Mobile phone induced EMF stress is reversed upon the use of protective devices: results from two experiments testing different boundary conditions

This work examines (a) the impact of electromagnetic fields (EMF) on heart rate variability (HRV), saliva cortisol, arterial blood oxygenation, and tympanic temperature, and (b) the potential effect of protective devices developed to counter EMF-induced stress. In a pilot study, recordings were taken during a 15-min mobile phone call emitting a high burden of EMF (electric, magnetic, high frequency) after a baseline measurement at rest with very low EMF. In a second visit, this was repeated with participants using three protective devices (insoles, pendant, mobile phone chip). In the main study, four experimental arms were employed, two of which replicated the experimental setup of the pilot study, and two of which examined the effect of only one mobile phone chip in an open-hidden-paradigm. In both experiments, exposure to EMF decreased HRV and increased salivary cortisol. In the protective experimental condition, HRV increased above and cortisol decreased below the level of the baseline measures. All differences were large and specific and not modulated by non-specific effects like placebo effects.