The real-life short-term implications of electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) on cognitive performance and health-related quality of life have not been well studied. The SPUTNIC study (Study Panel on Upcoming Technologies to study Non-Ionizing radiation and Cognition) aimed to investigate possible correlations between mobile phone radiation and human health, including cognition, health-related quality of life and sleep. Adult participants tracked various daily markers of RF-EMF exposures (cordless calls, mobile calls, and mobile screen time 4 h prior to each assessment) as well as three health outcomes over ten study days: 1) cognitive performance, 2) health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and 3) sleep duration and quality. Cognitive performance was measured through six "game-like" tests, assessing verbal and visuo-spatial performance repeatedly. HRQoL was assessed as fatigue, mood and stress on a Likert-scale (1-10). Sleep duration and efficiency was measured using activity trackers. We fitted mixed models with random intercepts per participant on cognitive, HRQoL and sleep scores. Possible time-varying confounders were assessed at daily intervals by questionnaire and used for model adjustment. A total of 121 participants ultimately took part in the SPUTNIC study, including 63 from Besancon and 58 from Basel. Self-reported wireless phone use and screen time were sporadically associated with visuo-spatial and verbal cognitive performance, compatible with chance findings. We found a small but robust significant increase in stress 0.03 (0.00-0.06; on a 1-10 Likert-scale) in relation to a 10-min increase in mobile phone screen time. Sleep duration and quality were not associated with either cordless or mobile phone calls, or with screen time. The study did not find associations between short-term RF-EMF markers and cognitive performance, HRQoL, or sleep duration and quality. The most consistent finding was increased stress in relation to more screen time, but no association with cordless or mobile phone call time.

This article aims at evaluating indoor noise levels at home and investigating the factors that may influence their variability. An 8-day noise measurement campaign was conducted in the homes of 44 schoolchildren attending the public primary schools of Besançon (France). The presence of the inhabitants in the dwelling and the noisy events occurring indoors and outdoors was daily collected using a time-location-activity diary (TLAD); 902 time periods were analyzed. The indoor noise level increased significantly with the outdoor noise level, along with the duration of the presence or level of activity of the inhabitants at home. However, this effect may vary according to the period of day and the day of the week. Moreover, a significant part of the day and evening indoor noise level variability was explained when considering the TLAD variables: 46% and 45% in the bedroom, 54% and 39% in the main room, respectively. Our results highlight the complexity of the indoor environment in the dwellings of children living in an urban area. Combining the inhabitant presence and indoor noise source descriptors with outdoor noise levels and other dwelling or inhabitant characteristics could improve large-scale epidemiological studies. However, additional efforts are still needed, particularly during the night period.