The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields exposure on tinnitus, migraine and non-specific symptoms in the general and working population: A protocol for a systematic review on human observational studies
Background: Applications emitting radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF; 100 kHz to 300 GHz) are widely used for communication (e.g. mobile phones), in medicine (diathermy) and in industry (RF heaters). Concern has been raised that RF-EMF exposure affects health related quality of life, beca...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Environment International |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021004773 |
| _version_ | 1818662746706673664 |
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| author | Martin Röösli Stefan Dongus Hamed Jalilian Maria Feychting John Eyers Ekpereonne Esu Chioma Moses Oringanje Martin Meremikwu Xavier Bosch-Capblanch |
| author_facet | Martin Röösli Stefan Dongus Hamed Jalilian Maria Feychting John Eyers Ekpereonne Esu Chioma Moses Oringanje Martin Meremikwu Xavier Bosch-Capblanch |
| author_sort | Martin Röösli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Applications emitting radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF; 100 kHz to 300 GHz) are widely used for communication (e.g. mobile phones), in medicine (diathermy) and in industry (RF heaters). Concern has been raised that RF-EMF exposure affects health related quality of life, because a part of the population reports to experience a variety of symptoms related to low exposure levels below regulatory limits. Objectives: To systematically review the effects of longer-term or repeated local and whole human body RF-EMF exposure on the occurrence of symptoms evaluating migraine, tinnitus, headaches, sleep disturbances and composite symptom scores as primary outcomes. Methods: We will follow the WHO handbook for guideline development. For the development of the systematic review protocol we considered handbook for conducting systematic reviews for health effects evaluations from the National Toxicology Program-Office of Health Assessment and Translation (NTP-OHAT) and COSTER (Recommendations for the conduct of systematic reviews in toxicology and environmental health research). Eligibility criteria: Peer-reviewed epidemiological studies in the general population or workers aiming to investigate the association between local or whole-body RF-EMF exposure for at least one week and symptoms are eligible for inclusion. Only cohort, case-control and panel studies will be included. Information sources: We will search the scientific literature databases Medline, Web of Science, PsycInfo, Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos and Embase, using a predefined search strategy. This search will be supplemented by a search in the EMF-Portal and checks of reference lists of relevant papers and reviews. Study appraisal and synthesis method: Data from included papers will be extracted according to predefined forms. Findings will be summarized in tables, graphical displays and in a narrative synthesis of the available evidence, complemented with meta-analyses. We will separately review effects of local, far field and occupational exposure. Risk of bias: The internal validity of included studies will be assessed using the NTP-OHAT Risk of Bias Rating Tool for Human and Animal Studies, elaborated to observational RF-EMF studies. Evidence appraisal: To rate certainty of the evidence, we will use the OHAT GRADE-based approach for epidemiological studies. Framework and funding: This protocol concerns one of the ten different systematic reviews considered in a larger systematic review of the World Health Organization to assess potential health effects of exposure to RF-EMF in the general and working population. Registration: PROSPERO CRD42021239432. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T05:05:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3a2ddb6ced174341be85bfcf8e86b135 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0160-4120 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T05:05:51Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environment International |
| spelling | doaj.art-3a2ddb6ced174341be85bfcf8e86b1352022-12-21T22:02:25ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202021-12-01157106852The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields exposure on tinnitus, migraine and non-specific symptoms in the general and working population: A protocol for a systematic review on human observational studiesMartin Röösli0Stefan Dongus1Hamed Jalilian2Maria Feychting3John Eyers4Ekpereonne Esu5Chioma Moses Oringanje6Martin Meremikwu7Xavier Bosch-Capblanch8Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland; Corresponding author at: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland.Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, CH-4003 Basel, SwitzerlandDepartment of Occupational Health Engineering, Research Center for Environmental Pollutants, Faculty of Health, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, IranUnit of Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SwedenInternational Initiative for Impact Evaluation, 3ie, c/o LIDC, 20 Bloomsbury Square, London WC1A 2NS, United KingdomDepartment of Public Health, College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Calabar, NigeriaDepartment of Biology, College of Art & Sciences, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH, USAFaculty of Medicine, College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Calabar, NigeriaSwiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, CH-4003 Basel, SwitzerlandBackground: Applications emitting radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF; 100 kHz to 300 GHz) are widely used for communication (e.g. mobile phones), in medicine (diathermy) and in industry (RF heaters). Concern has been raised that RF-EMF exposure affects health related quality of life, because a part of the population reports to experience a variety of symptoms related to low exposure levels below regulatory limits. Objectives: To systematically review the effects of longer-term or repeated local and whole human body RF-EMF exposure on the occurrence of symptoms evaluating migraine, tinnitus, headaches, sleep disturbances and composite symptom scores as primary outcomes. Methods: We will follow the WHO handbook for guideline development. For the development of the systematic review protocol we considered handbook for conducting systematic reviews for health effects evaluations from the National Toxicology Program-Office of Health Assessment and Translation (NTP-OHAT) and COSTER (Recommendations for the conduct of systematic reviews in toxicology and environmental health research). Eligibility criteria: Peer-reviewed epidemiological studies in the general population or workers aiming to investigate the association between local or whole-body RF-EMF exposure for at least one week and symptoms are eligible for inclusion. Only cohort, case-control and panel studies will be included. Information sources: We will search the scientific literature databases Medline, Web of Science, PsycInfo, Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos and Embase, using a predefined search strategy. This search will be supplemented by a search in the EMF-Portal and checks of reference lists of relevant papers and reviews. Study appraisal and synthesis method: Data from included papers will be extracted according to predefined forms. Findings will be summarized in tables, graphical displays and in a narrative synthesis of the available evidence, complemented with meta-analyses. We will separately review effects of local, far field and occupational exposure. Risk of bias: The internal validity of included studies will be assessed using the NTP-OHAT Risk of Bias Rating Tool for Human and Animal Studies, elaborated to observational RF-EMF studies. Evidence appraisal: To rate certainty of the evidence, we will use the OHAT GRADE-based approach for epidemiological studies. Framework and funding: This protocol concerns one of the ten different systematic reviews considered in a larger systematic review of the World Health Organization to assess potential health effects of exposure to RF-EMF in the general and working population. Registration: PROSPERO CRD42021239432.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021004773MicrowaveNon-specific symptomsSleepHeadacheTinnitusMigraine |
| spellingShingle | Martin Röösli Stefan Dongus Hamed Jalilian Maria Feychting John Eyers Ekpereonne Esu Chioma Moses Oringanje Martin Meremikwu Xavier Bosch-Capblanch The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields exposure on tinnitus, migraine and non-specific symptoms in the general and working population: A protocol for a systematic review on human observational studies Environment International Microwave Non-specific symptoms Sleep Headache Tinnitus Migraine |
| title | The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields exposure on tinnitus, migraine and non-specific symptoms in the general and working population: A protocol for a systematic review on human observational studies |
| title_full | The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields exposure on tinnitus, migraine and non-specific symptoms in the general and working population: A protocol for a systematic review on human observational studies |
| title_fullStr | The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields exposure on tinnitus, migraine and non-specific symptoms in the general and working population: A protocol for a systematic review on human observational studies |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields exposure on tinnitus, migraine and non-specific symptoms in the general and working population: A protocol for a systematic review on human observational studies |
| title_short | The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields exposure on tinnitus, migraine and non-specific symptoms in the general and working population: A protocol for a systematic review on human observational studies |
| title_sort | effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields exposure on tinnitus migraine and non specific symptoms in the general and working population a protocol for a systematic review on human observational studies |
| topic | Microwave Non-specific symptoms Sleep Headache Tinnitus Migraine |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021004773 |
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