6,486 Studies Reviewed. 85.2% of Original Studies Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.

Outdoor EMF Infrastructure Research

RFELF Magnetic

Research on environmental EMF sources - cell towers, 5G small cells, power lines, and smart meters.

3
Sources
3,425
Studies
2
EMF Types

EMF in Outdoor / Infrastructure

  • -## Outdoor / Infrastructure EMF Sources When you step outside your home, you enter an environment where electromagnetic fields come from sources beyond your direct control.
  • -Cell towers broadcasting 24/7, power lines carrying electricity to neighborhoods, smart meters collecting usage data, and increasingly, 5G small cells mounted on streetlights and utility poles.
  • -These infrastructure sources share a common characteristic: they're part of the built environment around us, installed and operated by utilities and telecommunications companies to serve entire communities.

## Outdoor / Infrastructure EMF Sources When you step outside your home, you enter an environment where electromagnetic fields come from sources beyond your direct control. Cell towers broadcasting 24/7, power lines carrying electricity to neighborhoods, smart meters collecting usage data, and increasingly, 5G small cells mounted on streetlights and utility poles. These infrastructure sources share a common characteristic: they're part of the built environment around us, installed and operated by utilities and telecommunications companies to serve entire communities.

Related Studies (3,425)

Brain & Nervous SystemNo Effects Found

Lack of behavioral effects in non-human primates after exposure to ultrawideband electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range.

Sherry CJ, Blick DW, Walters TJ, Brown GC, Murphy MR · 1995

Researchers examined the effect of acute ultrawideband electromagnetic radiation exposure on monkeys performing a Primate Equilibrium Platform task. The exposure had no effect on task performance when tested immediately after exposure. Each monkey was exposed twice for 2 minutes at a pulse repetition rate of 60 Hz with a peak electric field strength of 250 kV/m.

DNA & Genetic DamageNo Effects Found

Effects of 50 Hz magnetic fields on C-myc transcript levels in nonsynchronized and synchronized human cells

Unknown authors · 1995

Researchers exposed human lymphoid cells immortalized by Epstein-Barr virus and HL60 leukemic cells to 50 Hz magnetic fields at 10 μT or 1 mT for periods ranging from 20 minutes to 72 hours. C-myc transcript levels were measured by Northern blot analysis normalized to the GaPDH gene. No statistically significant difference in c-myc transcript levels was observed between exposed and control cells for either cell type at any exposure duration, and the same result was found in cells synchronized in G0/G1 phase.

CardiovascularNo Effects Found

Microwave influence on the isolated heart function: II. Combined effect of radiation and some drugs.

Pakhomov AG, Dubovick BV, Degtyariov IG, Pronkevich AN · 1995

Researchers studied the combined effects of microwave radiation and drugs on an isolated frog auricle preparation. Exposure to pulse-modulated 915 MHz microwaves for up to 40 minutes had no effect on the rate or amplitude of spontaneous auricle twitches unless the absorbed power caused heating. Caffeine (1 mM) strongly increased the average heart power, and this effect was significantly augmented by about 15% under burst-type pulsed microwaves with an average SAR of 8-10 W/kg, while heating was only approximately 0.1°C.

[Total bioelectric activity of various structures of the brain in low-intensity microwave irradiation].

Grigor'ev IuG, Luk'ianova SN, Makarov VP, Rynskov VV · 1995

Researchers exposed thirty rabbits to thirty-minute microwave irradiation at 1.5 GHz with a pulse intensity of 0.3 mW/cm2 and tested several pulsed modes. A reliable effect was detected only in the hippocampus, shown as an amplification of theta-range activity within normal functioning. The total bioelectrical activity of the cortex, caudate nucleus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and septum was not reliably changed.

[Endocrine mechanism of placental circulatory disturbances induced by microwave in pregnant rats].

