Subjective pollution due to mobile phone antennas and power lines
There are people who are convinced that electromagnetic fields from mobile phone antennas and power lines can cause sleep disturbances, headaches or cardiovascular symptoms or have already experienced such effects. However, there are still no definitive findings that indicate whether these symptoms are in fact attributable to electromagnetic fields.
Some people are troubled merely by the presence of mobile phone antennas or power lines in the vicinity of their home, even though they do not feel any negative effects on their health, and this, too, may be perceived as a form of disturbance.
impossible to evaluate
impossible to evaluate
In 2019, 23% of the population felt "rather disturbed" or "very disturbed" by mobile phone antennas or power lines at home. In 2015, the figure was only 10%, i.e. the subjective exposure has increased significantly over the last four years. Another survey in 2015 showed that radiation disturbed far more people than optics (gfs-zürich: Univox Umwelt).
Given that this is a self-reported disturbing effect and the actual impact of the radiation is unknown, it is not possible to evaluate either the state or development of this indicator.
- Related indicators
- Feared health risks associated with mobile communications
The data are based on a survey „Wahrnehmung von Umweltqualität und Umweltverhalten“ carried out by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). It was conducted by telephone and encompassed a broad variety of aspects of environmental pollution, awareness of the environment, ecologically-relevant behaviour and lifestyle. The random sample (N=3030) complies with the principle of representativeness.
This indicator includes all those surveyed who felt rather disturbed or greatly disturbed by mobile phone antennas or power lines at home (answers 3 and 4 on a scale of 1: "not at all disturbed" to 5: "greatly disturbed").
| Targeted trend | Initial value | Final value | Variation in % | Observed trend | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decrease | 2011 | 2019 | 138.46% | Growth | negative |
Further information
