Research on environmental EMF sources - cell towers, 5G small cells, power lines, and smart meters.
## 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.
Unknown authors · 2018
Researchers exposed human mesenchymal stromal cells to 5 Hz, 0.4 mT ELF-EMF for 20 minutes per day, three times per week for two weeks. They then assayed cell viability, proliferation rates, and chromosome breaks. The analysis showed no cytotoxicity and no chromosome breaks, indicating no genotoxicity.
Unknown authors · 2018
Researchers exposed 80 male rats to extremely low frequency (50 Hz) electromagnetic fields at magnetic flux intensities of 1, 100, 500, and 2,000 μT and a control. All rats were immunized with human serum albumin after 1 month of exposure and the experiment continued for another 1 month. Thymus weight significantly declined at intensity of 2,000 μT. At the preimmunization phase, serum IL-17 and TGF-β levels were significantly decreased at intensities of 1 and 100 μT. Foxp3 expression was also downregulated at intensities of 1 and 100 μT.
Bobkova NV et al. · 2018
Researchers studied the effects of a weak combined magnetic field on spatial memory and brain amyloid-β in two mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Exposure to the magnetic fields for 4 hours per day for 10 days decreased amyloid-β levels in the brains of OBE mice and reduced the number of amyloid-β plaques in the cortex and hippocampus of transgenic mice. Memory improvement was seen in transgenic mice only, not in OBE animals.
Kamali K, Taravati A, Sayyadi S, Gharib FZ, Maftoon H. · 2018
Researchers exposed male Wister rats to 2.45 GHz Wi-Fi radiation continuously for 10 weeks. Total antioxidant capacity of plasma and activities of CAT, GSH-Px, and SOD decreased significantly in exposed rats. GST activity increased significantly in the exposed group. GSH and TBARS levels did not change significantly after exposure.
Unknown authors · 2018
The study aimed to evaluate genotoxic and cellular effects of in vitro exposure of human fetal and adult fibroblasts to microwave radiation at 25 GHz. Comet assay, phosphorylation of H2AX histone, and CREST-negative micronuclei frequency excluded direct DNA damage in exposed fibroblasts. No induction of apoptosis or changes in prosurvival signalling proteins were detected. CREST analysis showed an increase in total micronuclei and centromere-positive micronuclei in exposed samples, indicating aneuploidy induction due to chromosome loss.
Maliszewska J et al. · 2018
Researchers studied whether a 50 Hz magnetic field affects how American cockroaches respond to noxious heat and alters oxidative stress markers. The exposure was 50 Hz at 7 mT, and the researchers measured how long cockroaches took to escape from high ambient temperature. Escape latency significantly increased after 24 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days of EMF exposure. Malondialdehyde levels increased significantly after 24-hour exposure and remained elevated up to 7 days, while glutathione levels significantly declined after 7 days of exposure.
Consales C et al. · 2018
The study used SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells stably over-expressing wild-type, G93A, or H46R mutant SOD1. Cells were exposed to 50-Hz, 1 mT ELF-MF or sham control for up to 72 hours. Exposure caused no change in proliferation, viability, or reactive oxygen species, but significantly deregulated iron-related genes IRP1, MFRN1, and TfR1 only in SOD1G93A cells, with a slight difference in total iron content (p = .0512).
Qin F et al. · 2018
Researchers exposed male mice to 1800 MHz radiofrequency fields at 40 μW/cm2 and 0.0553 W/Kg SAR for 2 hours per day over 32 days. The exposure significantly reduced testosterone levels and altered the expression of steroidogenic genes Star, P450scc, P450c17, and 3β-Hsd in testicular tissue. RF exposure also significantly reduced the regulatory protein CaMKI/RORα, and similar effects were observed in cultured primary Leydig cells exposed in vitro. The CaMK inhibitor KN-93 blocked all these observations, and ionomycin reversed the RF-induced down-regulation of intracellular calcium and CaMKI/RORα expression.
Sun Y, Shi Z, Wang Y, Tang C, Liao Y, Yang C, Cai P · 2018
Researchers exposed Caenorhabditis elegans to 50 Hz, 3 mT extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields from the egg stage until the fourth larva stage. Reactive oxygen species levels were significantly elevated and total antioxidant capacity was significantly depressed in the exposed worms. The TCA cycle enzyme fumarase showed decreased expression, while arachidonic acid, prostaglandin E2, and prostaglandin E2 synthase all showed increased levels in exposed worms.
Yakymenko I et al. · 2018
Researchers used developing quail embryos to assess the oxidative and mutagenic effects of GSM 1800 MHz microwave radiation from a commercial smartphone. The embryos were exposed in ovo to 0.32 µW/cm2, discontinuously, for 5 days before and 14 days through the incubation period. Exposure resulted in a 2-fold increase in superoxide generation rate, an 85% increase in nitrogen oxide generation rate, and up to twice increased levels of 8-oxo-dG in cells of 1-day old chicks from the exposed embryos. The exposure also resulted in a significant, almost twice, increase of embryo mortality.
Unknown authors · 2018
Male albino Wistar rats were exposed to 900 MHz radiation for 1 hour per day at a power density of 146.60 µW/cm2 from a mobile phone for 28 days. MDA concentration was increased but TA levels and GST activity were not different in the exposed group compared to controls. Sperm motility was slightly reduced and percentage of abnormal sperm was significantly elevated in the exposed group. Loss of germ cells, particularly spermatocytes and spermatids, was found in the testes of exposed rats, and testes caspase-3 activity was slightly elevated.
