Novel exposure units for at-home personalized testing of electromagnetic sensibility

Anke Huss; Manuel Murbach; Imke van Moorselaar; Niels Kuster; Rob van Strien; Hans Kromhout; Roel Vermeulen; Pauline Slottje

doi:10.1002/bem.21943

Novel exposure units for at-home personalized testing of electromagnetic sensibility

Anke Huss, Manuel Murbach, Imke van Moorselaar, Niels Kuster, Rob van Strien, Hans Kromhout, Roel Vermeulen, Pauline Slottje

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Previous experimental studies on electromagnetic hypersensitivity have been criticized regarding inflexibility of choice of exposure and of study locations. We developed and tested novel portable exposure units that can generate different output levels of various extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF; 50 Hz field plus harmonics) and radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF). Testing was done with a group of healthy volunteers (n = 25 for 5 ELF-MF and n = 25 for 5 RF-EMF signals) to assess if units were indeed able to produce double-blind exposure conditions. Results substantiated that double-blind conditions were met; on average participants scored 50.6% of conditions correct on the ELF-MF, and 50.0% on the RF-EMF unit, which corresponds to guessing probability. No cues as to exposure conditions were reported. We aim to use these units in a future experiment with subjects who wish to test their personal hypothesis of being able to sense or experience when being exposed to EMF. The new units allow for a high degree of flexibility regarding choice of applied electromagnetic signal, output power level and location (at home or another environment of subjects' choosing). Bioelectromagnetics. 37:62-68, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	62-8
Number of pages	7
Journal	Bioelectromagnetics
Volume	37
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/bem.21943
Publication status	Published - Jan 2016

Keywords

radiofrequency electromagnetic fields
electromagnetic sensibility
electromagnetic hypersensitivity

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10.1002/bem.21943

Novel exposureFinal published version, 293 KBLicence: Taverne

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title = "Novel exposure units for at-home personalized testing of electromagnetic sensibility",

abstract = "Previous experimental studies on electromagnetic hypersensitivity have been criticized regarding inflexibility of choice of exposure and of study locations. We developed and tested novel portable exposure units that can generate different output levels of various extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF; 50 Hz field plus harmonics) and radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF). Testing was done with a group of healthy volunteers (n = 25 for 5 ELF-MF and n = 25 for 5 RF-EMF signals) to assess if units were indeed able to produce double-blind exposure conditions. Results substantiated that double-blind conditions were met; on average participants scored 50.6% of conditions correct on the ELF-MF, and 50.0% on the RF-EMF unit, which corresponds to guessing probability. No cues as to exposure conditions were reported. We aim to use these units in a future experiment with subjects who wish to test their personal hypothesis of being able to sense or experience when being exposed to EMF. The new units allow for a high degree of flexibility regarding choice of applied electromagnetic signal, output power level and location (at home or another environment of subjects' choosing). Bioelectromagnetics. 37:62-68, 2016. {\textcopyright} 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.",

keywords = "radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic sensibility, electromagnetic hypersensitivity",

author = "Anke Huss and Manuel Murbach and {van Moorselaar}, Imke and Niels Kuster and {van Strien}, Rob and Hans Kromhout and Roel Vermeulen and Pauline Slottje",

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year = "2016",

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doi = "10.1002/bem.21943",

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AU - Huss, Anke

AU - Murbach, Manuel

AU - van Moorselaar, Imke

AU - Kuster, Niels

AU - van Strien, Rob

AU - Kromhout, Hans

AU - Vermeulen, Roel

AU - Slottje, Pauline

PY - 2016/1

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N2 - Previous experimental studies on electromagnetic hypersensitivity have been criticized regarding inflexibility of choice of exposure and of study locations. We developed and tested novel portable exposure units that can generate different output levels of various extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF; 50 Hz field plus harmonics) and radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF). Testing was done with a group of healthy volunteers (n = 25 for 5 ELF-MF and n = 25 for 5 RF-EMF signals) to assess if units were indeed able to produce double-blind exposure conditions. Results substantiated that double-blind conditions were met; on average participants scored 50.6% of conditions correct on the ELF-MF, and 50.0% on the RF-EMF unit, which corresponds to guessing probability. No cues as to exposure conditions were reported. We aim to use these units in a future experiment with subjects who wish to test their personal hypothesis of being able to sense or experience when being exposed to EMF. The new units allow for a high degree of flexibility regarding choice of applied electromagnetic signal, output power level and location (at home or another environment of subjects' choosing). Bioelectromagnetics. 37:62-68, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

AB - Previous experimental studies on electromagnetic hypersensitivity have been criticized regarding inflexibility of choice of exposure and of study locations. We developed and tested novel portable exposure units that can generate different output levels of various extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF; 50 Hz field plus harmonics) and radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF). Testing was done with a group of healthy volunteers (n = 25 for 5 ELF-MF and n = 25 for 5 RF-EMF signals) to assess if units were indeed able to produce double-blind exposure conditions. Results substantiated that double-blind conditions were met; on average participants scored 50.6% of conditions correct on the ELF-MF, and 50.0% on the RF-EMF unit, which corresponds to guessing probability. No cues as to exposure conditions were reported. We aim to use these units in a future experiment with subjects who wish to test their personal hypothesis of being able to sense or experience when being exposed to EMF. The new units allow for a high degree of flexibility regarding choice of applied electromagnetic signal, output power level and location (at home or another environment of subjects' choosing). Bioelectromagnetics. 37:62-68, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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KW - electromagnetic hypersensitivity

U2 - 10.1002/bem.21943

DO - 10.1002/bem.21943

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JO - Bioelectromagnetics

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Novel exposure units for at-home personalized testing of electromagnetic sensibility

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Keywords

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