Roux D et al. · 2008
Researchers exposed tomato plants to 900 MHz, 5 V m(-1) electromagnetic fields for 10 minutes using a Mode Stirred Reverberation Chamber. Within minutes, stress-related mRNAs for calmodulin, calcium-dependent protein kinase, and proteinase inhibitor accumulated in a rapid, large, three-phase pattern typical of an environmental stress response. Transcript accumulation was maximal at normal calcium levels, depressed at higher calcium, and completely suppressed when calcium was removed with chelators or channel blockers. Thirty minutes after exposure, ATP concentration and adenylate energy charge transiently decreased, and the uncoupler CCCP prevented transcript accumulation entirely.
George DF, Bilek MM, McKenzie DR. · 2008
Researchers studied the effect of 2,450 MHz microwaves on protein unfolding using surface plasmon resonance sensing. They used citrate synthase which binds to alpha crystallin chaperone when unfolded, and compared microwave heating with ambient heating and combined heating to the same final temperature. Microwaves caused a significantly higher degree of unfolding than conventional thermal stress at the same maximum temperature.
Höytö A, Luukkonen J, Juutilainen J, Naarala J. · 2008
Researchers exposed human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma and mouse L929 fibroblast cells to 872 MHz radiofrequency radiation at a specific absorption rate of 5 W/kg, using either continuous waves or a GSM-modulated signal. Two statistically significant differences related to RF radiation were found: t-BOOH-induced lipid peroxidation was increased in SH-SY5Y cells, and menadione-induced caspase 3 activity was increased in L929 cells, but both only for the GSM-modulated signal. No other endpoints were significantly affected, and no effects were observed from RF radiation exposure alone.
Höytö A, Luukkonen J, Juutilainen J, Naarala J · 2008
Finnish researchers exposed human brain cells and mouse cells to 872 MHz radiation (similar to cell phone frequencies) at high power levels, both alone and combined with chemical stressors. They found that RF radiation by itself caused no effects, but when combined with oxidative stress chemicals, it amplified certain cellular damage markers in specific cell types.
Djeridane Y, Touitou Y, de Seze R. · 2008
Researchers exposed 20 healthy men to 900 MHz GSM radiation from a cellular phone for 2 hours per day, 5 days per week, for 4 weeks. Blood samples were taken hourly at night and every 3 hours during the day across four sessions spaced 15 days apart, using each man's pre-exposure levels as his control. All hormone levels stayed within normal ranges, and circadian patterns of prolactin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotropin, and testosterone were not disrupted, while growth hormone and cortisol maximum levels decreased significantly during exposure but returned to baseline afterward.
Kleinlogel H et al. · 2008
Researchers tested whether cell phone radiation from GSM and UMTS networks affects brain activity and cognitive performance in 15 healthy adults. They measured brain waves and reaction times during various mental tasks while participants were exposed to phone radiation at levels typical of actual phone use. The study found no significant changes in brain activity or cognitive function during EMF exposure compared to fake (sham) exposure.
Grafström G et al. · 2008
Swedish researchers exposed rats to GSM-900 cell phone radiation once weekly for over a year at power levels similar to what humans experience during phone calls. When they examined the rats' brains afterward, they found no signs of damage including blood-brain barrier leakage, cell death, or aging-related changes. This suggests that intermittent cell phone radiation exposure at typical usage levels may not cause detectable brain tissue damage.
Dimbylow PJ, Hirata A, Nagaoka T. · 2008
The study intercompared the HPA male and female models NORMAN and NAOMI with the NICT male and female models TARO and HANAKO. Particular emphasis was placed on how dielectric properties are assigned to tissues such as skin and fat and on the consequences of different SAR calculation algorithms at higher frequencies. Whole-body SAR calculations were performed at three institutions for a vertically polarized plane wave incident on the front of the body from 30 MHz to 3 GHz under isolated conditions.
Falzone N et al. · 2008
Researchers exposed ejaculated, density-purified human spermatozoa to pulsed 900 MHz GSM radiation at SAR levels of 2.0 and 5.7 W/kg and compared them with controls over time. Mitochondrial membrane potential was measured by flow cytometry and showed no effect from the radiation. Sperm motility was assessed by computer-assisted sperm analysis, and all kinematic parameters were unaffected at 2.0 W/kg. At 5.7 W/kg, straight-line velocity and beat-cross frequency were significantly impaired over time (P < 0.05), with no exposure-by-time interaction. The authors state the result should not be ascribed to thermal effects due to cooling methods and temperature control.
Zeni O et al. · 2008
Kleinlogel H et al. · 2008
Researchers tested 1950 MHz UMTS at SAR 0.1 and 1 W/kg and pulsed 900 MHz GSM at 1 W/kg on well-being and vigilance-controlled resting EEG in 15 healthy right-handed subjects. The study used a double-blind randomised crossover design. Neither UMTS nor GSM exposure produced significant changes in measured parameters compared to sham exposure. The results did not give evidence for a deleterious effect of the EMF on normal healthy mobile phone users.
Kleinlogel H et al. · 2008
Researchers exposed 15 healthy adults to electromagnetic fields from both GSM (2G) and UMTS (3G) mobile phones while measuring their brain activity with EEG and asking about their well-being. They found no significant changes in brain wave patterns or reported symptoms compared to fake (sham) exposure. The study suggests that typical mobile phone radiation levels don't produce detectable immediate effects on brain activity in healthy users.
