A radio hole in the middle of the city of Basel. And here, of all places, in the office of the most sought-after experts for mobile phone radiation of Switzerland. Environmental epidemiologist Martin Röösli directs the Federal the Advisory expert group on non-ionising radiation (Berenis) and is a member of the working group of cellular and radiation, whose report is currently being waited for impatiently. As one of the few specialists in the field, he is often in the Public. Mobile opponents, therefore, have no pleasure in him. For them he is “an expert in the service of the mobile company”, the “plays in the media the risks down”. Some speak of the “ambiguous” or even “evil Mr Röösli”.
From the narrow, sparsely furnished office at the Swiss tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) is looking you actually exclusively in the television receiver. Mobile radio antennas in vain. “I wish it would,” says Röösli. The bad reception not only makes the phone Calls demanding. It also gives you massively more radiation: measurements his team have recently shown that in the case of very bad connection for a second produces the same radiation as a week without interruption on the Smartphone with optimum reception. A cellular antenna in the vicinity would Rööslis radiation exposure is greatly reduce.
First a primary school teacher, then a researcher
in Spite of the rays of hell in his office Röösli is relaxed. He knows the international state of the science on health risks of mobile phone radiation. His conclusion has changed in the last few years: There is no evidence of serious risks. In case of intensive use of biological effects can be measured. Whether these lead to impairments of health, however, is very questionable. “Great health effects it would have long since found,” says the environmental scientist.
Röösli has started his academic career late. He grew up in Hitzkirch in the Lucerne lake valley, “perhaps the most rural area in the middle of the country”. The Childhood of the son of a Musikerpaars spent a lot of time in nature. According to the teacher’s seminar, he worked for three years as a primary school teacher before he decided to study environmental Sciences at the ETH Zurich. “I had always a fondness for elusive phenomena of the Psyche from a purely,” says Röösli. His first semester he made to sensitivity to weather. Several stations at Swiss universities, he finally landed in Basel at the Swiss TPH, where he is now head of the environment unit, and health. At the same time he occupied a professorship in environmental epidemiology at the University of Basel.
An antenna would reduce the radiation exposure by Martin Röösli significantly. Photo: HO
His main focus is currently on the health effects of noise. “In comparison to the air pollution in noise research today, 20 to 30 years behind,” says Röösli. He studied in various projects, impact on cardiovascular diseases, Diabetes, sleep and mental health. “There will be billions to be spent on noise protection, since it is useful to know what brings the most.” Another neglected topic with which he deals, are the pesticides.
But clearly, currently, Röösli, mainly due to its mobile radio research. When he started in 2001 so were the gaps in Research and the need for new knowledge is great. “It was relatively easy to get support for projects,” he says. But that is not the reason why he is dealing with it. “The topic has always fascinated me, also because it has esoteric aspects.” Of the technology himself, he does not feel bound, however, very. “I am the whole development completely unemotional, and value free,” he says.
the mobile enemies
In the population, however, are cooked, the emotions currently particularly high. Due to the development of 5G, the many too fast, is Rööslis Expertise is particularly in demand. As a result, he is also a target of the cellular enemies that don’t want to believe him absolutely. In social media, online comments and articles in the “weekly” and “health tip”, it is claimed, Röösli was “dependent on the industry” and his research work is “controversial”.
Such accusations did not go unnoticed by them: “It strikes me, if you do not accuse me, to be honest.” He had no Mission, but just find it exciting to examine things critically and scientifically. “Critics often don’t even bother to inform themselves,” laments the researcher. “Much of what is said is technically incorrect and could be verified with a simple Search.” In addition, his studies did find effects due to radiation would be mentioned, never.
to be Harmless the claim that Röösli drive a of the industry paid a Maserati is. He has no car, from an environmental Conviction, as he says. Popular in the construction of alleged partiality of memberships in scientific committees, but especially. So Röösli is in the International Commission for non-ionising radiation protection (ICNIRP), the European countries, recommendations for their radiation limits. For years, it is claimed that it was infiltrated by the industry. There are, however, no evidence in the publicly available articles of incorporation and year, this is excluded to report explicitly. “The ICNIRP was never in League with the industry,” says Röösli. “The members must be independent and their affiliations to disclose.”
For even more outrage, the membership of the Board of Trustees of the research Foundation for “electricity and mobile communication” (FSM), the Röösli in the past year has finished. The FSM-money actually comes from the industry. However, the idea is that this will be distributed by independent researchers of the scientific Advisory Board of projects according to purely technical criteria. “I think it is right and important that the industry spends a portion of their profits for the exploration of the risks,” explains Röösli his commitment. The environmental researchers themselves has received information in the past ten years, twice a project funding by the Foundation. “This represents less than 2 percent of my research, the Rest is financed from public funds.”
Röösli finds the discussion of the radiation risks and 5G antennas is problematic: “they distract from the real problems.” Transparency from the increasing short-in the case of children, behavioral and addiction problems, Obesity to Burn-out. “For me, it is incomprehensible that the Federal Council is pursuing a digitization strategy, without such health risks.”
Created: 26.10.2019, 12:49 PM
