A study funded by the British government says mobile phone towers are not harmful to human health.
Lead researcher Elaine Fox, a psychologist at the University of Essex, said short-term exposure to signals from mobile phone towers "is not related to levels of well-being or physical symptoms in these individuals," The Telegraph reported Wednesday.
The study disputes claims that sources of electrical fields can cause a syndrome called electromagnetic hypersensitivity, the British newspaper said.
Fox said some people dropped out of the study because they felt ill. "That's unfortunate but I don't think it undermines the study," she said. "We do know there is a large (scientific) literature that shows if people believe something will do them harm or benefit them, this can cause real biological effects due to the placebo effect."
Symptoms of electromagnetic hypersensitivity include fatigue, headaches, burning sensations and skin problems.
The results were published online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International
