Title: UK COSMOS - Cohort Study of Mobile Phone Use and Health
Funder: Department of Health and Social Care

Abstract: Background: The possible health effects of radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMF) have been extensively reviewed but important questions remain unanswered. Expert groups broadly agree that priority questions concern possible health effects of both heavy and long term mobile phone use. The COSMOS cohort study, which began piloting over a decade ago, is now fully established with 290000 adult mobile phone users across Europe, including 105000 from the UK. Aims: This proposal is to conduct long term health monitoring of the 105000 UK COSMOS cohort over the next 5 years. Overall, the study aims to investigate prospectively whether there are any health issues linked to long term and heavy use of mobile phones and other RF-EMF technologies. Research plan: This ongoing research programme is to follow-up prospectively the UK COSMOS cohort, collecting new and updated information as follows: i) linkage to national health registries via NHS flagging to capture chronic health outcomes as they occur including cancers, neurodegenerative diseases and cerebrovascular disease; ii) follow-up questionnaire focusing on updated mobile phone use and other RF-EMF exposures, lifestyle, and health-related behaviours and various symptoms e.g. headaches; iii) ongoing annual collection of 3 months of operator traffic data for participants; iv) capture of objective information on mobile phone use, continuously over the study period, via the Xmobisense app (downloadable by participants with a smartphone); v) annual update of participant details e.g. change in mobile phone number, email or home address; and vi) annual e-newsletters to UK participants helping to maintain study engagement and minimize losses to follow-up as the cohort matures. Based on pooled analysis of baseline and follow-up data from the international COSMOS cohort, we will estimate robust mobile phone use and cumulative and integrated RF-EMF exposure metrics and conduct epidemiological analyses on mobile phone use and RF-EMF exposures for a wide range of health outcomes, initially symptom change from baseline and incidence of all cancers. Research team: This research is led by Prof Paul Elliott and Dr Mireille Toledano at Imperial College London. They have successfully piloted and established the UK COSMOS cohort and, together with internationally renowned collaborators in COSMOS countries across Europe, they provide a wealth of expertise in RF-EMF research. Potential impact on policy/users: COSMOS is the only prospective cohort study specifically designed to address all currently important unresolved questions concerning risk to the public from RF-EMF. This proposed follow-up would cement the UK at the absolute forefront of research in this area, and provide reliable and robust scientific evidence with which to inform UK health policy on use of mobile phones and newly emerging RF-EMF technologies.

Lay abstract: Despite extensive research, scientists remain uncertain as to possible health effects of mobile phone use. Expert groups broadly agree that priority questions concern possible health effects of both heavy and long term mobile phone use. The international COSMOS study has recruited, with ethical approval and individual consent, 290000 adult mobile phone users across Europe, including 105000 from the UK. It is the only study specifically designed to address all currently important unresolved questions concerning health risks to the public from mobile phone use and other radio-frequency (RF) technologies. This proposal is to conduct long term health monitoring of the 105,000 UK COSMOS participants over the next 5 years. This ongoing programme will collect updated information on new and rapidly changing ways in which participants use their mobile phones and other RF devices e.g. WiFi, as well as information on symptom occurrence (e.g. headaches) and a wide range of health events e.g. cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson's Disease. Using data on COSMOS participants from across Europe, the study will examine whether there are any health issues linked to long term and heavy use of mobile phones and other RF technologies. This research is led by Prof Paul Elliott and Dr Mireille Toledano at Imperial College London. They have successfully piloted and set up the UK COSMOS cohort over the last few years and, together with internationally renowned collaborators in COSMOS countries across Europe, they provide a wealth of expertise in RF research. This research will provide reliable and up-to-date scientific evidence with which to inform UK health policy on use of mobile phones and other RF technologies.

Research activity codes: 2.4 SURVEILLANCE AND DISTRIBUTION;2.2 FACTORS RELATING TO PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Health categories: NEUROLOGICAL;CANCER AND NEOPLASMS