La “sindrome da microonde” presa sul serio dai sovietici e sottovalutata dall’occidente

Riassunto

Le apparecchiature per la generazione di microonde divennero comuni per la prima volta durante la seconda guerra mondiale con lo sviluppo del radar. 

I paesi del blocco sovietico hanno riferito che gli individui esposti alle microonde hanno spesso sviluppato mal di testa, affaticamento, perdita di appetito, sonnolenza, difficoltà di concentrazione, scarsa memoria, instabilità emotiva e funzione cardiovascolare labile e hanno stabilito standard di esposizione rigorosi. 

Per una serie di ragioni, questi rapporti sono stati scartati nei paesi occidentali, dove la convinzione prevalente era che non potessero esserci effetti negativi sulla salute dei campi elettromagnetici (EMF) che non fossero mediati dal riscaldamento dei tessuti.

Gli effetti sovietici riportati erano a intensità inferiori rispetto a quelli che causano il riscaldamento. Tuttavia, ci sono state diverse esposizioni accidentali di operatori radar nei paesi occidentali che hanno provocato sintomi persistenti simili a quelli sopra descritti. I sovietici hanno irradiato l’ambasciata degli Stati Uniti a Mosca con microonde durante il periodo 1953-1975 e, sebbene non siano state riportate prove convincenti di tassi di cancro elevati, ci sono state segnalazioni di “malattie da microonde”. 

I funzionari hanno passato queste denunce come dovute all’ansia, non agli effetti dell’esposizione alle microonde. Vi sono prove crescenti che la “sindrome da microonde” o “elettro-ipersensibilità” (EHS) è una vera malattia causata dall’esposizione ai campi elettromagnetici, in particolare quelli nella gamma delle microonde. 

L’incidenza segnalata della sindrome è in aumento insieme alla crescente esposizione ai campi elettromagnetici da elettricità, Wi-Fi, telefoni cellulari e torri, contatori intelligenti e molti altri dispositivi wireless. Perché alcuni individui siano più sensibili non è chiaro. Sebbene la maggior parte delle persone che riferiscono di avere EHS non abbia una storia specifica di esposizione acuta, un’esposizione eccessiva ai campi elettromagnetici, anche per un breve periodo di tempo, può indurre la sindrome.

References

1. World Health Organization. Electromagnetic fields and public health: Electromagnetic hypersensitivity. Available at: http://www.who.int/peh-emf/publications/facts/fs296/en/. Accessed March 30, 2013.Search in Google Scholar

2. Hallberg O, Oberfeld G. Letter to the editor: will we all become electrosensitive? Electromag Biol Med 2006;25:189–91.10.1080/15368370600873377Search in Google Scholar

3. Eltiti S, Wallace D, Ridgewell A, Zoughou K, Russo R, et al. Does short-term exposure to mobile phone base station signals increase symptoms in individuals who report sensitivity to electromagnetic fields? Environ Health Perspect 2007;115:1603–8.10.1289/ehp.10286Search in Google Scholar

4. Eltiti S, Wallace D, Russo R, Fox E. Aggregated data from two double-blind base station provocation studies comparing individuals with idiopathic environmental intolerance with attribution to electromagnetic fields and controls. Bioelectromagnetics 2015;36:96–107.10.1002/bem.21892Search in Google Scholar

5. Rubin GJ, Hillert L, Nieto-Hernandez R, van Rongen E, Oftedal G. Do people with idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields display physiological effects when exposed to electromagnetic fields? A systematic review of provocation studies. Bioelectromagnetics 2011;32:593–609.10.1002/bem.20690Search in Google Scholar

6. Rubin GJ, Nieto-Hernandez R, Wessely S. Idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields (formerly ‘electromagnetic hypersensitivity’): an updated systematic review of provocation studies. Bioelectromagnetics 2010;31:1–11.Search in Google Scholar

7. Rea WJ, Pan Y, Yenyves EJ, Sujisawa I, Samadi N, et al. Electromagnetic field sensitivity. J Bioelect 1991;10:241–56.10.3109/15368379109031410Search in Google Scholar

8. McCarty DE, Carrubba S, Chesson AL, Frilot C, Gonzalex-Toledo E, et al. Electromagnetic hypersensitivity: Evidence for a novel neurological syndrome. Int J Neurosci 2011;121:670–6.10.3109/00207454.2011.608139Search in Google Scholar

9. Röösli M. Symptoms of ill health ascribed to electromagnetic field exposure–a questionnaire survey. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2004;207:141–50.10.1078/1438-4639-00269Search in Google Scholar

10. Lamech F. Self-reporting of symptom development from exposure to radiofrequency fields of wireless smart meters in Victoria, Australia: A case study. Alter Ther 2014;20:28–39.Search in Google Scholar

11. Marha K. Microwave radiation safety standards in Eastern Europe. IEEE Trans Microwave Theory Tech 1971;MTT-19:165–8.10.1109/TMTT.1968.1127478Search in Google Scholar

12. Dodge CH. Clinical and hygienic aspects of exposure to electromagnetic fields: a review of the Soviet and Eastern European literature. 1979. In: Biological Effects and Health Implications of Microwave Radiation, Symposium Proceedings. Richmond, Virginia. BRH/DBE 70–2, PB 193 898.Search in Google Scholar

13. Silverman C. Nervous and behavioral effects of microwave radiation in humans. Am J Epidemiol 1973;97:219–24.10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a121502Search in Google Scholar

14. Frey AH. Behavioral biophysics. Psych Bull 1965;63:322–37.10.1037/h0021698Search in Google Scholar

15. Michaelson SM, Dodge CH. Soviet views on the biological effects of microwaves – An analysis. Health Phys 1971;21:108–11.Search in Google Scholar

