Temporal change of outdoor RF-EMF levels in four European countries: a microenvironmental measurement study.

Introduction: Over the past two decades, the amount of transmitted mobile data has increased rapidly. It is unknown whether the implementation of the new technologies enabling this has resulted in changes of outdoor radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) exposure. Therefore, microenvironmental measurements were used to investigate temporal trends in RF-EMF exposure between 2016 and 2023, in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium and Spain, following a similar protocol across campaigns.

Associations between airborne pollen, pollen-related allergic rhinitis and blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) due to pollen affects an estimated 18% of adults globally, but is often trivialized. While there is evidence for an association between high pollen exposure and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, as well as multiple plausible mechanisms suggesting pathways via blood pressure (BP) elevation, no overview exists to date. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to investigate whether 1) pollen-related AR and 2) exposure to airborne pollen are associated with BP and/or hypertension.

Associations between ambient pollen exposure and measures of cognitive performance.

Background: Prior research suggests pollen allergies may be associated with cognitive function, although the effect sizes and specific cognitive outcomes varied across studies. With pollen seasons starting earlier and intensifying due to climate change, understanding the effects of pollen exposure on cognition is increasingly relevant. This study investigated the relationship between ambient pollen exposure and cognitive performance in Swiss adults.

Spatiotemporal modelling of airborne birch and grass pollen concentration across Switzerland: A comparison of statistical, machine learning and ensemble methods.

Background: Statistical and machine learning models are commonly used to estimate spatial and temporal variability in exposure to environmental stressors, supporting epidemiological studies. We aimed to compare the performances, strengths and limitations of six different algorithms in the retrospective spatiotemporal modeling of daily birch and grass pollen concentrations at a spatial resolution of 1 km across Switzerland.

Methods: Daily birch and grass pollen concentrations were available from 14 measurement sites in Switzerland for 2000-2019.

Ambient pollen exposure and pollen allergy symptom severity in the EPOCHAL study.

Background: Ambient pollen exposure causes nasal, ocular, and pulmonary symptoms in allergic individuals, but the shape of the exposure-response association is not well characterized. We evaluated this association and determined (1) whether symptom severity differs between subpopulations; (2) how the association changes over the course of the pollen season; and (3) which pollen exposure time lags affect symptoms.

Methods: Adult study participants (n = 396) repeatedly scored severity of nasal, ocular, and pulmonary allergic symptoms, resulting in three composite symptom scores.

Estimation of historical daily airborne pollen concentrations across Switzerland using a spatio temporal random forest model.

High concentrations of airborne pollen trigger seasonal allergies and possibly more severe adverse respiratory and cardiovascular health events. Predicting pollen concentration accurately is valuable for epidemiological studies, in order to study the effects of pollen exposure. We aimed to develop a spatiotemporal machine learning model predicting daily pollen concentrations at a spatial resolution of 1 × 1 km across Switzerland between 2000 and 2019.

The association between real-life markers of phone use and cognitive performance, health-related quality of life and sleep.

Introduction: The real-life short-term implications of electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) on cognitive performance and health-related quality of life have not been well studied. The SPUTNIC study (Study Panel on Upcoming Technologies to study Non-Ionizing radiation and Cognition) aimed to investigate possible correlations between mobile phone radiation and human health, including cognition, health-related quality of life and sleep.

Methods: Adult participants tracked various daily markers of RF-EMF exposures (cordless calls, mobile calls, and mobile screen time 4 h prior to each assessment) as well as three health outcomes over ten study days: 1) cognitive performance, 2) health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and 3) sleep duration and quality.

Modelling of daily radiofrequency electromagnetic field dose for a prospective adolescent cohort.

Introduction: Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields originate from a variety of wireless communication sources operating near and far from the body, making it challenging to quantify daily absorbed dose. In the framework of the prospective cohort SCAMP (Study of Cognition, Adolescents and Mobile Phones), we aimed to characterize RF-EMF dose over a 2-year period.

Methods: The SCAMP cohort included 6605 children from greater London, UK at baseline (age 12.

