Determination of short-interval time estimates in humans exposed to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation

Abstract

Aim: The present study aimed at evaluating the effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation exposure on short-interval time estimates in humans living in the vicinity of base transceiver stations. Methodology: The study was conducted in Phase-1 and Phase-2 with 1281 and 192 subjects, respectively. Four groups with one control were identified in each phase depending on the distance from the ground-based transceiver stations. The cognitive ability of the subjects of each group was determined by measuring short-interval time estimates, namely 10 s, 30 s, and 60 s, with time production and time reproduction methods using the Interval Clock software (Version 2.2). The electric field strength at each participant’s house was determined using the Narda Broadband Meter-550 with a probe EF0-391. Results: ANOVA results demonstrated a statistically significant difference in electric field strength among different zones around the installations of base transceiver stations (F4,1274 = 50.071; p<0.001). It was significantly higher in the inter-tower zone than in all other zones. The prevalence of various clinical problems was higher among the individuals living in the inter-tower zone. ANCOVA results revealed that the main factors zone, gender, and year of residence, did not significantly affect any short-interval time estimates. However, a statistically significant 'time of the day' variation in most of the target short-interval time estimates with both the methods for all the studied groups, except the inter-tower zone, was observed. Interpretation: The radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation emitted from base transceiver stations did not significantly impact the ability to estimate short-time intervals in humans.