16. Pollack H. The microwave syndrome. Bull NY Acad Med 1979;55:1240–3.Search in Google Scholar

17. Silverman C. Epidemiologic studies of microwave effects. Proc IEEE 1980;68:78–85.10.1109/PROC.1980.11585Search in Google Scholar

18. Lillienfeld AM. Practical limitations of epidemiologic methods. Environ Health Perspect 1983;52:3–8.10.1289/ehp.83523Search in Google Scholar

19. Elwood JM. Microwaves in the cold war: the Moscow embassy study and its interpretation. Review of a retrospective cohort study. Environ Health 2012;11:85.10.1186/1476-069X-11-85Search in Google Scholar

20. Johnson-Liakouris AG. Radiofrequency (RF) sickness in the Lillenfeld study: an effect of modulated microwaves? Arch Environ Health 1998;53:236–8.10.1080/00039899809605701Search in Google Scholar

21. Goldsmith JR. Ethical problems arising when the trail of professional work lead to evidence of cover-up of serious risk and misrepresentation of scientific judgement concerning human exposures to radar or microwaves. Eubios J Asian Internat Bioethics 1995;5:92–5.Search in Google Scholar

22. Goldsmith JR. Epidemiologic evidence relevant to radar (microwave) effects. Environ Health Perspect 1997; 105(Suppl 6):1579–87.10.1289/ehp.97105s61579Search in Google Scholar

23. Djordjevic Z, Kolak A, Stojkovic, Rankovic N, Ristic P. A study of the health status of radar workers. Avia Space Environ Med 1979;50:396–8.Search in Google Scholar

24. Williams RA, Webb TS. Exposure to radio-frequency radiation from an aircraft radar unit. Aviat Space Environ Med 1980;51:1243–4.Search in Google Scholar

25. Forman SA, Holmes CK, McManamon TV, Wedding WR. Psychological symptoms and intermittent hypertension following acute microwave exposure. J Occup Med 1982;24:932–4.Search in Google Scholar

26. Schilling CJ. Effects of acute exposure to ultrahigh radiofrequency radiation on three antenna engineers. Occup Environ Med 1997;54:281–4.10.1136/oem.54.4.281Search in Google Scholar

27. Schilling CJ Effects of exposure to very high frequency radiofrequency radiation on six antenna engineers in two separate incidents. Occup Med 2000;50:49–56.10.1093/occmed/50.1.49Search in Google Scholar

28. Reeves GI. Review of extensive workups of 34 patients overexposed to radiofrequency radiation. Aviat, Space Environ Med 2000;71:206–15.Search in Google Scholar

29. Westhoff JL, Roberts BJ, Erickson K. Vehicle-mounted high-power microwave systems and health risk communication in a deployed environment. Mil Med 2013;178:34–6.10.7205/MILMED-D-12-00134Search in Google Scholar

30. Deadman JE, Camus M, Armstrong BG, Heroux P, Cyr D, et al. Occupational and residential 60-Hz electromagnetic fields and high-frequency electric transients: exposure assessments using a new dosimeter. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 1988;49:409–19.10.1080/15298668891379981Search in Google Scholar

31. Deno DW, Carpenter DO. Sources and characteristics of electric and magnetic fields in the environment. In: Carpenter DO, Ayrapetyan S, editors. Biological effects of electric and magnetic fields: sources and mechanisms. Waltham, MA, USA: Academic Press, 1994:3–51.Search in Google Scholar

32. Vignati M, Guiliani L. Radiofrequency exposure near high-voltage lines. Environ Health Perspect 1997;105(Suppl 6):1569–73.10.1289/ehp.97105s61569Search in Google Scholar

33. Milham S, Morgan LL. A new electromagnetic exposure metric: High frequency voltage transients associated with increased cancer incidence in teachers in a California school. Am J Ind Med 2008;51:579–86.10.1002/ajim.20598Search in Google Scholar

34. Cleveland RF Jr. Radiofrequency radiation in the environment: Sources, exposure standards, and related issues. In: Carpenter DO, Ayrapetyan S, editors. Biological effects of electric and magnetic fields: sources and mechanisms. Waltham, MA, USA: Academic Press, 1994:53–81.Search in Google Scholar

35. Urbinello D, Joseph W, Verloock L, Martens L, Röösli M. Temporal trends of radio-frequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure in everyday environments across European cities. Environ Res 2014;134:134–42.10.1016/j.envres.2014.07.003Search in Google Scholar

36. Frey AH. Human auditory system response to modulated electromagnetic energy. J Appl Physiol 1962;17:689–92.10.1152/jappl.1962.17.4.689Search in Google Scholar

37. Frey AH. Brain stem evoked response associated with low-intensity pulsed UHF energy. J Appl Physiol 1967;23:984–8.10.1152/jappl.1967.23.6.984Search in Google Scholar

38. Litovitz TA, Krause D, Penafiel M, Elson EC, Mullins JM. The role of coherence time in the effect of microwaves on ornithine decarboxylase activity. Bioelectromagnetics 1993;14:395–403.10.1002/bem.2250140502Search in Google Scholar

39. Penafiel LM, Litovitz T, Krause D, Desta A, Mullins JM. Role of modulation on the effect of microwaves on ornithine decarboxylase activity in L929 cells. Bioelectromagnetics 1997;18:132–41.10.1002/(SICI)1521-186X(1997)18:2<132::AID-BEM6>3.0.CO;2-3Search in Google Scholar

40. Carpenter DO. Human disease resulting from exposure to electromagnetic fields. Rev Environ Health 2013;28:159–72.10.1515/reveh-2013-0016Search in Google ScholarReceived: 2015-7-8Accepted: 2015-10-7

https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/reveh-2015-0016/html

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26556835/