Personal radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure of adolescents in the Greater London area in the SCAMP cohort and the association with restrictions on permitted use of mobile communication technologies at school and at home.

Personal measurements of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) have been used in several studies to characterise personal exposure in daily life, but such data are limitedly available for adolescents, and not yet for the United Kingdom (UK). In this study, we aimed to characterise personal exposure to RF-EMF in adolescents and to study the association between exposure and rules applied at school and at home to restrict wireless communication use, likely implemented to reduce other effects of mobile technology (e.g.

Pollen exposure is associated with risk of respiratory symptoms during the first year of life.

Background: Pollen exposure is associated with respiratory symptoms in children and adults. However, the association of pollen exposure with respiratory symptoms during infancy, a particularly vulnerable period, remains unclear. We examined whether pollen exposure is associated with respiratory symptoms in infants and whether maternal atopy, infant's sex or air pollution modifies this association.

Estimated all-day and evening whole-brain radiofrequency electromagnetic fields doses, and sleep in preadolescents.

Objective: To investigate the association of estimated all-day and evening whole-brain radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) doses with sleep disturbances and objective sleep measures in preadolescents.

Methods: We included preadolescents aged 9-12 years from two population-based birth cohorts, the Dutch Generation R Study (n = 974) and the Spanish INfancia y Medio Ambiente Project (n = 868). All-day and evening overall whole-brain RF-EMF doses (mJ/kg/day) were estimated for several RF-EMF sources including mobile and Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) phone calls (named phone calls), other mobile phone uses, tablet use, laptop use (named screen activities), and far-field sources.

Rationale and Design of a Panel Study Investigating Six Health Effects of Airborne Pollen: The EPOCHAL Study.

While airborne pollen is widely recognized as a seasonal cause of sneezing and itchy eyes, its effects on pulmonary function, cardiovascular health, sleep quality, and cognitive performance are less well-established. It is likely that the public health impact of pollen may increase in the future due to a higher population prevalence of pollen sensitization as well as earlier, longer, and more intense pollen seasons, trends attributed to climate change. The effects of pollen on health outcomes have previously been studied through cross-sectional design or at two time points, namely preceding and within the period of pollen exposure.

Exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields: Comparison of exposimeters with a novel body-worn distributed meter.

Background: Exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) is often measured with personal exposimeters, but the accuracy of measurements can be hampered as carrying the devices on-body may result in body shielding. Further, the compact design may compromise the frequency selectivity of the sensor. The aim of this study was to compare measurements obtained using a multi-band body-worn distributed-exposimeter (BWDM) with two commercially available personal exposimeters (ExpoM-RF and EmeSpy 200) under real-life conditions.

Multi-decade changes in pollen season onset, duration, and intensity: A concern for public health?

Longitudinal shifts in pollen onset, duration, and intensity are public health concerns for the growing number of individuals with pollen sensitization. National analyses of long-term pollen changes are influenced by how a plant's main pollen season (MPS) is defined. Prior Swiss studies have inconsistently applied MPS definitions, leading to heterogeneous conclusions regarding the magnitude, directionality, and significance of multi-decade pollen trends.

Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from mobile communication: Description of modeled dose in brain regions and the body in European children and adolescents.

Background: Little is known about radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF) from mobile technology and resulting dose in young people. We describe modeled integrated RF dose in European children and adolescents combining own mobile device use and surrounding sources.

Methods: Using an integrated RF model, we estimated the daily RF dose in the brain (whole-brain, cerebellum, frontal lobe, midbrain, occipital lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobes) and the whole-body in 8358 children (ages 8-12) and adolescents (ages 14-18) from the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland during 2012-2016.

Association of activities related to pesticide exposure on headache severity and neurodevelopment of school-children in the rural agricultural farmlands of the Western Cape of South Africa.

Objective: Children and adolescents living in agricultural areas are likely to be exposed to mixtures of pesticides during their daily activities, which may impair their neurodevelopment. We investigated various such activities in relation to headache severity and neurodevelopment of school-children living in rural agricultural areas in the Western Cape of South Africa.

