Smart Meter Radiation Research

Human keratinocytes in culture exhibit no response when exposed to short duration, low amplitude, high frequency (900 MHz) electromagnetic fields in a reverberation chamber.

Roux D et al. · 2011

Electromagnetic field treatment protects against and reverses cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease mice.

Arendash GW et al. · 2010

Researchers exposed mice to cell phone-level radiation (918 MHz) and found it improved memory and reduced Alzheimer's-related brain deposits in both normal and Alzheimer's mice. While promising for potential treatments, these mouse results require extensive human studies before any clinical applications.

Exposure to 1800 MHz radiofrequency radiation induces oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA in primary cultured neurons.

Xu S et al. · 2010

Researchers exposed brain neurons to cell phone radiation (1800 MHz) for 24 hours and found it damaged mitochondrial DNA-the genetic material in cells' energy centers. The radiation created harmful molecules that reduced neurons' ability to produce energy, suggesting potential cellular harm from prolonged exposure.

Reactive oxygen species levels and DNA fragmentation on astrocytes in primary culture after acute exposure to low intensity microwave electromagnetic field.

Campisi A et al. · 2010

Italian researchers exposed brain support cells (astrocytes) to cell phone-frequency radiation (900MHz) at levels similar to what phones emit. After just 20 minutes of exposure to modulated signals, the cells showed increased cellular damage and DNA fragmentation, while continuous waves caused no effects. This suggests that the pulsing pattern of wireless signals, not just their intensity, may be what causes biological harm.

Effect of radio-frequency electromagnetic radiations (RF-EMR) on passive avoidance behaviour and hippocampal morphology in Wistar rats.

Narayanan SN et al. · 2010

Healthy male albino Wistar rats were exposed to RF-EMR by giving 50 missed calls per day for 4 weeks with a GSM mobile phone in vibratory mode in the cage. Passive avoidance behaviour was significantly affected in exposed rats, shown as shorter entrance latency to the dark compartment compared to control rats. Marked morphological changes were observed in the CA3 region of the hippocampus of exposed rats compared to control rats. Mobile phone RF-EMR exposure significantly altered passive avoidance behaviour and hippocampal morphology in rats.

Effect of radio-frequency electromagnetic radiations (RF-EMR) on passive avoidance behaviour and hippocampal morphology in Wistar rats.

Narayanan SN et al. · 2010

Researchers exposed rats to cell phone radiation for one hour daily over four weeks by placing active GSM phones in their cages. The exposed rats showed impaired memory and learning behavior, taking less time to enter a dark chamber they had previously learned to avoid. Brain tissue examination revealed structural damage in the hippocampus, the brain region crucial for memory formation.

Effects of 2G and 3G mobile phones on human alpha rhythms: Resting EEG in adolescents, young adults, and the elderly

Croft RJ et al. · 2010

Researchers tested whether adolescents and the elderly are more sensitive to mobile phone-related bioeffects than young adults, using both 2G GSM and 3G W-CDMA exposures. Resting alpha activity in the 8-12 Hz band of the EEG was recorded and compared between conditions in a double-blind crossover design, with each participant receiving sham, 2G, and 3G exposures separated by at least 4 days. Young adults showed greater alpha activity in the 2G condition compared to sham, but no effect was found in adolescents or the elderly, and 3G exposure produced no effect in any group.

Mobile phone radiation-induced free radical damage in the liver is inhibited by the antioxidants n-acetyl cysteine and epigallocatechin-gallate.

Ozgur E, Güler G, Seyhan N. · 2010

Researchers exposed guinea pigs to an 1800-MHz GSM-modulated signal at a whole body SAR of 0.38 W/kg for 10 or 20 minutes per day for seven days to study oxidative damage in the liver. After exposure, significant increases in malondialdehyde and total nitric oxide levels were observed, along with decreases in several antioxidant enzyme activities in the liver. The extent of oxidative damage was found to be proportional to the duration of exposure, and both NAC and EGCG were found to protect liver tissue against this damage.

Mobile phone radiation-induced free radical damage in the liver is inhibited by the antioxidants n-acetyl cysteine and epigallocatechin-gallate.

Ozgur E, Güler G, Seyhan N · 2010

Guinea pigs exposed to cell phone radiation (1800 MHz) for 10-20 minutes daily showed liver damage from oxidative stress, with longer exposure causing more harm. However, antioxidants N-acetyl cysteine and green tea extract provided significant protection against this cellular damage.

