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

Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.

Cellular Effects

An investigation of the effects of TETRA RF fields on intracellular calcium in neurones and cardiac myocytes.

No Effects Found

Green AC, Scott IR, Gwyther RJ, Peyman A, Chadwick P, Chen X, Alfadhl Y, Tattersall JE. · 2005

View Original Abstract
Share:

TETRA emergency radio signals showed no effect on calcium signaling in brain and heart cells at exposure levels below typical mobile phone use.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed brain and heart cells to TETRA radio signals (the frequency used by emergency services) to see if it disrupted calcium levels inside the cells. Calcium is crucial for cell function, especially in neurons and heart muscle. The study found no significant changes in calcium activity at any exposure level tested, suggesting TETRA fields don't interfere with this fundamental cellular process.

Why This Matters

This study addresses an important question about TETRA radio systems, which operate at 380 MHz and are widely used by police, fire, and emergency services. The researchers examined calcium signaling because disruptions to this process could affect both brain function and heart rhythm. While the study found no effects, it's worth noting this was conducted on isolated cells in laboratory conditions, which may not fully capture how living tissues respond to RF exposure. The exposure levels tested ranged from very low (0.005 W/kg) to relatively high (0.4 W/kg) compared to typical mobile phone exposures of around 1-2 W/kg. What this means for you is that TETRA signals, at least at the cellular level studied here, don't appear to disrupt basic calcium-dependent processes in brain and heart cells.

Exposure Details

SAR
0.005, 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.4 W/kg
Source/Device
380.8875 MHz pulse modulated at 17.6 Hz

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.005, 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.4 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Slight Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 320 times higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 18 Hz - 380.9 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 18 Hz - 380.9 MHzPower lines50/60 HzCell phones~1 GHzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

This study aimed to determine whether Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) fields can affect intracellular calcium signalling in excitable cells.

Intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2 +) ](i)) was measured in cultured rat cerebellar granule ...

Granule cells exposed at specific absorption rates (SARs) of 5, 10, 20, 50 or 400 mW x kg(-1) showed...

Overall, these results showed no evidence of any consistent or biologically relevant effect of TETRA fields on [Ca(2 + )](i) in granule cells and cardiac myocytes at any of the SAR tested.

Cite This Study
Green AC, Scott IR, Gwyther RJ, Peyman A, Chadwick P, Chen X, Alfadhl Y, Tattersall JE. (2005). An investigation of the effects of TETRA RF fields on intracellular calcium in neurones and cardiac myocytes. Int J Radiat Biol. 81(12):869-885, 2005.
Show BibTeX
@article{ac_2005_an_investigation_of_the_3048,
  author = {Green AC and Scott IR and Gwyther RJ and Peyman A and Chadwick P and Chen X and Alfadhl Y and Tattersall JE.},
  title = {An investigation of the effects of TETRA RF fields on intracellular calcium in neurones and cardiac myocytes.},
  year = {2005},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16524843/},
}
PubMed: 16524843

Cited By (14 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

Research on TETRA radio frequencies used by emergency services found no significant effects on brain cell function. A 2005 study exposed neurons to these signals at various power levels and detected no disruption to calcium activity, which is essential for proper brain cell communication.
Studies show TETRA radio signals don't harm heart muscle cells. Researchers exposed cardiac cells to emergency service radio frequencies and found no changes in calcium activity or heart cell responses to normal stimulation, suggesting these signals don't interfere with heart function.
Scientific testing found no evidence that emergency service radio signals disrupt cellular calcium levels. Researchers exposed both brain and heart cells to TETRA frequencies at multiple power levels, detecting no significant changes in this crucial cellular process across all exposure conditions tested.
Current research suggests minimal cellular health risks from TETRA emergency radio signals. A controlled study found no significant effects on brain or heart cell calcium activity, even at high exposure levels, indicating these frequencies don't disrupt fundamental cellular processes.
Laboratory studies indicate police radio frequencies don't significantly impact basic brain cell function. Research on TETRA signals found no disruption to neuronal calcium activity, which is essential for nerve cell communication, suggesting these emergency service radios don't interfere with brain processes.