REMBRANDT

Duration

2014-2017

Coordinator

Mònica Guxens (ISGlobal)

Funded by

Instituto de Salud Juan Carlos III. Unión Europea

Background

Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) from mobile phones, cordless phones, their base stations, and WiFi access points have developed into a nearly ubiquitous environmental exposure. Current evidence is not conclusive on potential health effects of RF-EMF, even though physiological and molecular effects of unknown clinical significance have been identified. To date, epidemiological research of brain development from RF-EMF in children is scarce and the WHO identified it as a key research need.

Aim

To assess the association between RF-EMF exposure and brain development during childhood and adolescence.

Methods

The project will use three population-based birth/child cohort studies, the Spanish INMA Project, the Dutch GENERATION R Study, and the Swiss HERMES Study. In the exposure assessment part, the project will characterize mobile phone use and validate the questionnaire data using a smart phone application that records patterns of use and RF-EMF exposure. REMDRANDT will determine residential RF-EMF exposure from mobile phone base stations using a 3D geospatial radio wave propagation model. The team will perform personal RF-EMF exposure surveys in a subsample and estimate mean personal RF-EMF exposure to all children. In the dose-response assessment part, the project will investigate the impact of RF-EMF exposure on cognitive function, behavior problems, sleeping problems, and structural and functional neuroimaging. REMBRANDT will be able to disentangle specific effects of RFEMF exposure from those related to mobile phone usage and those mediated from behaviour or sleeping problems.

Budget

121.359,25 euros.

Este proyecto está cofinanciado por el Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER). “Una manera de hacer Europa”