Whole body exposure with GSM 900MHz affects spatial memory in mice.

Fragopoulou AF et al. · 2010

Researchers exposed mice to 900MHz cell phone radiation for 2 hours daily over 4 days, then tested their spatial memory using maze tasks. Exposed mice showed significant learning and memory deficits compared to unexposed mice, suggesting mobile phone radiation may impair brain function.

Comparison of biological effects between continuous and intermittent exposure to GSM-900-MHz mobile phone radiation: detection of apoptotic cell-death features.

Chavdoula ED, Panagopoulos DJ, Margaritis LH. · 2010

Researchers exposed Drosophila melanogaster to GSM-900MHz radiation for 6 minutes daily to compare continuous and intermittent exposure effects on reproductive capacity and apoptotic cell death. Previous work showed 6-minute continuous daily exposure for five days greatly reduced reproductive capacity, measured by F1 pupae count, and this decrease was non-thermal and linked to increased DNA fragmentation in egg chamber cells. The current experiments found intermittent exposure also reduced reproductive capacity and disrupted the actin-cytoskeleton network of egg chambers, with the effect also due to DNA fragmentation. Intermittent exposures with 10-minute intervals were almost as effective as continuous exposure, while longer intervals allowed the flies to partly recover.

Bioeffects of mobile telephony radiation in relation to its intensity or distance from the antenna

Panagopoulos DJ, Chavdoula ED, Margaritis LH · 2010

Researchers exposed adult Drosophila melanogaster to GSM 900/1800 mobile phone antenna radiation at distances from 0 to 100 cm and measured reproductive capacity and cell death in the gonads using the TUNEL assay. The radiation decreased reproductive capacity by inducing cell death at all distances tested. The effect was strongest at 20-30 cm (radiation intensity around 10 microW/cm(2)), diminished considerably beyond 40-50 cm, and was not evident beyond 1 m or below 1 microW/cm(2).

The effect of exposure duration on the biological activity of mobile telephony radiation.

Panagopoulos DJ, Margaritis LH · 2010

Researchers exposed fruit flies to GSM 900 and DCS 1800 radiation for daily durations of 1 to 21 minutes. Reproductive capacity decreased almost linearly as exposure duration increased for both radiation types. GSM 900 radiation was slightly more bioactive than DCS 1800 radiation at the same exposure durations and equal intensities.

The influence of 1800 MHz GSM-like signals on hepatic oxidative DNA and lipid damage in nonpregnant, pregnant, and newly born rabbits.

Tomruk A, Guler G, Dincel AS. · 2010

Researchers exposed nonpregnant and pregnant New Zealand White rabbits to whole-body 1800 MHz GSM-like RF radiation for 15 minutes per day over one week. Liver 8-OHdG levels did not differ between exposed and control rabbits in either the adult or newborn groups. However, MDA and FOX levels were significantly higher in exposed adult rabbits, and FOX was also elevated in newborns of exposed mothers.

Procedure for assessment of general public exposure from WLAN in offices and in wireless sensor network testbed

Unknown authors · 2010

Pulse modulated 900 MHz radiation induces hypothyroidism and apoptosis in thyroid cells: A light, electron microscopy and immunohistochemical study.

Eşmekaya MA, Seyhan N, Omeroğlu S. · 2010

Researchers exposed two-month-old male Wistar rats to 900 MHz pulse-modulated RF radiation at a SAR of 1.35 Watt/kg for 20 min/day for three weeks. The study examined thyroid gland tissue using light microscopy, electron microscopy, and immunohistochemical methods. Morphological analyses revealed hypothyrophy of the gland, and the results indicated that thyroid hormone secretion was inhibited by the RF radiation. Apoptotic bodies were observed, and caspase-3 and caspase-9 activities were increased in thyroid cells of exposed rats.

Do mobile phone base stations affect sleep of residents? Results from an experimental double-blind sham-controlled field study.

Danker-Hopfe H, Dorn H, Bornkessel C, Sauter C. · 2010

Researchers conducted a double-blind, sham-controlled, randomized cross-over study with 397 residents exposed to GSM base station signals and sham exposure at home for 12 nights. No significant differences in objective or subjective sleep measures were found between real and sham exposure conditions. During sham exposure nights, participants with concerns about health risks from base stations had significantly worse sleep efficiency, wake after sleep onset, and subjective sleep latency than those without concerns. The authors concluded that EMF from base stations did not affect sleep quality, but the presence of base stations themselves may negatively impact sleep.