Yoshida Y et al. · 1995

Researchers exposed pregnant rats to whole-body microwaves at 10 mW/cm2 and 2,450 MHz and measured placental blood flow and five endocrine indicators. Placental blood flow at 45-90 minutes after exposure was significantly decreased in exposed rats. Microwave exposure increased corticosterone and decreased estradiol regardless of angiotensin II pretreatment, increased progesterone and prostaglandin F2 alpha without pretreatment, and did not change prostaglandin E2. Pretreatment with angiotensin II increased placental blood flow at 15 and 30 minutes, but this effect was absent in microwave-exposed rats.

Changes in the secondary structure of DNA under the influence of external low-intensity electromagnetic field

Semin IuA, Shvartsburg LK, Dubovik BV · 1995

Researchers studied the effect of weak radiofrequency radiation on DNA secondary structure stability in vitro. Exposure at 3 or 4 Hz and 0.6 mW/cm2 peak power significantly increased accumulated DNA damage, while other pulse rates or power levels eliminated the effect. DNA was incubated with glycine and formaldehyde, and damage was assessed via thermal denaturation dynamics.

SAR calculations in an anatomically realistic model of the head for mobile communication transceivers at 900 MHz and 1.8 GHz.

Dimbylow PJ, Mann SM. · 1994

Researchers built a mathematical model of the human head from MRI slices and used finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations to estimate the specific energy absorption rate (SAR) at 900 MHz and 1.8 GHz. The generic transceiver was represented by a quarter-wavelength monopole on a metal box, and three placement geometries were examined: vertical in front of the eye, and vertical and horizontal at the side of the ear. For the most typical position at the side of the head, the maximum SAR averaged over 10 g of tissue was 2.1 and 3.0 W kg(-1) per W of radiated power at 900 MHz and 1.8 GHz. Placement in front of the eye gave values of 3.1 and 4.6 W kg(-1) per W averaged over 10 g of tissue at 900 MHz and 1.8 GHz.

Permeability of the blood-brain barrier induced by 915 MHz electromagnetic radiation, continuous wave and modulated at 8, 16, 50, and 200 Hz.

Salford LG, Brun A, Sturesson K, Eberhardt JL, Persson BRq · 1994

Researchers exposed male and female Fischer 344 rats to 915 MHz microwaves as continuous wave and pulse-modulated at 8, 16, 50, and 200 Hz in a transverse electromagnetic transmission line chamber. Albumin leakage occurred in 56 of 184 exposed rats versus 5 of 62 controls, and continuous wave exposure yielded 14 positive findings out of 35 that were significantly different from controls (P = 0.002). The specific energy absorption rate varied between 0.016 and 5 W/kg, and rats were exposed for 2 hours without anesthesia.

Effect of low power microwave on the mouse genome: a direct DNA analysis.

Sarkar S, Ali S, Behari J · 1994

Animals were exposed to microwave at a power density of 1 mW/cm2 for 2 h/day at a frequency of 2.45 GHz over a period of 120, 150 and 200 days. HinfI digested DNA samples from testis and brain of control and exposed animals were hybridized with a synthetic oligo probe (OAT 36) comprising nine repeats of 5'-GACA-3'. As compared to control animals, band patterns in exposed animals were found to be distinctly altered in the range of 7-8 kb which was also substantiated by densitometric analysis.

Microwave irradiation affects radial-arm maze performance in the rat.

Lai H, Horita A, Guy AW, · 1994

After 45 minutes of exposure to pulsed 2450 MHz microwaves at 1 mW/cm², rats showed retarded learning in a radial-arm maze task, indicating a spatial working memory deficit. The memory deficit was reversed by pretreatment with the cholinergic agonist physostigmine or the opiate antagonist naltrexone, but not by the peripheral opiate antagonist naloxone methiodide. The researchers concluded that both cholinergic and endogenous opioid neurotransmitter systems in the brain are involved in the microwave-induced spatial memory deficit.

Chick embryo development can be irreversibly altered by early exposure to weak extremely-low-frequency magnetic fields

Unknown authors · 1994

Two pulse waveforms were tested, with rise and fall times of 85 microseconds (PMF-A) or 2.1 microseconds (PMF-B). After exposure, the eggs incubated for nine more days without fields, then embryos were examined blind. Both exposed groups had more developmental anomalies than controls, but only the PMF-B group showed a statistically significant increase (P=0.007) and a high rate of early embryonic death, while the PMF-A group's increase was not significant (P=0.173).

