A new paper in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, by Soumillion et al. (Unisanté, Lausanne, and EPFL), matched Swiss bus-exposure-matrix estimates of cumulative EMF exposure to the occupational history of 351 TRAPHEAC bus drivers and tested associations with sleep quality, insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS).
High-frequency electric fields (HF-EF, from wireless technologies and broadcast antennas), but not low-frequency fields, were associated with both insomnia and EDS. The authors conclude the data support a dose-response link between occupational EMF-mixture exposure and sleep disturbances, while noting the overall variance is small.
"Bus drivers are exposed to an EMF mixture and report higher rates of sleep disorders than the general population."
"Multivariable linear regression showed positive associations of HF-EF, but not LF-EF or LF-MF, with insomnia and EDS, although models explained little variance."
"BKMR confirmed the predominance of HF-EF in the mixture effect, with a positive but statistically non-significant dose-response for the EMF mixture."
"These findings suggest a dose-response relationship between occupational EMF mixture exposure and sleep disturbances, primarily driven by HF-EF. However, the overall variance explained by EMF exposure is small, highlighting the role of other risk factors in sleep disturbances among bus drivers."
Occupational electromagnetic field exposure and sleep disturbances: The predominant role of high-frequency electric fields.
Soumillion M, Remy VFM, Petrovic D, Dil JH, Guseva Canu I (2026) International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health Journal Level 2ⓘ