Do mobile phone base stations affect sleep of residents? Results from an experimental double-blind sham-controlled field study

Danker-Hopfe H, Dorn H, Bornkessel C, Sauter C · 2010

German researchers studied nearly 400 people living near experimental cell towers to see if radio waves from base stations affect sleep quality. After monitoring participants for 12 nights with both real and fake tower signals, they found no measurable differences in sleep patterns between the two conditions. However, people who were worried about health risks from cell towers did sleep worse during all test nights, suggesting anxiety rather than electromagnetic fields was affecting their rest.

Increased protein synthesis by cells exposed to a 1,800-MHz radio-frequency mobile phone electromagnetic field, detected by proteome profiling.

Gerner C et al. · 2010

Researchers used proteome analysis to study whether low-intensity radio-frequency electromagnetic field exposure could affect protein synthesis in cultured human cells. Four different cell types were exposed to 2 W/kg specific absorption rate, and autoradiography of 2D gel spots was used to measure changes in synthesis of individual proteins. An 8-hour exposure caused a significant increase in protein synthesis in Jurkat T-cells and human fibroblasts, and to a lesser extent in activated primary human mononuclear cells, while short-term exposure did not significantly alter the proteome. Quiescent, metabolically inactive mononuclear cells did not detectably respond to the exposure.

Exposure to GSM RF fields does not affect calcium homeostasis in human endothelial cells, rat pheocromocytoma cells or rat hippocampal neurons.

O'Connor RP, Madison SD, Leveque P, Roderick HL, Bootman MD · 2010

Researchers used a high-throughput imaging platform to monitor calcium changes in cells exposed to 900 MHz GSM fields at specific absorption rates of 0.012–2 W/kg. The study examined resting calcium, agonist-evoked calcium signals, calcium store emptying, and store-operated calcium entry. GSM field data were compared with continuous wave fields and no-field controls. No changes in calcium signals were detected even at the highest field strengths, which exceeded typical phone exposure levels. The researchers concluded they could not detect any consequence of RF exposure under their experimental conditions.

GFAP expression in the rat brain following sub-chronic exposure to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field signal

Ammari M et al. · 2010

This study measured glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression in 48 rat brains to evaluate reactive astrocytosis after sub-chronic head-only exposure to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field signal. Rats were exposed either for 45 minutes per day at a SAR of 1.5 W/kg or for 15 minutes per day at a SAR of 6 W/kg, five days per week over an eight-week period. Compared to sham-treated rats, exposed rats showed an increase in GFAP levels in different brain areas, measured three and ten days after treatment.

GFAP expression in the rat brain following sub-chronic exposure to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field signal.

Ammari M et al. · 2010

French researchers exposed rats to cell phone radiation for 8 weeks and found increased brain inflammation markers that lasted at least 10 days after exposure ended. This suggests chronic mobile phone use may trigger inflammatory brain responses similar to those seen in neurodegenerative diseases.

Effects of Exposure to GSM mobile phone base station signals on salivary cortisol, alpha-amylase, and Immunoglobulin A.

Augner C et al. · 2010

Researchers tested whether RF-EMF emitted by mobile phone base stations may affect salivary alpha-amylase, immunoglobulin A, and cortisol levels. Fifty-seven participants were randomly allocated to one of three experimental scenarios, and each participant went through five 50-minute exposure sessions. When exposure shifted from low to high in scenario 3, an increase of cortisol was detected, and IgA concentration was not significantly related to the exposure. The researchers suggested that RF-EMF in considerably lower field densities than ICNIRP guidelines may influence certain psychobiological stress markers.

Cranial and postcranial skeletal variations induced in mouse embryos by mobile phone radiation.

Fragopoulou AF, Koussoulakos SL, Margaritis LH. · 2010

Physically comparable pregnant mice were exposed to GSM 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation from a mobile phone. Within 5h after birth most pups were fixed and processed with double staining and paraffin histology, while other pups remained with their mothers until teeth eruption. Exposed newborns appeared normal externally, but histological examination revealed variations in cranial bone and rib ossification and displacement of Meckelian cartilage.

(2010) Scientific panel on electromagnetic field health risks: consensus points, recommendations, and rationales

Fragopoulou et al · 2010