Effects of 2.45-GHz microwave radiation and phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate on dimethylhydrazine-induced colon cancer in mice.

Wu RY, Chiang H, Shao BJ, Li NG, Fu YD · 1994

The study used 115 Balb/c mice that were 4 weeks old, divided into control, DMH, DMH plus microwave, and DMH plus TPA groups. The microwave exposure was 2.45 GHz radiation at 10 mW/cm2 delivered dorsally in an anechoic chamber. Radiation was administered 3 hours daily, 6 days per week for 5 months, and DMH was injected once per week. Tumor incidence did not differ significantly among the three DMH treatment groups. Group D had more tumors, larger tumors, and more protuberant and infiltrative tumor types than groups B and C, and groups B and C did not differ.

Rhesus monkey behavior during exposure to high-peak-power 5.62-GHz microwave pulses.

D'Andrea JA, Thomas A, Hatcher DJ · 1994

Researchers exposed four male rhesus monkeys to high-peak-power 5.62-GHz microwave pulses while the monkeys performed an operant task for food pellet rewards. Compared to sham exposures, significant alterations of lever responding, reaction time, and earned food pellets occurred at 4 and 6 W/kg but not at 2 W/kg. There were no differences between radar pulses and SLED pulses in producing behavioral effects.

Alteration of life span of mice chronically exposed to 2.45 GHz CW microwaves.

Liddle CG, Putnam JP, Huey OP · 1994

Female CD1 mice were exposed from the thirty-fifth day of age for the remainder of their lives to 2.45 GHz CW microwave radiation at 3 or 10 mW/cm2. Exposures took place 1 h/day, 5 day/week in an anechoic chamber at an ambient temperature of 22 degrees C and a relative humidity of 50%. There were 25 animals in each exposure group, and an equal number of controls were concurrently sham exposed. The average life span of animals exposed at 10 mW/cm2 was significantly shorter than that of sham-exposed controls (572 days vs. 706 days; P = .049; truncation > 20%). In contrast, the average lifespan of the animals exposed at 3 mW/cm2 was slightly, but not significantly, longer (738 days) than that of controls (706 days).

Cellular EffectsNo Effects Found

Influence of microwaves on different types of receptors and the role of peroxidation of lipids on receptor-protein shedding.

Philippova TM, Novoselov VI, Alekseev SI · 1994

Researchers studied the effects of continuous wave and pulse-modulated 900 MHz microwave fields on rat chemoreceptors using in vitro assays. Binding of H3-glutamic acid to hippocampal cells was unchanged after 15 minutes of continuous wave exposure at 1 W/kg, while binding of H3-dihydroalprenolol to neonatal liver-cell membranes decreased fivefold under the same conditions. The decrease was due to shedding of receptor elements into solution and correlated with oxygen concentration in the suspension.

Athermal alterations in the structure of the canalicular membrane and ATPase activity induced by thermal levels of microwave radiation.

Phelan AM, Neubauer CF, Timm R, Neirenberg J, Lange DG · 1994

Researchers exposed Sprague-Dawley rats to microwave radiation at 2.45 GHz and 80 mW/cm² for 30 minutes daily over four days, raising rectal temperature by 2.2°C. A separate group received radiant heat producing the same temperature rise. Microwave exposure reduced Mg(++)-ATPase activity by 48.5% and increased Na+/K(+)-ATPase activity by 170%, while radiant heat caused no significant changes in either enzyme. Microwave exposure also decreased the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids, whereas radiant heat increased it. Membrane fluidity measured by EPR differed among sham, microwave, and radiant heat groups, reflecting the fatty acid changes.

Characteristics of microwave evoked body movements in mice.

