Health Effects of Base Transceiver Station (BTS) Antennae Exposure on Human

Background: The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) exposure on humans, due to its potential health hazards, become the focus of interest since many years ago. In recent years, use of mobile phone has drastically increased the amount of human exposition from the microwaves (MWs) radiation in everyday life. The mobile phone exposure has been shown to have many effects upon the immune functions, stimulating hormones, mammalian brain, sperm motility and morphology, and neurological pathologies syndrome. In addition, protection questions and biological effects are among growing concerns which have remained largely unanswered. The aim of this study was to find out the psychological and psychobiological reactions of the people who are living near mobile phone base transceiver stations (BTS) antenna. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in two cities (Isfahan and Hamadan) of iran. The inhabitants were requested to complete a standardized questionnaire that focused on the relevant psychologically and psychobiologically reactions parameters. The questionnaire was also consisted of age and sex of the subjects, distances from BTS antenna and their location in relation to the antennas. In addition, the exposure conditions of subjects were defined by the length of time living near the BTS antenna. Statistical analysis was done using the Chi-square test with Yates correction. Results: The results showed that, most of the symptoms such as nausea, headache, dizziness, irritability, discomfort, nervousness, depression, sleep disturbance, memory loss, lowering of libido were statistically significant in the inhabitants living near the BTS antenna ( 300 m distances) compared to those living far from the BTS antenna ( 300 m). Results also showed that, the mobile phone BTS antenna may have health effects on inhabitants living near the station (5300 m distances). Conclusion: It was suggested that cellular phone BTS antenna should not be sited closer than 300 m to populations in order to minimize exposure of neighbors. Of course, more accurate follow-up studies in larger series and more cities by considering more psychological and psychobiological reactions are needed for the evaluation of the effects of the BTS antennae.