Biological Effects of Mobile Phone Use – Overview –

The German Mobile Telecommunication Research Programme (DMF) was carried out from 2002 to 2008 in the light of public concern over possible health effects of high-frequency electromagnetic fields below applicable limit values and in the context of increasing mobile phone usage. The programme comprised a total of 54 research projects in biology, epidemiology, dosimetry and risk communication.

At the Final Conference of the German Mobile Telecommunication Research Programme, held in June 2008, the SSK presented an evaluation of the 36 final reports that were available by April 2008 from the 54 DMF research projects. Afterwards the BMU asked the SSK to prepare an additional evaluation of the 18 research projects in biology, epidemiology and dosimetry that had not been completed at that time. The present statement, which is based on this evaluation and incorporates the findings reported in the SSK statement of 2008, summarizes and assesses the current state of knowledge on the biological effects of mobile phone use. It also includes findings from other national and international research programmes and from publications that have appeared since then.