Yakymenko I et al. · 2018
Researchers exposed quail embryos to low-level GSM 1800 MHz radiation from a commercial smartphone for 19 days during development. The exposure caused significant cellular damage, including doubled rates of harmful molecule production, DNA damage, and nearly doubled embryo death rates. This demonstrates that even weak smartphone radiation can harm developing biological systems.
Yakymenko I et al. · 2018
Ukrainian researchers exposed quail embryos to low-power smartphone radiation (GSM 1800 MHz) during development and found dramatic increases in cellular damage. The radiation doubled superoxide production, increased DNA damage by up to 100%, and nearly doubled embryo death rates. This demonstrates that even very low-intensity cell phone radiation can cause significant biological harm during critical developmental periods.
Unknown authors · 2018
Researchers exposed adolescent male rats to 900 MHz cell phone radiation for one hour daily over 28 days and found significant reproductive damage. The radiation increased oxidative stress in blood, reduced sperm motility, increased abnormal sperm by a significant margin, and caused loss of sperm-producing cells in the testes. This study demonstrates that cell phone frequency radiation can harm male fertility even at relatively low exposure levels.
Sun L, Chen L, Bai L, Xia Y, Yang X, Jiang W, Sun W. · 2018
Researchers exposed human amnion epithelial (FL) cells to a 50-Hz magnetic field and investigated the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in magnetic-field-induced clustering of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). When cells were pretreated with ROS scavengers NAC or PDTC before exposure, both the ROS-related effects and the EGFR clustering were inhibited. The researchers concluded that ROS mediates magnetic-field-induced EGFR clustering via ASMase activation.
Qureshi MRA, Alfadhl Y, Chen X, Peyman A, Maslanyj M, Mann S · 2018
Comelekoglu U et al. · 2018
Researchers divided rats into four groups: control, paricalcitol only, RF exposure only, and RF plus paricalcitol. Rats in the RF groups were exposed to 1,800 MHz RF radiation for 1 hour per day for 4 weeks. RF exposure caused significant reduction in nerve signal amplitude, prolonged latency, increased malondialdehyde levels, increased catalase activity, and degeneration of myelinated nerve fibers. Paricalcitol administration partially ameliorated these neuropathic changes.
Unknown authors · 2018
Researchers exposed female rats to a continuous 900-MHz electromagnetic field for one hour daily from postnatal day 35 to 59. Control, sham, and EMF groups were established, with sham rats receiving a pseudo-megahertz effect. All animals were euthanized on postnatal day 60 and kidney tissues were analyzed for histopathology and oxidative stress markers. Histopathological analysis showed no pathology in control or sham groups, but the EMF group exhibited hemorrhage in glomeruli, vacuolization and irregularity in tubular epithelium, glomerular degeneration and edema, Bowman capsule degeneration, medullary hemorrhage, disturbed nuclei, and cortical tubular edema. Total oxidant status and oxidative stress index values were significantly lower in both EMF and sham groups compared with controls.
Masoumi A, Karbalaei N, Mortazavi SMJ, Shabani M. · 2018
The Wi-Fi exposure used a frequency of 2.45 GHz. The Wi-Fi exposed group had significantly lower weight gain than controls and developed hyperglycemia. Plasma insulin levels and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from pancreatic islets were significantly reduced, while pancreatic lipid peroxidation increased and GSH, SOD, and GPx activities decreased.
Gallasch E, Rafolt D, Postruznik M, Fresnoza S, Christova M. · 2018
Fourteen healthy volunteers received 20 Hz tAMF stimulation over the motor cortex, over the vertex, and 20 Hz tACS over the motor cortex, each for 15 minutes. TMS assessments were performed before and after the interventions to evaluate changes in MEP, SICI, and ICF. After tAMF stimulation, MEP amplitudes and ICF decreased while the effect of SICI increased. After tACS stimulation, MEP amplitudes increased with no effects on SICI and ICF.
Unknown authors · 2018
Twenty-four 34-day-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control, sham, and EMF exposure groups. The EMF group received 900-MHz electromagnetic field exposure for 1 hour daily from postnatal days 35 to 59. Ovarian tissue in the EMF group showed thinning of granulosa and theca layers, shrunken granulosa cells, reduced mitotic activity, and leukocyte infiltration. Secondary follicle counts were significantly lower in the EMF group than in the control or sham groups. Biochemical analysis found increased oxidative stress markers and antioxidant enzymes in both EMF and sham groups compared to controls, with the EMF group showing the highest total oxidant status and oxidative stress index.
Unknown authors · 2018
Researchers exposed adolescent female rats to 900 MHz electromagnetic fields (the same frequency used by older cell phones) for one hour daily during their reproductive development. The EMF exposure caused significant damage to ovarian tissue, including reduced follicle numbers, cellular shrinkage, and increased oxidative stress markers. This suggests that EMF exposure during critical developmental periods may harm female reproductive health.
Unknown authors · 2018
Researchers exposed female rats to 900 MHz electromagnetic fields (cell phone frequency) for one hour daily during adolescence. The EMF-exposed rats showed significant damage to their ovaries, including fewer secondary follicles, cellular shrinkage, and increased oxidative stress markers. This suggests that cell phone radiation during adolescence may harm female reproductive development.
Unknown authors · 2018
Researchers exposed adolescent female rats to 900 MHz electromagnetic fields (the same frequency as many cell phones) for one hour daily during their teenage development period. The EMF exposure caused significant damage to ovarian tissue structure, reduced the number of secondary follicles, and increased markers of oxidative stress and cellular damage. This suggests that cell phone frequency radiation during adolescence may harm female reproductive development.
Unknown authors · 2018