Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC (전자공학회논문지SC)

The Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers (대한전자공학회)
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Subjective Symptoms and Physiological Changes of RF Exposure by a Cellular Phone

휴대전화 전자파에 의한 자각증상 및 생리학적 변화

  • Hong, Hyun-Ki (Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University) ;
  • Ji, Hyo-Chul (Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering, Yonsei University) ;
  • Kim, Soo-Chan (Graduate school of Bio & Information Technology, Hankyung National University) ;
  • Kim, Deok-Won (Dept. of Medical Engineering, College of Medicine, Yonsei University)
  • 홍현기 (연세대학교 생체공학협동과정) ;
  • 지효철 (연세대학교 생체공학협동과정) ;
  • 김수찬 (한경대학교 생물.정보통신전문대학원) ;
  • 김덕원 (연세대학교 의과대학 의학공학교실)
  • Published : 2008.05.25
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Abstract

Due to the fast increase in cellular phone users, public interest on health effect of electromagnetic fields(EMFs) by cellular phonos is gradually increasing. Some EHS(electromagnetic hypersensitivity) patients complain of psycho-neurophysiological symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, memory loss resulting from RF radiation by CDMA cellular phones. However, EHS is difficult to diagnose and depends on the individual's subjective judgement. And we don't know clearly if the cause of EHS is uneasiness or real exposure. There have been various EHS volunteer studies on heart rate, blood pressure and subjective symptoms using GSM phones. But there are few studies on experimental case-control study investigating physiological parameters, subjective symptoms, and perception of EMFs. In this study, two volunteer groups of 17 self-declared EHS and 19 controls were exposed to both sham and real RF exposure by CDMA cellular phones for half an hour each. We investigated not only the physiological parameters such as heart rates, respiration rates and HRVs(hear rate variability), but also the perception of EMFs and subjective symptoms. As the results, EMF exposure did not have any effects on the subjective symptoms or physiological parameters for both groups. For the EMF perception, there was no evidence that EHS group perceived the EMFs correctly than the control group.

최근 휴대폰 보급률이 증가하면서 휴대폰 전자파로 인해 두통, 불면증, 단기간의 기억력 소실 등의 정신 신경 생리학적 증상을 호소하는 휴대폰 전자파 과민증(EHS, Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity) 환자들이 나타나고 있다. 그러나 휴대폰 전자파 과민반응의 원인이 막연한 불안감 때문인지 혹은 전자파 노출로 인한 증상 인지에 대하여 확실한 원인규명이 되지 않고 있다. GSM 방식의 휴대폰의 경우 전자파 노출 시 EHS 군을 대상으로 혈압, 맥박수 변화 및 자각 증상 등의 과민 반응에 대한 연구들이 수행되었으나 일반인과 EHS 군의 실험-대조군 연구로 생체신호, 자각증상 및 전자파 인지 여부에 대한 복합적인 연구와 CDMA 휴대폰 EHS 연구는 거의 없는 실정이다. 본 연구에서는 일반인 19명과 EHS 17명을 대상으로 30분간 300 mW의 CDMA 휴대폰 전자파에 노출 시 교감신경의 흥분을 나타내는 맥박, 호흡수, HRV(heart rate variability)의 변화를 측정하고, 전자파 노출 시 전자파 인지여부와 두통, 피로 등의 자각증상을 조사하였다. 그 결과, 일반인과 EHS 군 모두 전자파 노출여부에 따라 맥박, 호흡수, HRV의 변화가 없었고, 자각증상의 차이도 없었다. 전자파 인지 조사 결과 EHS 군이 일반인 군에 비하여 전자파를 더 잘 인지한다고 볼 수 없었다.

Keywords

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