Riddervold IS et al. · 2008
Forty adolescents and 40 adults were exposed to UMTS base station signals and sham conditions in a randomized, double-blinded cross-over design. Each exposure lasted 45 minutes while participants performed cognitive tasks and reported symptoms. No statistically significant differences were found between UMTS and sham conditions for the main cognitive test. An increase in headache rating was observed when combining both age groups, though this may reflect baseline differences.
Riddervold IS et al. · 2008
Danish researchers tested whether 45-minute exposures to UMTS cell tower radiation (2140 MHz) affected cognitive performance and symptoms in 40 teenagers and 40 adults. They found no significant differences in cognitive test performance between real and sham exposures, though participants reported slightly more headaches during radiation exposure, which may have been due to baseline differences rather than the radiation itself.
Unknown authors · 2008
Researchers tested 54 women (11 with self-reported mobile phone sensitivity and 43 controls) in a controlled lab setting using 2.14 GHz W-CDMA base station signals at 10 V/m for 30 minutes. Neither group could detect when EMF was actually present, and both groups showed identical psychological, cognitive, and autonomic responses to real versus fake exposure. The study found no evidence that people claiming EMF sensitivity actually respond differently to electromagnetic fields from cell towers.
Lerchl A et al. · 2008
Researchers exposed adult male Djungarian hamsters to RF-EMF at 383, 900, and 1800 MHz for 60 days at 80 mW/kg. Pineal and serum melatonin levels and organ weights were not affected in any experiment. Body weight increased transiently up to 4% at 383 MHz, increased up to 6% non-transiently at 900 MHz, and was unchanged at 1800 MHz.
Rao VS et al. · 2008
The study used neuronal cells differentiated from a mouse embryonic stem cell line and a frequency-tunable applicator to examine calcium dynamics in real time. Control cells showed about five spontaneous calcium spikes per cell in 60 minutes, while exposure to 800 MHz RF radiation at 0.5 W/kg increased spikes to 15.7 per cell. The increase depended on frequency but not on SAR between 0.5 and 5 W/kg, and involved N-type calcium channels and phospholipase C enzymes. Microfilament disruption prevented the calcium spikes.
Mazor R et al. · 2008
Researchers exposed human blood cells to 800 MHz radiofrequency radiation (similar to cell phone frequencies) for 72 hours at power levels close to current safety limits. They found significant increases in chromosome damage called aneuploidy, where cells gained or lost whole chromosomes. Importantly, this damage occurred even when temperature was carefully controlled, suggesting the radiation itself caused genetic harm through non-thermal mechanisms.
Devrim E et al. · 2008
EMR exposure increased MDA, XO, and GSH-Px activities in erythrocytes compared with controls. In kidney tissue, EMR increased MDA and CAT activities but decreased XO and ADA activities. In heart tissue, EMR decreased MDA, ADA, and XO activities. Vitamin C seems to make partial protection against oxidative stress in erythrocytes.
Kim JY et al. · 2008
The study investigated clastogenicity of 835-MHz RF-EMF using alkaline comet assay and chromosomal aberration test on mammalian cells. No direct cytogenetic effect was found in the chromosomal aberration test with RF-EMF alone. The comet assay showed nearly negative results for RF-EMF alone, with a small increase in tail moment. RF-EMF showed a potentiation effect in the comet assay when combined with model clastogens.
Stovner LJ, Oftedal G, Straume A, Johnsson A. · 2008
The study aimed to investigate headache type and location in a provocation study to gain insight into possible causes and mechanisms. Seventeen participants completed 130 trials of sham or RF exposure. No significant difference existed in headache type, laterality, or location between the two exposure types. In most participants, the headache was compatible with tension-type headache.
Lee KS, Choi JS, Hong SY, Son TH, Yu K. · 2008
Researchers studied biological effects of mobile phone 835 MHz electromagnetic fields in Drosophila at SAR 1.6 W/kg and SAR 4.0 W/kg. At SAR 1.6 W/kg, more than 90% of flies remained viable even after the 30 h exposure, while at SAR 4.0 W/kg viability dropped from the 12 h exposure. Both exposure levels triggered a stress response, increased reactive oxygen species production, and activated ERK and JNK signaling, but not p38 kinase signaling. SAR 4.0 W/kg strongly activated JNK signaling, expression of apoptotic genes, and amplified the number of apoptotic cells in the fly brain.
Nittby H et al. · 2008
Researchers exposed Fischer 344 rats to radiation from a GSM mobile test phone at 1,800 MHz for 6 hours and then analyzed gene expression in the cortex and hippocampus. Four rats were exposed in an anechoic chamber one at a time, and four control rats were kept in the same chamber for the same duration without exposure. Gene ontology analysis found highly significant changes in gene categories related to membrane functions in both brain regions.
Nittby H et al. · 2008
Researchers exposed rats to cell phone radiation at 1,800 MHz for 6 hours and found significant changes in brain gene activity. The genetic alterations affected genes controlling cell membranes and cellular communication in the cortex and hippocampus, the same brain regions where previous studies documented blood-brain barrier damage.
Ammari M et al. · 2008
Researchers investigated the effects of sub-chronic and chronic head-only exposure to 900 MHz GSM signals on spatial memory in male rats. Rats were exposed for 45 minutes per day at a SAR of 1.5 W Kg(-1), or 15 minutes per day at a SAR of 6 W Kg(-1), for either 8 or 24 weeks, and then tested in a radial-arm maze. Spatial memory was unaffected in the exposed rats, while scopolamine-treated positive control rats showed a deficit in the spatial memory task.
