A study to check the short term effects of microwave radiation on people has cleared mobile phone masts of being the cause of health-related problems.

The study was carried out by the University of Essex (UoE) using test equipment installed by wireless vendor Red-M and led by the university's cognitive neuroscience expert, Professor Elaine Fox.

The three-year study found no unexplainable effects on 44 sensitive and 114 control subjects, finding heart rate, blood pressure and skin conductance were unaffected by whether the mast was switched on or off. The trials did also not detect any significant effects in all participants between being exposed to GSM or UMTS radiation, and no exposure.

Funding for the study totaling around £7 million came from the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR) programme, which is jointly funded by industry and government.

The trial results come three months after a controversial BBC Panorama programme claimed that microwave radiation from wireless LANs in schools could affect children's health.