An idiographic approach to Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance attributed to Electromagnetic Fields (IEI-EMF) Part II. Ecological momentary assessment of three individuals with severe IEI-EMF

Zsuzsanna Dömötör; Gábor Ruzsa; György Thuróczy; Péter P Necz; Steven Nordin; Ferenc Köteles; Renáta Szemerszky

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09421

An idiographic approach to Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance attributed to Electromagnetic Fields (IEI-EMF) Part II. Ecological momentary assessment of three individuals with severe IEI-EMF

Heliyon. 2022 May 14;8(5):e09421. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09421. eCollection 2022 May.

Authors

Zsuzsanna Dömötör¹, Gábor Ruzsa^{2

3}, György Thuróczy⁴, Péter P Necz⁴, Steven Nordin⁵, Ferenc Köteles¹, Renáta Szemerszky¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
² Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
³ Department of Statistics, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary.
⁴ National Public Health Center, National Research Institute for Radiobiology and Radiohygiene, Budapest, Hungary.
⁵ Department of Psychology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.

Abstract

IEI-EMF refers to a self-reported sensitivity characterized by attribution of non-specific physical symptoms to exposure to weak EMFs. The majority of empirical results do not support the existence of a causal relationship between EMF and IEI-EMF. However, this conclusion was drawn from environmental and experimental studies that are not without methodological limitations. In the current study, as part of a complex biopsychosocial approach, an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol was applied for the investigation of the temporal relationship between actual radio frequency (RF) EMF exposure and IEI-EMF, at the individual level. Continuous measurement of autonomic variables by holter electrocardiogram (ECG) monitors and the ambient RF EMF by personal dosimeters, as well as repeated (8/day) paper-and-pencil assessments of momentary internal states (symptoms, mood, perceived EMF intensity) and situational factors was conducted for 21 days with the participation of three individuals with severe IEI-EMF. Temporal relationships were examined by time series analyses. For two participants, the results did not support the association between the suspected EMF frequency range(s) and symptom reports. Nevertheless, the results revealed a reverse association with respect to another frequency range (GSM900 downlink), which contradicts the IEI-EMF condition. Autonomic activation related findings were inconsistent. For the third participant, the claimed association was partly supported, both for symptom reports and autonomic reactions (UMTS downlink, total RF; RMS values). The findings of this study suggest that IEI-EMF does not have a unitary aetiology. For certain individuals, a biophysical background cannot be excluded, whereas no such underlying factor appears to be at work for others. EMA is a useful method for the investigation of the aetiology of IEI-EMF.

Keywords: Electromagnetic hypersensitivity; Non-specific symptoms; Personal dosimetry; Physiology; Temporal relationship; Time series analysis.

Publication types

Case Reports