Project
In Switzerland, the outdoor air pollution of various air pollutants is regulated by immission limit values in the Ordinance on Air Pollution Control (OAPC). The current limit values of the OAPC are in line with the Air Quality Guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHOAQG in English) of 2005.…
The external costs and benefits of transport have been regularly calculated and published by the Federal Office for Spatial Development for over 15 years for all modes of transport (road, rail, air and waterborne). These figures form an important basis for determining the level of the…
There is few knowledge about potential health effects of everyday-emerging applications of wireless technology. The importance of this concern is more remarkable among young people and workers, the most sensitive and exposed groups, respectively. In GOLIAT (5G expOsure, causaL effects, and rIsk…
The ETAIN (Exposure To electromAgnetic fIelds and plaNetary health) project takes a planetary health perspective to develop and validate approaches to assess the impact of existing and novel wireless technologies. Within ETAIN, an open-access RF-EMF exposure app for smartphones is being designed…
Studies in countries with high levels of air pollution have shown that exposure to certain air pollutants can lead to impaired lung growth and the development of asthma.
Even low levels of air pollution during pregnancy can have an impact on an infant's lung function shortly after birth. We want to…
Epidemiological research in the last decade has revealed associations between various cardiometabolic diseases and road, railway and aircraft noise. However, still little is known about mental health effects and most effective interventions to reduce health burden from transportation noise exposure.
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Use of electricity is accompanied with extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic and electric fields. Communication devices are emitting radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF). Thus, the population is exposed in their everyday life to numerous EMF sources emitting different frequencies and…
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health impact assessment (HIA) as “a combination of procedures, methods and tools by which a policy, programme or project may be judged as to its potential effects on the health of a population, and the distribution of those effects within the population”.…
The Radiation Programme of the World Health Organization (WHO) has an ongoing project to assess potential health effects of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) in the general and working population. Based on an international expert survey on potential adverse health outcomes…
Numerous studies have reported an association between high ambient temperatures and mortality or morbidity. In this project, we aim to assess the effect of various environmental and socio-demographic factors that may modify these associations. A better understanding of how urban heat islands,…
In the SPUTNIC study, we measure the individual exposure to mobile phone radiation, and how this affects cognitive health. Goal of the study is the personal measurement of exposure to mobile phone radiation using a smartphone application in 100 volunteer participants in Basel Stadt. The same…
Radon is a natural radioactive gas that penetrates into buildings from soil. It is well acknowledged that radon is the second common cause of lung cancer after smoking. Recently, some studies found indications that radon may increase the risk for skin cancer. A plausible mechanism would be radon…
Background: Noise from road, railway and aircraft traffic is one of the most widespread sources of environmental stress and discomfort in everyday life. However, previous research has been fragmented, in particular in children and adolescents. As a consequence little is known about the relevance of…
Mobile phone base stations and handsets, wireless local area networks (WLAN), and radio/television signals are typical examples of sources of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields. The aim of this study is to gain better knowledge of the exposure of the general population to such radiofrequency…
This first South African-Swiss bilateral research chair on Global Environmental Health in Cape Town addresses emerging environmental health problems in South Africa. The collaboration consists of four projects: (i) a cohort study on agricultural pesticides on the development and respiratory health…
Rationale
The European population is increasingly exposed to new physical and chemical agents in the environment, some of which may be detrimental to public health. Among these, electromagnetic fields (EMF) are one of the most ubiquitous, and their application in new technologies continues to grow,…
Background: Little is known about how acute and short-term noise effects, especially those that are observed during sleep, translate into long-term health consequences. In particular, it is unclear which acoustical characteristics of noise from different traffic sources are most detrimental for…
This project is a collaboration with Imperial College, London, UK. The official project website is www.scampstudy.org
The Study of Cognition, Adolescents and Mobile Phones (SCAMP) is the largest study in the world looking specifically at the impact of mobile phones and social media on young…