Sande, a district of the town of Paderborn) both, before and after a base station is switched on. To do so, we have planned a pilot study which we can start with own funds. However, we are absolutely unable to raise the amount of money for the entire 24-months project. Roughly estimated the total cost will be between 300,000 and 500,000 Euro. Therefore, the realization of the research project will widely be dependent on donations.
With our pilot study we intend to create the prerequisites for a subsequent extensive research project which finally should result in a reliable assessment of the health risk for people living in the vicinity of base stations. For this purpose we will now follow up the state of health of several hundred persons, children as well as adults, for the period of two years. A first examination is to take place before the just erected base station is switched on. Once it is switched on, further 4 to 6 examinations will be carried out in the following 24 months. In detail we plan:
- Measurement and recording of the people’s exposition in the concerned area by the ECOLOG-Institut Hannover before and after the base station has been switched on
Measurements will be done at fixed points so that typical constellations can be recorded. After the base station is switched on, measurements will be done in the housing of all persons involved in the study, to find out whether exposure is high or low. In addition, we plan to record in a subgroup also the exposure during stays outside.
- Recording the subjective health problems with a questionnaireAll inhabitants of research area will fill in a questionnaire listing 36 different symptoms before the base station is switched on, and again in the following 4 to 6 examinations. The questionnaires will be evaluated by the Institut für Umwelthygiene at the Medizinische Universität Wien (MUW).
- Recording of biological parameters
a) To assess genotoxicity, the micronucleus test will be applied for cells of the buccal mucosa. In each examination cells will be taken from participants with a simple scrape. The test will be carried out by the Institut für Krebsforschung and evaluated by the Institut für Umwelthygiene, both at MUW.
b) To further assess genotoxicity, the DNA repair foci in human lymphocytes and/or fibroblasts obtained in each examination by either taking blood samples or a biopsy will be determined. With this highly sensitive new method we can record DNA double strand breaks. The tests will be evaluated by the Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Toxicology at the Stockholm University, further statistical evaluation will be done by the MUW’s Institut für Umwelthygiene.
c) A measurement of the anti-oxidative capacity in the participant’s serum will be carried out because this capacity might be lowered after a long-term stress exposure that theoretically may exist in the vicinity of base stations. A lower anti-oxidative capacity along with a higher oxidative stress is correlated with health disturbances up to diseases of any kind. The test will be carried out by the Institut für Krebsforschung and further statistical evaluation will be done by the Institut für Umwelthygiene, both at MUW.
d) For future investigations such as with the RNA micro array, we plan to deposit a blood sample from each participant using the up-to-date biomedical kryo-preservation. Thus, in years to come research will find a valuable sample bank that will allow further investigations with methods today already under development.
The following scientists will take part in the pilot study that will be coordinated by VERUM – Foundation for Behaviour and Environment:
Prof. Dr. med. Franz Adlkofer, VERUM Foundation, München
Dr. Peter Neitzke, ECOLOG-Institut für sozial-ökologische Forschung und Bildung gGmbH, Hannover
Prof. Dr. med. Wilhelm Mosgoeller, Institut für Krebsforschung, Medizinische Universität Wien
Prof. Dr. med. Michael Kundi, Institut für Umwelthygiene, Medizinische Universität Wien
Dr. Igor Belyaev, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Toxicology, Stockholm University