Brown DO, Lu ST, Elson EC · 1994

Researchers studied microwave evoked body movements in mice using head and neck exposure to pulsed and gated continuous wave 1.25 GHz microwaves delivered via a resonant cavity. The incidence of body movements increased proportionally with specific absorption dose when the whole-body average specific absorption rate was held constant at 7300 W/kg, reaching a plateau at 0.9 kJ/kg. For doses higher than 0.9 kJ/kg, response incidence was proportional to the specific absorption rate and reached a plateau at 900 W/kg.

Intraseptal microinjection of beta-funaltrexamine blocked a microwave-induced decrease of hippocampal cholinergic activity in the rat.

Lai H, Carino MA, Horita A, Guy AW, · 1994

Researchers exposed rats to pulsed 2450-MHz microwaves for 45 minutes at a power density of 1 mW/cm2 with a whole body specific absorption rate of 0.6 W/kg. This exposure decreased cholinergic activity in the hippocampus as measured by sodium-dependent high-affinity choline uptake. Microinjection of beta-funaltrexamine (1 microgram) into the septum before exposure blocked the microwave-induced decrease.

Poly ADP ribosylation as a possible mechanism of microwave--biointeraction

Singh N, Rudra N, Bansal P, Mathur R, Behari J, Nayar U · 1994

Researchers exposed Twenty-three days old rats to 2.45 GHz microwaves at 1.0 mW/cm2 for sixty days and measured poly ADPR polymerase activity in various organs. The enzyme activity increased by 20% in liver and 35% in testis, while it decreased by 53% in brain diencephalon and 20% in cortex. No change was observed in spleen and kidney, and the changes were accompanied by alterations in NAD+ levels.

Exposure of simian virus-40-transformed human cells to magnetic fields results in increased levels of T-antigen mRNA and protein

Unknown authors · 1994

Researchers exposed SV40-transformed human fibroblasts to a 60 Hz continuous-wave sinusoidal electromagnetic field. Exposure resulted in increased levels of virally derived mRNA and protein of large T-antigen. The findings provide evidence that foreign DNA integrated into cells can be affected by EM fields under conditions known to cause increased transcripts from endogenous cellular genes.

[The effect of low-intensity prolonged impulse electromagnetic irradiation in the UHF range on the testes and the appendages of the testis in rats].

Lokhmatova SA, · 1994

Researchers studied the effect of long-term impulsive electromagnetic irradiation at a power density of 0.25 mW/cm2 for 4 months, 2 hours per day, on rat testes and epididymides. The irradiation was at 3 GHz and the results demonstrated high sensitivity of the rat testes and epididymides, with destructive changes in seminiferous tubules and testicular tissue. Full recovery was not observed even 4 months after irradiation ended.

Cellular EffectsNo Effects Found

Effect of microwave radiation on permeability of liposomes. Evidence against non-thermal leakage.

Bergqvist B et al. · 1994

Researchers studied the effect of 2.45 GHz microwave radiation on the permeability of unilamellar phosphatidylcholine liposomes. Leakage of 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein was measured using spectrofluorimetry after exposure to microwaves or thermal heating for 5-20 min intervals. The microwave exposure did not result in any non-thermal increase in permeability above that produced by thermal heating. The study refutes earlier results that reported increased liposome permeability due to microwave exposure.

FAQs: EMF in Outdoor / Infrastructure

## Outdoor / Infrastructure EMF Sources When you step outside your home, you enter an environment where electromagnetic fields come from sources beyond your direct control. Cell towers broadcasting 24/7, power lines carrying electricity to neighborhoods, smart meters collecting usage data, and increasingly, 5G small cells mounted on streetlights and utility poles.
There are 3,425 peer-reviewed studies in our database examining EMF sources commonly found in outdoor / infrastructure environments. These studies cover 3 different EMF sources: 5G / Cell Towers (2,503 studies), Power Lines (922 studies), Smart Meters (1,753 studies). The research includes both laboratory experiments and epidemiological studies from scientists worldwide.
5G / Cell Towers has the most research with 2,503 studies, followed by Smart Meters (1,753) and Power Lines (922). This research examines various biological endpoints including cellular effects, neurological impacts, and other health outcomes from EMF exposure in outdoor / infrastructure settings.