Reactive oxygen species levels and DNA fragmentation on astrocytes in primary culture after acute exposure to low intensity microwave electromagnetic field.
Campisi A, Gulino M, Acquaviva R, Bellia P, Raciti G, Grasso R, Musumeci F, Vanella A, Triglia A. · 2010
View Original AbstractCell phone-frequency radiation damaged brain cells' DNA in just 20 minutes, but only when signals were modulated like real wireless devices.
Plain English Summary
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.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a critical distinction that the wireless industry often ignores: modulated radiofrequency signals appear far more biologically active than continuous waves. The 10 V/m exposure level used here falls within the range of typical cell phone emissions, making these findings directly relevant to daily wireless device use. What makes this research particularly compelling is that the effects occurred in astrocytes, the brain's support cells that maintain the blood-brain barrier and regulate neurotransmitters. The researchers' hypothesis that EMF may overstimulate glutamate receptors points to a plausible mechanism for the neurological symptoms many people report from wireless exposure. The science demonstrates that even brief exposures can trigger oxidative stress and DNA damage in brain cells, adding to the growing body of evidence that current safety standards, which only consider heating effects, are inadequate for protecting human health.
Exposure Details
- Electric Field
- 10 V/m
- Source/Device
- 900MHz modulated in amplitude at 50Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 5, 10, or 20min
Exposure Context
This study used 10 V/m for electric fields:
- 33.3x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.3 V/m
Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.
Study Details
The exposure of primary rat neocortical astroglial cell cultures to acute electromagnetic fields (EMF) in the microwave range was studied.
Differentiated astroglial cell cultures at 14 days in vitro were exposed for 5, 10, or 20min to eith...
No change in cellular viability evaluated by MTT test and lactate dehydrogenase release was observed...
Our findings also suggest the hypothesis that the effects could be due to hyperstimulation of the glutamate receptors, which play a crucial role in acute and chronic brain damage. Furthermore, the results show the importance of the amplitude modulation in the interaction between EMF and neocortical astrocytes.
Show BibTeX
@article{a_2010_reactive_oxygen_species_levels_888,
author = {Campisi A and Gulino M and Acquaviva R and Bellia P and Raciti G and Grasso R and Musumeci F and Vanella A and Triglia A.},
title = {Reactive oxygen species levels and DNA fragmentation on astrocytes in primary culture after acute exposure to low intensity microwave electromagnetic field.},
year = {2010},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20156525/},
}