Method: We used baseline date from 1001 school-children of the Child Health Agricultural Pesticide Cohort Study in South Africa (CapSA) aged 9-16 from seven schools and three agriculture areas in the Western Cape.

Different aspects of electronic media use, symptoms and neurocognitive outcomes of children and adolescents in the rural Western Cape region of South Africa.

Background: Electronic media use is increasing in low- and middle-income countries, thus we aim to investigate the prevalence of different aspects of e-media use and its association to symptoms and neurocognitive outcomes in rural South Africa.

Methods: In the cohort study, "Child health Agricultural Pesticide study in South Africa (CapSA)", of 1001 children and adolescents, aged 9-16 years, we enquired at baseline about the following aspects of e-media use: (1) call duration (2) total screen time (3) night-time awakenings from mobile phone use, and (4) Mobile Phone Problematic Use. Four health outcomes were included: sleep disturbance, health related quality of life (HRQoL), headaches and cognitive performance, assessed through six tests on domains of attention, memory and processing speed, using the iPad-based software, CAmbridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB).

A real-world quality assessment study in six ExpoM-RF measurement devices.

Exposimeters measuring radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) are commonly used to assess personal exposure to RF-EMF in real-life environments. They are usually calibrated in an anechoic chamber using single, well-defined signals such as the center frequency of each band, and standardized orientations, but it is not clear how different devices compare in the real environment where complex mixtures of signals from all directions are present. We thus tested the comparability of six ExpoM-RF exposimeters before and after calibration in an anechoic chamber by varying their position and orientation while repeatedly measuring 15 microenvironments (9 walking routes, 4 tram routes and 2 bus routes) on 6 different days.

Public exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields in everyday microenvironments: An updated systematic review for Europe.

Communication technologies are rapidly changing and this may affect public exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF). This systematic review of literature aims to update a previous review on public everyday RF-EMF exposure in Europe, which covered publications until 2015. From 144 eligible records identified by means of a systematic search in PubMed, Embase and Web of Knowledge databases, published between May 2015 and 1 July 2018, 26 records met the inclusion criteria.

Assessment of radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure from personal measurements considering the body shadowing effect in Korean children and parents.

We aimed to assess the personal radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure levels of children and adults through their activities, with consideration to the body shadowing effect. We recruited 50 child-adult pairs, living in Seoul, Cheonan, and Ulsan, South Korea. RF-EMF measurements were performed between September and December 2016, using a portable exposure meter tailored to capture 14 Korean radiofrequency (RF) bands ranging from 87.

Dealing with crosstalk in electromagnetic field measurements of portable devices.

Portable devices measuring radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) are affected by crosstalk: signals originating in one frequency band that are unintentionally registered in another. If this is not corrected, total exposure to RF-EMF is biased, particularly affecting closely spaced frequency bands such as GSM 1800 downlink (1,805-1,880 MHz), DECT (1,880-1,900 MHz), and UMTS uplink (1,920-1,980 MHz). This study presents an approach to detect and correct crosstalk in RF-EMF measurements, taking into account the real-life setting in which crosstalk is intermittently present, depending on the exact frequency of the signal.

Personal exposure to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields in Europe: Is there a generation gap?

Background: Exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) from mobile communication technologies is changing rapidly. To characterize sources and associated variability, we studied the differences and correlations in exposure patterns between children aged 8 to 18 and their parents, over the course of the day, by age, by activity pattern, and for different metrics of exposure.

Methods: Using portable RF-EMF measurement devices, we collected simultaneous real-time personal measurements of RF-EMF over 24 to 72 h in 294 parent-child pairs from Denmark, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Spain.

Modelling the vertical gradient of nitrogen dioxide in an urban area.

Introduction: Land use regression models environmental predictors to estimate ground-floor air pollution concentration surfaces of a study area. While many cities are expanding vertically, such models typically ignore the vertical dimension.

Methods: We took integrated measurements of NO at up to three different floors on the facades of 25 buildings in the mid-sized European city of Basel, Switzerland.